The Hindu : Business : Spices exporters eyeing Japanese markets

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Thursday, Jan 17, 2008
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Spices exporters eyeing Japanese markets

Special Correspondent

Spices Board plans to formulate standards in food safety

KOCHI: Spice exporters here are increasingly looking towards East Asia to explore new markets. India is keen on exporting ginger to Japan, a market which is being served by China, according to Spices Board chairman V.J. Kurien.

At a press conference here on Tuesday to brief about the Spices Congress, the Spices Board chairman said the exporters would like to tap the Japanese markets which were mainly organic.

Chinese ginger was mainly exported to Japan with about 1,00,000 tonnes sent last year.

India accounts for 44 per cent volume of international trade in spices and 36 per cent in value. The main spices that were being exported are chilli, ginger, cumin, cardamom, coriander and pepper. Of the total spices export, 75 per cent went to the U.S. and Europe.

On competition from Vietnam, the chairman said it was mainly in pepper and little in ginger. India had an advantage in the spices processing sector, he said.

The board was planning to formulate standards in food safety in the coming years, he said. It was also in the process of releasing two new varieties of cardamom within the next six months.

Asked about the delay with regard to acquisition of land for two proposed spice parks in Idukki district, Mr. Kurien said the board would work with the State government to ensure that the parks were set up in Kerala and that it would not have to lose out to other States.

Union Minister of Commerce Jairam Ramesh had during his recent visit to Kerala said that if the State government failed to take a decision on land for the parks by February-March, Kerala would be a loser and the spices parks would be shifted to some other State.

Mr. Kurien said India was hopeful of achieving the 10 billion dollar spices export target by 2017. The target this year was one billion.

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