Spices going to waste, dealers feel the pinch

With the lockdown likely to be extended, wholesale spice dealers express fear that black pepper, turmeric and dried ginger stocked in huge godowns at the Jew Town, will go to waste.

KOCHI: With the lockdown likely to be extended, wholesale spice dealers express fear that black pepper, turmeric and dried ginger stocked in huge godowns at the Jew Town, will go to waste. According to N A Varkey, president, Cochin Hill Produce Merchants Association, the godowns have not been opened for a month since the lockdown was announced resulting in the growth of fungus owing to high temperature and moisture.

“By the time the pandemic is contained and the lockdown is lifted, we will lose all our stock valued at crore of rupees to the fungus,” said Varkey. The dealers should be allowed to open godowns to at least air the stock,” he said.  According to him, dried ginger today sells at `25,000 to `27,500 per quintal in the spice market, which is why the government should intervene at the earliest.

“Loss of huge stocks of spices would be devastating to the traders. Since Kochi is the only place where both the farmers and the small-time traders can meet to sell and buy produce, the wholesale dealers should be permitted to open their godowns soon,” he said.

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