KOCHI: Things are looking up on the spices-export front. During the first nine months of this financial year, the country recorded more spice-export earnings than those from the entire quantity exported during the previous fiscal, Spices Board sources said here.

The cumulative spices export during April - December 2006 is estimated at 250,528 tonnes valued at Rs.2335.24 crore ($512.23 million) as against 250,431 tonnes valued at Rs.1781.81 crore ($403.21 million) in the corresponding period last year. The export value during the first nine months of the current fiscal has already exceeded the total export value during the financial year 2005-06.

Compared to the same period last year, the export has shown an increase of thirty-one per cent in rupee value. In dollar terms, the increase was twenty-seven per cent. Spice oils and oleoresins including mint products contributed forty-five per cent of the total export earnings. Chilli contributed nineteen per cent followed by pepper at nine per cent, cumin at seven per cent and turmeric at five per cent, say Board sources here.

During April -December 2006, the export of pepper, cardamom (large), ginger, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg and mace, vanilla, curry powder/paste, mint products and other spices like tamarind, asafoetida etc are higher in terms of both quantity and value as compared to the same period last year.

In the case of chilli, coriander, fennel and fenugreek there is an increase in value only.

During the first nine months of the current fiscal, the country exported 20,000 tonnes of pepper valued at Rs.203.53 crore as against 12,091 tonnes valued at Rs.101.98 crore last year. The country exported 22,000 tonnes of cumin valued at Rs.166.05 crore as against 7354 tonnes valued at Rs.56.53 crore last year.

During April-December 2006, the country exported ninety-eight tonnes of vanilla valued at Rs.15.94 crore as against 28 tonnes valued at Rs.5.96 crore last year.

During April-December 2006, the curry powder export was 6900 tonnes valued at Rs.62.48 crore as against 6363 tonnes valued at Rs.54.34 crore last year.

Against the export target of 306,000 tonnes valued at Rs.2500 crore ($545 million) for the year, the achievement of 250,528 tonnes valued at Rs.2335.24 crore ($512.23 million) up to December 2006 is 82 per cent in quantity, ninety-three per cent in rupee value and 94 per cent in dollar terms, Board officials said.

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