India’s exports of gherkins (pickled cucumbers) for financial year 2023-24 rose 17 per cent to touch a record $256.58 million on strong demand from European buyers such as Germany and Spain. In 2022-23, India’s gherkin exports stood at $218.74 million.

In volume terms, gherkin exports were up 7.4 per cent at 2.44 lakh tonnes (lt) during 2023-24 against previous year’s 2.27 lt.

Exports to traditional large buyers of Indian gherkins, such as the United States and Russia, decreased during the year as Indian exporters struggled to compete with other sources due to higher freight costs. However, strong demand from European buyers helped offset this impact.

Exports to the US, the largest buyer, declined 12 per cent to 54,015 tonnes. India competes with Mexico in the US market for gherkins. “We were not competitive in the US market due to higher freight rates,” said Pradeep Pooviah, Vice-President of the Indian Gherkin Exporters Association.

E. Europe crop hit

However, shipments to Germany, which emerged as the second largest buyer of Indian gherkins during 2023-24, almost doubled during the year. “The crop was impacted in Eastern Europe resulting in higher demand for Indian gherkins,” said Pooviah, CEO of Blossom Showers Agro, a Bengaluru-based exporter. Exports to Germany were up at 20,925 tonnes ( 11,222 tonnes). Similarly, the shipments to Spain were higher at 19,585 tonnes (15,513 tonnes) and France were at 19,433 tonnes (19,395 tonnes).

India competes with origins such as Eastern Europe, Turkey and Sri Lanka in the European markets. Pooviah said the realisations were good this year on account of higher demand from countries like Germany, which largely buys in consumer packs and jars, unlike other markets where the gherkins are shipped in bulk in large drums.

Import duty

Besides the higher freight costs, the Indian gherkins also face a duty ranging from 10-14 per cent in the importing countries. “Our exports could have been much higher, but for the duty and higher freight cost,” he said adding that a free trade agreement with EU and the US could be of help to the exporters.

Gherkins, a type of small cucumbers are grown in parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, are shipped in brine solution to overseas markets where they are consumed as pickle. Over half of the 50 gherkin processing and exporting units are located in Karnataka, the major producer.

Production of gherkin is done under the contract farming model, wherein the processors/exporters supply the inputs to farmers and buy-back the produce. An estimated 60,000 acres is under gherkin in these States and close to one lakh farmers are engaged in the cultivation. Over 99 per cent of the gherkin produced in the country is exported.

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