Abstract
The present study was conducted between November 2025 and April 2026 to assess the socio-economic characteristics, production and post-harvest practices, value chain structure, and major constraints faced by turmeric farmers. Primary data were collected from 33 turmeric-producing households in Besare, Thorke, and Siddhipur through structured questionnaires, field observation, and key informant interviews, using purposive and convenience sampling. Data were analyzed descriptively using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while marketing margin and price spread were used to assess value distribution along the chain. Results revealed that 93.9% of respondents were illiterate, 81.8% were male, and 97.0% depended on farming as their primary occupation. All farmers cultivated local turmeric varieties using traditional, input-free production practices on an average of 2.4 katha per household, with a mean dry turmeric yield of 135 kg per katha. Farm-gate prices averaged NPR 295 per kg of dry turmeric in Besare and Thorke and NPR 270 per kg in Siddhipur. Value chain mapping identified a single dominant marketing channel - Farmer → Local Collector → Wholesaler → Retailer → Consumer - in which farmers sold exclusively to local collectors at the farm gate and retained approximately 57% of the final consumer price. None of the respondents were cooperative members or had access to regular extension services, and only four had received government subsidies. Pest and disease incidence, lack of quality seed rhizomes, and high input costs were the leading production constraints, while dependence on middlemen, storage losses, and lack of credit access constrained marketing, post-harvest handling, and finance, respectively. Strengthening farmer cooperatives, improving access to quality seed rhizomes, expanding extension services, and enhancing market linkages are recommended to improve the profitability and sustainability of turmeric farming in the study area.
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