The workshop, organised by the Office of the Deputy Chief Minister in collaboration with the Tribal Affairs and Hills Department and experts from CSIR-Jorhat, focused on building a stronger future through turmeric cultivation and value chain development. Addressing farmers, officials and stakeholders, Kipgen stressed that turmeric cultivation has the potential to become a game-changing economic activity capable of restoring livelihoods, strengthening rural resilience and creating sustainable prosperity in conflict-affected areas. The initiative seeks to promote turmeric cultivation as a viable alternative livelihood while encouraging farmers to transition from illicit cultivation to legal, commercially viable agriculture. It also aims to strengthen the rural economy by developing a complete turmeric value chain—from cultivation and processing to packaging, branding and marketing. The workshop also featured an interactive question-and-answer session, followed by discussions on an action plan, implementation strategy and a timeline for expanding turmeric cultivation across the hill districts.