Demand of Spices 

The demand of spices from India has increased by an annual growth of 5%. The export of spices from India has also increased. The details of spices exported from India during last 3 years are given below:

Source: Spices Board

Government of India supports the producers of spices in the country through its flagship programme, Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), with the objective of promoting holistic development of horticulture including spices. The Mission programmes are implemented through State Horticulture Mission (SHM) in the various States. The MIDH has components like production and distribution of planting materials, establishment of new garden (area expansion), creation of water resources, promotion of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)/Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), promotion of organic farming, promotion of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), mechanization, creation of market infrastructure, processing and value addition etc. These programmes are aimed at improving production, productivity and quality of the spices.

The mandate for the production and development of spices other than cardamom vests with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW).  Several programmes are implemented by MoA&FW for increasing production, productivity and quality of spices in the country under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). The major interventions include area expansion, rejuvenation and replanting of old and senile crops, production and distribution of quality planting materials, Integrated Pest and Disease Management, Integrated Nutrient Management, organic farming, mechanization, integrated post-harvest management, development of market yards, technology dissemination through frontline demonstration, and human resource development.

To boost production of cardamom in the country, under the Integrated Scheme for Export Promotion & Quality Improvement in Spices and Research & Development of Cardamom being implemented by the Spices Board, various programmes for production of quality planting materials, replanting of old and uneconomic gardens, new planting, irrigation development, improved curing facilities and farm mechanization are taken up.

Further, Government is  implementing  various programmes   to boost export of spices from the country which include development of infrastructure for common processing facilities in spices parks, product development & research for exporters, study of markets abroad, setting up of quality evaluation laboratories to ensure that the quality of spices exported from the country meets quality specifications of consuming countries, assistance to farmers for post-harvest quality improvement in spices, trade promotion activities including participation in international events, promotion of Indian spice brands, conducting training programmes for the stakeholders in good agricultural practices.

The Government through the Spices Board is promoting the exporters to set up or upgrade in-house labs for testing the raw materials as well as finished products intended for exports. The Board is conducting mandatory sampling and testing of export consignments of spices for identified countries in Board’s quality evaluation laboratories to prevent export rejections by importing countries. The Board is testing the samples of exporters as per the importing countries standards viz. American Spice Trade Association/European Union standards. The activities of these laboratories have helped to considerably reduce the export rejections of Indian spices due to quality and safety issues, thus boosting the overall export of spices from India.

This information was given by the Minister of State of Commerce and Industry, C. R. Chaudhary, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.