Turmeric prices experienced a decline on Wednesday, as the February contract settled down by 0.52% at Rs 17,854. This movement was largely influenced by anticipations of increased acreage due to favorable monsoon conditions prevailing in the current sowing season. For the 2026 harvest, India’s turmeric acreage is estimated at 3.02 lakh hectares, reflecting an increase of approximately 4% year-on-year, while fresh production is anticipated to reach 11.41 lakh tonnes. At the national level, the production of dried turmeric is projected to reach approximately 90 lakh bags, compared to 82.5 lakh bags in the previous season. Nevertheless, the overall growth in supply continues to be restrained, influenced by irregular weather patterns, disease challenges, and significantly reduced carry-forward inventories.
Unseasonal heavy rainfall during August–September led to waterlogging and disease challenges across approximately 15% of the area in parts of Marathwada, culminating in yield losses of 15–20% in the impacted regions. Notwithstanding this, an increase in acreage is anticipated to elevate Maharashtra’s dried turmeric production to approximately 54 lakh bags. Other producing states collectively may account for nearly 40 lakh bags.
The potential for price declines seems constrained, given that arrivals are below the typical levels, farmers and stockists have scaled back their inventories, and demand—both domestically and for exports—continues to be robust. During the period from April to November 2025, exports experienced a year-on-year increase of 4.88%, whereas imports saw a significant decline of more than 44%. In the Nizamabad spot market, prices experienced a slight decline, settling at Rs 16,805.5.
From a technical perspective, the market is experiencing new selling pressure, evidenced by a 2.97% increase in open interest coupled with a Rs 94 decrease in prices. Support is identified at Rs 17,652; a breach beneath this level may lead to a test of Rs 17,450. Resistance is established at Rs 18,028, with additional potential for upward movement towards Rs 18,202 contingent upon a sustained breakout.