'Govt mulls on national policy on spices trade'

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SME Times News Bureau | 28 Jan, 2015
Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher Tuesday asked all the producers and traders of spices to come up "with the basic contours of a national policy on spices and spices trade".

Commerce Secretary while addressing the National Conference on Development and Export of Spices in Pusa campus, New Delhi on Tuesday emphasised on the quality, he said that farmers and traders the producers to focus more on quality, branding and packaging of the commodity to enhance its competitiveness in the world market.

"It is becoming an increasingly important that India exports the best commodity because that is where the real competition is coming. Traditional markets such as EU and the US are all becoming discerning on the quality.

"Every other day, a new set of standards are coming. EU comes up with variety of standards. Therefore it is extremely important that those involved in the back-end of agri practices and post-harvesting are informed about the quality related demands in various markets," he added.

Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh while inaugurating the conference, said that concerted efforts are needed to produce clean spices at competitive prices in order to sustain India's share in world market speaking on the occasion he said that.

Spices farmers have been facing the problem of low productivity, fluctuating prices coupled with biotic and abiotic stress resulting in low farm income. However, efforts of diversification, unfolding of nutraceutical and health benefit of spices and farming system models have provided better opportunity for improving income from spices, he added.

Singh said that ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research Calicut and National Research Centre on Seed Spices Ajmer have pioneered in developing a number of high yielding varieties and production technologies.

Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that Spices Board under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry has been spearheading activities for excellence of Indian spices with respect to quality and hygiene of high level.

The Board functions as an important link between the Indian exporters and the importers abroad and supports Indian spices brand building amongst the importing countries which is really needed to realize the slogan of Brand India and Make in India, he added.

Referring to India's status in World Spice Trade, Singh said that the export earnings showed a spectacular growth during the period from 2005-06 to 2013-14 as the earning increased from USD 592.9 million to USD 2267.67 million.

In volume terms, spices exports grew by 12 per cent to 4,21,570 tonnes during April-September period of this fiscal as against 3,76,584 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Singh said that Spices have been playing an important role in the Indian agrarian economy as it accounts for 5 percent of the agriculture GDP of the country.

The agro-climatic conditions in the country provide an ideal habitat for the natural growth of various spices.

There is a long list of 75 spices grown in India but chillies, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, saffron and cumin are commercially more important.

Today, India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices in the world, added Singh.