Spices exports during April-November registered a 6 per cent growth in volume and 15 per cent in value over last year. Total exports have been estimated at 310,830 tonne valued around Rs 3,450.50 crore ($786.25 mn) against 294,335 tonne, valued at Rs 3,010.25 crore ($742.95 mn). Spice oils and oleoresins, including mint products, contributed 42 per cent of export earnings. Chilli contributed 21 per cent followed by cumin, 8 per cent, pepper 8 per cent and turmeric 5 per cent.
About 73 per cent of the target of 425,000 tonne and 79 per cent of the targeted value of Rs 4,350 crore ($1.025 bn) have been achieved in the first eight months of the fiscal. Ginger and black pepper suffered a serious setback on the export front as there has been a 46 per cent and 33 per cent drop respectively in these spices in volume. In value terms, pepper exports have suffered a decrease of 23 per cent, as per the latest estimates of the Spices Board.
Mint products have also declined in quantity and value compared to last year. During April-November ’08, the export of pepper from India has been 16,850 tonnes of Rs 281.77 crore against 25,230 tonnes valued at Rs 365.36 crore last year.
The average export price of pepper has gone up from Rs 144.81 per kg in 2007 to Rs 167.22 per kg in 2008.
During the period, India exported 132,000 tonne of chilli and chilli products valued at Rs 729.68 crore as against 134,285 tonne valued at Rs 727.84 crore seen last year. The traditional buyers of Indian chilli viz. Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka continued their buying this year also.The export of seed spices have also shown an increasing trend both the quantity and value as compared to the last year.
The export of coriander seed during April-November 2008 has been 18,500 tonne valued Rs 128.43 crore as against 17,180 tonne, an increase of 86 per cent in value over last year and 8 per cent in quantity.
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The unit value of export has also gone up from Rs 40.21 per kg in 2007 to Rs 69.42 per kg in 2008. The export of cumin seed during April-November 2008 has risen considerably and the export has been 27,300 tonne valued at Rs 284.93 crore as against 16,520 tonne valued at Rs 174.83 crore.
The export of cumin seeds has shown an increase of 65 per cent in quantity and 63 per cent in value terms as compared to last year. The reported crop failure in other major producing countries like Syria, Turkey and Iran has helped India to achieve this substantial increase in the export of cumin.
The export of value added products like Curry powder and spice oils & oleoresins have also shown substantial increase both in terms of quantity and value as compared to last year. During the period a total quantity of 9,500 tonne of curry powder and masalas valued Rs.110.15 crore has been exported as against 7,480 tonnes valued at Rs 72.85 crore last year.