NOTE : The ginger produced in Karbi Anglong was given the Geographical Indication Tag (GI) during the year 2014-15 due to its unique characteristics.
History :
The picturesque hilly district of Karbi Anglong is without doubt one of the main ginger producing belts of Assam that’s quickly gaining significance in every house and worldwide markets for its superior high quality natural ginger. Greater than 30 % of Karbi Anglong district is a dense tropical forest cowl on hills and plains. The district is actually populated with tribes of Karbi, Dimasa, Kuki, Boro, Garo and so on. who’re closely invested in agriculture. The indigenous tribes historically practise jhum cultivation within the hilly space and the most important crops that come below jhum cultivation are maize, cotton, rice, ginger, tapioca, wheat, oil seeds and others.
Ginger is grown as an necessary money crop in Singhasan Hills of Karbi Anglong district utilizing the age-old system of jhum and tila.
Karbi Anglong space produces the most effective natural ginger on the planet with an average annual manufacturing of greater than 30,000 tonnes grown by around 10,000 farmers. There are two types of ginger grown in Karbi Anglong particularly Nadia and Aizol.
Aizol has much less fibre and is produced with the only intention for export whereas Nadia is extra fibrous and most popular for home use. These varieties have excessive dry rhizome and restoration of oleoresin oil which is the principle cause for they’re in demand amongst houses in addition to worldwide patrons. Oleoresin, commercially generally known as ‘Gingerin’ is extracted from dried ginger and finds a significant place within the meals trade.The cultivation of ginger on this area is traced back to the early 1950s with the fertile soil, distinctive weather conditions and dense forest cowl proving to be beneficial for raising ginger.
The manufacturing season begins with sowing in March – April and ends in January. The tactic of cultivation is natural with farmers utilizing part of the harvest of the earlier 12 months as seeds for the current season, no chemical substances or fertilizers are used, mulching method is carried out and indigenous pest management and illness administration measures are utilized.
The uncooked ginger of Karbi Anglong are equipped to totally different elements of India and exported to the Central-East, Germany and France. India is the main ginger producer on the planet with the state of Assam itself contributing an enormous chunk to the overall manufacturing.
Natural ginger cultivation is very labour intensive therefore the farmers along with their households go in hordes within the sowing and harvest season usually working in one another’s area and settle wage cost in kind. This is a wonderful supply of revenue and employment for the tribal households and its true potential is but to be tapped as there aren’t any value-added merchandise apart from a small quantity of dried and uncooked ginger that’s bought.
Processing and manufacturing models will go a good distance in selling the world’s finest natural ginger in addition to bringing in additional deal with the indigenous and natural strategies of cultivation practiced in Karbi Anglong and different elements of the Northeast which produces premium food grains, fruit crops, greens and spices.