Before education sector employee Meenaskhi Bhardwaj met a Shillong missionary who told her about a special variety of turmeric, she could never envision herself as a businesswoman who could market a GI-tagged crop from a distant part of the country. But that chance meeting in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills and a gift of honey and Lakadong turmeric changed Bhardwaj’s mind for good.
“I didn’t know that turmeric had so many varieties,” recalls Bhardwaj.
The missionary’s gift came Bhardwaj’s way in 2015. She offered money for it but was asked to assist the women who grow the turmeric instead. So she did just that, setting up a business that sources the Lakadong turmeric and other natural products from Shillong to her home city of Delhi where she packages and sells it either locally or online.
“I really wanted to help the people growing this turmeric, and eventually began marketing this product in 2017,” shares Bhardwaj.
Also read: GI tag boosts demand for Waigaon’s turmeric
Changing tracks
The MBA who used to work as a freelance consultant with international agencies never thought she would end up as an entrepreneur selling turmeric.
“Before this, I used to work as a freelance consultant with global bodies. Though I would travel on account of work, I never imagined I would work with marginalised communities from a far-flung corner of the country,” she confesses.
Her brand, Aranyam Naturals, became one of the first businesses on Amazon to sell Lakadong turmeric – a variety of turmeric with a 7 to 10 percent curcumin content grown in the Northeast, particularly Meghalaya – back in 2017.
Running a business was something she had to learn on the job, just like she learnt to formulate the popular blends of turmeric that she markets at Aranyam Naturals. These include a turmeric-ginger-black pepper-cardamom-cinnamon mix and a turmeric-black pepper-ginger mix.
Today her business is growing at a good pace. The likes of Haldiram’s whole foods division are also buying some products from her brand. In the process Aranyam Naturals supports about 300 marginalised farmer families in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills.
Why does Lakadong’s high curcumin content matter?
Lakadong turmeric’s higher than average curcumin content is what makes it so special. Curcumin is a major compound and pigment in turmeric that gives it that distinctive orange-yellow colour. It’s also known for its potential health benefits like anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Thanks to its antiseptic properties, consuming this turmeric can offer protection from coughs, colds, and allergies. “Some of my customers are cancer patients, as Ayurveda talks about the benefits of turmeric in this disease,” says Bhardwaj.
One of her customers mixed the turmeric with pepper and coconut oil and fed it to a pet dog, who showed signs of some relief from arthritis thereafter. “I give this turmeric to my Dalmatian as well,” says Bhardwaj.
Also read: Golden empowerment: Women effect change through turmeric
As of 2023, the Lakadong turmeric has a GI tag, and it’s only the farmers of the West Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya who grow it, though other states were claiming it grows on their soil too. While the GI tag is a good thing for this wonder turmeric, it’s thrown up some challenges for the farmers.
“To grow any product with a GI tag, farmers need to register with the government,” explains Bhardwaj. Besides the difficulty in growing and harvesting Lakadong turmeric, registering oneself as a grower can be a long and expensive process. “This is why many farmers haven’t registered with the government yet,” reveals Bhardwaj, whose business supports 300 marginalised families, a third of which are single mothers and struggling women.
Sweetening her natural offerings
While Aranyam Naturals started with marketing pure Lakadong turmeric, they realised the need to incorporate other products into their business along the way.
“We focus on natural foods and other products that are good for the body. Amla candy is very popular but, unfortunately, a lot of this candy is made with sugar,” points out Bhardwaj. So she started marketing amla candy made with jaggery after she discovered another woman producer who was selling this product. “These candies take over in summer when sales of turmeric dip,” she offers.
Natural and raw unprocessed honey, fruit salt, tea masala, ginger-black pepper-honey licks and pink salt are some other goodies available on the Aranyam Naturals website (www.aranyam.co.in).
Bhardwaj says that Amazon and her website are the two most reliable sources for ordering her products. Other than Nature’s Soul, in Delhi’s Defence Colony, and the weekend artisanal markets in the Delhi National Capital Region, she has chosen not to sell offline.
Also read: She chose harsh farm life over a 6-figure American paycheck
The lead photo on top is a representational image of Lakadong turmeric, a variety that has a 7 to 10 percent curcumin content. (Photo courtesy Shutterstock)
Smriti Mukerji is a Delhi-based freelance journalist.
