Guna (200 km north-west of Bhopal)-based Neshkala Crop Producer Company Private Ltd, formed in 2006, is developing a new local variety of Kumbhraj coriander. Kumbhraj is a village in Guna district and grows the best coriander in terms of palatability, aroma and size. It is widely grown in the area on approximately 40, 000 acres and the yield is exported indirectly to various countries.
Formed under a World Bank-assisted District Poverty Initiative Project (DPIP), the company earlier ventured into roping in biggies like ITC for 200 tonnes of the commodity, but this could not materialise last year. Guna produces approximately 44,000-50,000 tonnes of coriander during the winters.
The company has 927 poor farmers as stakeholders, who will sow breeder and foundation seed of coriander, and select field in different stages. “We will see which variety gives the maximum yield,” said R K Tiwari, district project manager. “Once the variety is developed we will enter into processing of certification of the seed, so that our members can get more return,” he said.
At present, the Kumbhraj variety fetches Rs 7,000-Rs 8,000 per quintal. If exported, the yield may be double. However, only exporters’ agents or middlemen are cultivating the benefits in absence of proper government monitoring.
“We are planning to provide a marketing link to the farmers so that they can get maximum benefit and Nashkala is one of such efforts,” Mukesh Gupta, district collector, Guna said. The town and its periphery had been declared ‘Agri Export Zone (AEZ)’ six years ago, but nothing has been done so far.