Spices and Condiments (1+1)

Origin and distribution

 
• Curry leaf is native to the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh in India and is found almost throughout India and the Andaman Islands upto an altitude of 1500 m. Two related species of curry leaf are M. panicu/ata indigenous to Myanmar and M. exotica, an ornamental shrub indigenous to India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Curry leaf is cultivated in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan, Australia and the Pacific Islands. It is commonly found in forests, often as gregarious undergrowth along the foothills of Himalayas from the River Ravi to Sikkim and Assam. It is also found in Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and South and the Southwestern States. On a commercial scale, it is cultivated in large areas in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In Tamil Nadu, the cultivation is concentrated in Coimbatore, Salem, Trichy and pockets of Ramanathapuram districts.
• In Coimbatore district, its cultivation is mainly concentrated in places like Karamadai, Mettupalayam, Thayanur, Kanvanur and in Thangacchimadam (Ramanathapuram Dist.). In Karnataka, it is being cultivated on plantation scale in Dharwad, Belgaum and the Uttar Kannada districts.