Spice exports increased 0.94 per cent in the April-January period of the current financial year. A total of 436,175 tonnes, valued at Rs 7,849 crore were shipped in the first ten months of FY12, as compared to 432,115 tonnes valued at Rs 5,354 crore in the same period of the previous financial year. The rise was 47 per cent in rupee terms and 40 per cent in dollar terms.
Spice exports from India have already achieved 121 per cent of the target set for 2011-12 in terms of value and 87 per cent in terms of quantity.
India exports pepper, cardamom (small and large), ginger, turmeric, cumin, celery, fenugreek, nutmeg, mace, tamarind, asafoetida and value-added products like curry powder and paste. All these registered an increase in both, volume and value, in the current financial year.
A total of 22,300 tonnes of pepper valued at Rs 721 crore were exported, as against 14,950 tonnes valued at Rs 296.56 crore in the April-January period. There was also an increase in the unit value from Rs 198 a kg in April-January 2011 to Rs 323 a kg now, according to the Spices Board data . There was also a considerable change in cardamom (small) exports, which hit an all-time high of 3,900 tonnes, worth Rs 308 crore. In case of large cardamom, there was a 10 per cent increase in quantity and 52 per cent in value. The unit value has increased from Rs 538 a kg to Rs 743 a kg.
A total of 710 tonnes of large cardamom valued at Rs 53 crore were shipped, as against 645 tonnes at Rs 35 crore last year. Turmeric exports increased both in value and volume terms. A total of 67,000 tonnes valued at Rs 644 crore were exported, rising 69 per cent in quantity terms and 14 per cent in value terms.