Date:09/06/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/06/09/stories/2005060900691000.htm

Back Spices export down in April, seen sliding this fiscal

G.K. Nair

"Given the current trend in spices exports, value-added products such as ground spices, spices oil and oleoresins were the real drivers."

Kochi , June 8

IF the current trend is any indication, export of spices from the country during the current fiscal is likely to decline as shipments of some of the major commodities are likely to drop in the current fiscal following reports of good crop in other producing countries.

Export figures for April show a decline both in volume and value. As against 32,376 tonnes valued at Rs 199.28 crore in April 2004, exports during the same period this year were 28,933 tonnes valued at Rs 177.75 crore.

Thus, there has been drop of 3,443 tonnes in volume and Rs 21.53 crore in value.

Export of chilli, coriander, cumin etc has declined, according to Spices Board sources.

"Last year we saw rise in chilli exports because of the poor crop in China. But, according to information available so far the crop is good there unlike in the past two years," according to a source at the All-India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF).

He said similarly the coriander crop in the erstwhile East European countries and Morocco was said to be better than last year.

In the case of cumin also, the production is expected to be more in the major producing countries such as Syria, Turkey and Iran.

In 2004-05, the country had exported a record 1.38 lakh tonnes of chilli valued at Rs 499 crore as against 86,575 tonnes worth Rs 366.88 crore the previous year.

Similarly, export of coriander stood at 33,750 tonnes valued at Rs 82.66 crore as against 21,018 tonnes valued at Rs 72.01 crore in 2003-04.

Export of cumin also shot up to 13,750 tonnes in 2004-05 from 7,957 tonnes in the previous year.

Thus, the total exports in terms of volume in 2004-05 went up by 1,02,515 tonnes to 3,35,488 tonnes valued at Rs 2,200 crore from 2,54,382 tonnes worth Rs 1,911.60 crore in 2003-04.

However, for chilli the Spices Board has set a target of 75,000 tonnes valued at Rs 307.50 crore for 2005-06 and for coriander and cumin 20,000 tonnes and 10,000 tonnes respectively.

The total target, thus set for the current fiscal is 2.5 lakh tonnes valued at Rs 2,100 crore.

However, given the current trend in spices exports, value added products such as ground spices, spices oil and oleoresins were the real drivers, Mr Ramkumar Menon, former President of AISEF told Business Line.

Export of spices oils and oleoresins touched 5,600 tonnes valued at Rs 463.75 crore last fiscal as against 5,133 tonnes worth Rs 379.92 crore in 2003-04. The target set for this item in 2005-06 is 6,000 tonnes valued at Rs 475 crore.

In fact, exports of value added products including ground spices, curry powder/paste/condiments and mint products have been showing an upward trend and last fiscal it contributed over 45 per cent of the total exports of spices, he said.