The Spices Board will complete construction of a Spices Park in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh soon besides ensuring functioning of the quality lab of the Board there. The park will be chilli-based and will work in line with the park at Puttady in Kerala.
The Board had proposed to set up 14 spices parks in various states, based on the spices available in these.
Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are likely to get spices parks soon.
About 350 chilli farmers from 35 mandals in Guntur and Prakasam districts of Andhra converged at the ‘Sugandha Sangamam’ programme, an initiative to bring sustainability in development of chillies. The programme is aimed at strengthening the supply chain from farm to exports. This was organised by the Spices Board in collaboration with the World Spice Organisation.
The global demand for chillies has increased and the need to maintain India’s position as a leader in this sector is gaining importance.
Spices play a major role in total agricultural exports of the country and a substantial jump was observed in the past five years. But, there is a supply shortage, especially the quantity available for exports. The industry is facing issues due to short supply and quality concerns.
Availability of good quality produce in sufficient quantities, problem of pesticide residues, presence of aflatoxin and illegal dyes are issues that need attention. As a measure to ensure this, the Board has made plans, including promotion of organic cultivation.
