Tamil Nadu’s ‘Moringa Central’

About 2,984 hectares is under Moringa oleifera cultivation in the small town in Karur district

Aravakurichi in Karur district is deemed Tamil Nadu’s ‘Moringa Central’. About 2,984 hectares (approximately 7,373 acres) is under Moringa oleifera cultivation in this small panchayat town. It presents a sea of green to visitors for at least eight months of the year as the trees’ flavoursome drumstick ( murungakkai) pod and its by-products get ready for despatch.

“Of the 12,308 farmers in this area, at least 10,000 are moringa growers. It is a low-maintenance crop that does not require much irrigation, and therefore suits this area’s rocky soil conditions. We harvest at least 100 tonnes of moringa per day during peak season (July to September),” said R. Kannan, Assistant Agricultural Officer, Agri-Business Department, Aravakurichi branch.

A storehouse of nutrients, the drumstick is a common part of the daily diet in southern India. Moringa leaf ( murunga keerai) is also valued for its medicinal qualities, while its seed oil is of late making inroads into in the international market as a nutritional supplement.

A recent Global Markets Insights report projects the moringa ingredients market to be worth $10 billion by 2025, with North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific driving the demand.

But Aravakurichi isn’t exactly sitting on an agricultural jackpot, because oversupply has eroded farmers’ earnings. “We advise our members to avoid harvesting their crop if the market does not deliver a good price. Instead, the pods are left to go to seed for oil extraction,” said M. Saroja, who heads the Karur Moringa and Vegetable Production Farmers Producer Company (KMVPFPC).

The KMVPFPC, which groups 400 moringa cultivators in and around Aravakurichi, is an early adopter of organic farming, based on the methods advocated by agricultural scientist late G. Nammalvar. “From ₹60 in March, the price of moringa per kg has dropped to ₹8, and may come down even further this year. Our farmers do not approach the market unless they get at least a minimum support price of ₹25,” pointed out Ms. Saroja.

A State government supply chain management initiative at an investment of ₹2.3 crore to create a drumstick processing unit is yet to materialise. Many farmers and agri start-ups in the region have instead started small ventures to add value to the moringa.