Turmeric, known as haldi in Hindi, is a popular and sacred spice from India. It is nicknamed as ‘Indian Solid Gold’ and ‘Indian Saffron’ owing to its golden yellow color. It has profound significance as a condiment, dyeing agent, flavoring agent and even as a medicine. It is an inseparable ingredient in Asian cuisine especially in Indian curry preparations. Owing to the increasing demand of pure, organic food products, turmeric is an important food coloring agent.
Turmeric is the dried rhizome of Curcuma longa, an herbaceous plant. The rhizome has 1.8-5.4% curcumin, the pigment and 2.5-7.2% of essential oil. It is used as an important condiment and as a dye with varied applications in drug and cosmetic industries. In India, Andhra Pradesh is the leading state followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Kerala and Bihar.
Turmeric production in India is about 78% of total production in the world. Turmeric can be grown as a monocrop or with other plantation crops as intercrop.
Turmeric has been India’s golden spice for the past five centuries. It is one of those few Indian products having both commercials as well as mythological significance. Turmeric is used not only in the culinary item but also as cosmetics in almost every Indian household. Turmeric has been used in Asia for thousands of years and is a major part of Ayurveda, unman, and traditional Chinese medicine.
Turmeric market is segmented on the basis of its application and form. In the context of healthcare segment, turmeric has application to combat health issues related to digestion, liver, cancer, cholesterol, osteoarthritis and many other health disorders. Another application of turmeric is in cosmetic industry where it is used as an herbal product in skin and body care products. Further, the market of food type can be segmented in terms of using the turmeric for different purposes such as taste enhancer, ingredients, and coloring purpose and in terms of beverage; it is used in tea, juices, and canned beverages.
The global turmeric market is expected to reach a market valuation of a little more than US$ 5,650 Mn by the end of 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 5.5% over the forecast period. In terms of volume, the consumption of turmeric is estimated to be 1,049,490.5 MT by 2017 end, and is forecast to reach 1,696,519.8 MT by 2027 end, expanding at a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period.
