India may get output-multiplier pepper seed from Madagascar in about a year, hopes the Spices Board.
The high-yielding seed from Madagascar has the potential to increase output by 20 times.
“The Board, along with the International Pepper Community (IPC, the inter-governmental body of producer-countries), is currently in talks with the government of Madagascar to bring high-yielding seed available in that country to India. We hope the local authorities allow us to carry their seed to India,” said A Jayathilak, chairman of the Spices Board, at a day’s conference here.
The meet was organised by the Indian Spice & Foodstuff Exporters’ Association and attended by 150 global experts.
Earlier, the government of Madagascar had supplied the seed to Vietnam and the result has been witnessed tremendous growth in the latter’s output, leaving other major producing countries behind. This year, too, Vietnam will lead global supply of the spice, with production of 140,000 tonnes against 130,000 tonnes last year.
By contrast, output in India has declined severely in recent ears. India’s output is pegged at 43,000 tonnes this year, the lowest in two decades, as against 48,000 tonnes last year. During 2009-10, output was 55,557 tonnes.
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“The only solution to arrest this fall is to bring high-yielding seed to India ,” said Jayathilak.
With home consumption at 42,000 tonnes in a year, Indian traders will have hardly anything left for exports this year. The only hope for them is to increase the quantity of value-added products through imported raw materials, which they have been doing for many years.
Against a per unit yield of 300-400 kg from Indian pepper seed, the seed originating from Madagascar has the potential to produce 7,000 kg in favourable conditions. “It is doing wonders elsewhere and, hence, can be replicated in India,” said S Kannan, executive director of the Jakarta-based IPC.
The latest estimates of world production indicate a four per cent increase in the 2012 season (November 2011-December 2012). According to the estimates of a leading export house, total production would be 270,000 tonnes, 31,674 tonnes higher than last year’s output. Global pepper supply in 2012 is estimated at 320,000 tonnes, including the carryover stock, less than the 330,000 tonnes in 2011.
Jayathilak says Indian farmers may not get the same level of output from good seeds due to the lack of adequate farm practices and land availability. In Vietnam, if a field is spoilt due to contaminants or pesticide residues, farmers plant in alternative fields, he said. However, Indian farmers use the same field, despite any distortion in soil quality.
India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices in the world. The estimated world trade in spices is 1.1 million tonnes, valued at $3,475 million, of which India has a share of 48 per cent in quantity and 43 per cent in value terms.
In his inaugural speech, Marcel Bruggeman, director of Holland – based Nofa Lab, said, “Aflatoxin and pesticide residues are the main concerns for the Indian spice industry.”
The Spices Board is planning to hold discussions with the European Commission on the issue of contaminants in Indian exports and to standardise testing practices across the industry.