Spices

Goto Package of Practices for Black Pepper (English Version)

        Meghalaya has natural advantages in growing a variety of spices of which the prominent ones are turmeric, ginger, chilli, black-Lakadong Turmeric in Vegetative Stagepepper and bay-leaf. Except for bay leaf, which is a minor forest produce, the other spices are cultivated.

        The cultivation of turmeric (Lakadong variety) is concentrated in the Nongbah-Shangpung belt of Jaintia Hills district. The Lakadong variety has about 7.4% curcumin content and has very good commercial value in the market. The volatile oil content in dry turmeric varies between 3.6% to 4.8%

Goto Package of Practices for Turmeric (Khasi Version)

        The Lakadong variety of Turmericvariety of ginger mainly grown in the State is Nadia and Rio-de-Janeiro. Of these, Nadia has been found to give higher yield upto about 10 M.T. per hectare. This variety also has least fibre content. The volatile oil content (oleoresin) in dry ginger powder of this variety varies between 1.2 to 1.5%. Ginger cultivation is concentrated in East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and Ri-Bhoi Districts.

Goto Package of Practices for Ginger (Khasi Version)

        Chilli is grown all over the State while black pepper is grown mainly in the Khasi hills districts of the State. Large Cardamom has recently been introduced and is slowly becoming popular with the farmers. Bay leaf cultivation is concentrated on the southern slopes of the State adjourning Bangladesh.

Varieties Grown

• Chilli
  Hot chilli : Synteng hot, NP-46, Jwala
  Capsicum : Chinese giant,Bullnose,Oskosh , California Wonder
  Pickle (achar) : Hungarian, Wax, Local Achar
• Black Pepper - Panniyur-1, Panniyur-2
• Large Cardamom - Bebo, Golsey, Ramla, Ramsey, Sawney, Varlangey
• Ginger - Nadia, Suprabha, Thingpui, Poona , Rio de Jeneiro, Thinglaidong, Tata, Wynad.
• Turmeric - Lakadong, RCT-1

        Fitting the trend line in the last 11 years (1990-91 to 2000-01), it is observed that all the aforementioned spices with the exception of chilli, showed a marked increase in area, production and productivity.