Fly-off event demonstrates use of UAVs/drones for transport of Lakadong Turmeric in Meghalaya

Lakadong Turmeric has been identified under The One District, One Product (ODOP) Initiative

West Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya witnessed the first-of-its-kind Fly-Off Event to demonstrate the use of novel and innovative Drone/UAV technology for payload delivery, that could serve as a model of solving the first mile connectivity issues for Lakadong Turmeric farmers from the hinterland.

Lakadong Turmeric has been identified under The One District, One Product (ODOP) Initiative under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, as a product with excellent potential for growth and export for West Jaintia Hills.

ODOP partnered with AGNIi Mission, one of the nine technology missions under the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council to identify Indian innovative technologies that can play a transformative role in the end-to-end processing of Lakadong Turmeric, starting with leveraging payload drones (UAVs) to transport the turmeric in large quantities.

It may be noted that the Lakadong Turmeric from West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, one of the world’s finest turmeric varieties with the highest curcumin content of 7-9 per cent (in comparison to 3% or less in other varieties), is fast becoming a game changer in the economy of the district. Meghalaya has applied for a Geographical Indication tag for Lakadong turmeric.

Lakadong Turmeric has been identified under The