KOCHI: Spices exports from India have continued its upward trend and has crossed Rs 5,000 crore during 2008- 09 which is an all-time record.
The exports have been 470,520 tonnes valued at Rs 5,300.25 crore against 444,250 tonnes valued at Rs 4,435.50 crore in the last financial year.
Compared to last year, the exports have shown an increase of 10 percent in rupee value and six percent in quantity.
Spices Board chairman V J Kurian told mediapersons here that in the export basket of spices and spices products, spice oils and oleoresins, including mint products like mint oils, menthol crystals and menthol powder, contributed 40 percent of the total export earnings.
Chilli contributed 20 percent, followed by cumin 10 percent, pepper 8 percent and turmeric 5 percent.
Indian spices and spice products reached more than 135 countries in the world. The leading among them are the US, Malaysia, UAE, China and the UK. Kurian pointed out that the US is the largest buyer of pepper which imported about 55,000 mt during 2008. However, due to economic slow down, the major US companies are keeping low inventories in low import volume.
The Indian pepper production is stagnant around 50,000 mt due to low productivity of aged and disease- affected pepper plantations.
Chilli is the largest spice item exported from India in terms of volume and it also occupies second position in terms of value. The mandatory quality testing of chilli and chilli products by the Board has made Indian chilli more acceptable in the international markets and helped to achieve this higher level of export.
The export of processed spices like curry powder and spice oils and oleoresins, mint products and spice powders account for 58 percent of the total exports. The export of spice oils and oleoresins has also recorded an all time high both in volume and value terms and the export has been 6,850 tonnes valued at Rs 720.50 crore.
The major spice items are pepper, poppy seed, glove, cardamom large, ginger fresh and cassia. Import of fresh ginger from Nepal accounts for 30 percent of the total import volume and is used for domestic consumption.