The Hindu : Kerala News : Spices export crosses $500 m mark for the first time

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

Spices export crosses $500 m mark for the first time

Staff Reporter

Union Minister of State for Commerce to meet farmers, Spices Board officials

NATURE'S BOUNTY: Spices kept for sale in a spices shop in Kochi.

KOCHI: Spices exports from the country has crossed $ 500 m mark for the first time helped by a surge in earnings from export of value-added products like spice and mint oils, oleoresins and curry powders.

Export earnings stood at Rs.2,295 crores ($ 518 m) on a quantity of 3.20 lakh tonnes. This is an increase of 4.3 per cent in rupee earnings and 5.6 per cent increase in dollar terms. The volume of exports, however, dipped marginally compared to the previous year.

Major fall was noticed in the export of chilli. It came down to 1.13 lakh tonnes from the previous year's level of 1.38 lakh tonnes. Chairman of the Spices Board V.J. Kurien said the average FOB value of spices had increased during the last financial year from Rs.65.58 to Rs.71.61 a kg.

He said that value-added products, including curry powders, accounted for a significant portion of the value realised. He said the board would take up a major marketing campaign during the current year. He said that efforts would be made to make the board brand Flavourit more popular both in India and abroad.

Introduction of small packs of spices would be a major way to boost domestic consumption. Tata Consultancy Services is doing a market study for Indian spices. The report is expected to be ready in three months.

Mr. Kurien said that building a market was a long-drawn process and that it would take some time for a steady market to be cultivated. Items like pepper and cardamom had shown increase both in quantity and earnings during the last financial year. Chilli exports earned Rs.403 crores last year. Small cardamom exports was worth Rs.27 crores. Pepper exports earned Rs.140 crores. The target for the next year is Rs.2,400 crores earning from export of three lakh tonnes, said Mr. Kurien.

Union Minister coming

Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh will arrive in Kerala on Wednesday for a three-day visit during which he will meet farmers and officials from the Rubber Board, the Spices Board and the Marine Products Export Development Authority.

Mr. Kurien said the major problems being faced by farmers, especially those engaged in vanilla and cardamom cultivation, would be addressed during the Minister's visit.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail