India’s spice exports soar as supply-chain constraints dissipate

INDIA- Spice exports from India have increased as the pandemic’s impact on international markets and the shipping difficulties have receded.

The industry has seen increased demand and maintained a target of US$4.5 billion in exports in FY23, up from US$4.13 billion in FY22, a 9% increase from the previous year.

“The export market had slowed down in the first five months of FY23. But now it has started to recover, and we are optimistic that this trend will continue for the remaining period of the fiscal year,” said Ramkumar Menon, president of the World Spice Organization (WSO).

The World Spice Organisation is a not-for-profit organization for all individuals involved in the spice industry—farmers, processors, universities, and end users—to collaborate on sustainable improvement.

15-20% of the total amount of spices manufactured in India are exported. The main spices that are exported are mint, pepper, cumin, coriander, and floor spices.

Every year, the country produces 11 million tonnes of spices which it exports to several countries including Malaysia, Indonesia, the USA, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and China.

Menon claimed that prices for chilies are still exorbitant because the new harvest has not yet been released. It is anticipated that the next crop will be ready by January of the following year.

According to Menon, India’s spice industry faces a significant challenge in raising productivity and output to keep up with the expanding demand from the import and export sectors.

For this, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) play a vital role. WSO has chosen to collaborate with farmers via FPOs as part of its National Sustainable Spices Program (NSSP).

This year the National Spice Conference is being held in Mumbai on October 6 and 7 where many FPOs are participating.

The NSSP brings together stakeholders from public and private sectors, as well as smallholder farmer groups on one platform, to address social, economic, and environmental issues in the spices industry in India.

The primary objective of the program is to promote Food Safety and Sustainability by bringing together key players in the sector with a commitment to sustainable spice production.

NSSP develops partnerships and collaborations and facilitates discussions between stakeholders in the spice value chain through the development of value chain linkages and establishing service delivery models.

This year the National Spice Conference is being held in Mumbai on October 6 and 7 where many FPOs are participating.

The conference will discuss emerging trends in food safety regulations, changing consumer and demand patterns, ground-level challenges for sustainability and biodiversity, innovations, and new trends in value chain partnerships.

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