The Spices Board has set an ambitious target of achieving an export value of $5 billion by 2025 and $10 billion by 2030. The export value in 2019-20 was $3 billion.

“We are on a mission to promote Indian brands abroad by coordinating with Indian Embassies. The Board has already initiated steps for providing assistance to Indian spice brands for undertaking brand promotion campaigns in the international markets”, D Sathian, Secretary, Spices Board, has said.

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Besides the traditional export markets, the Board is looking at expanding to Latin American countries, CIS and African regions.

Stressing the importance of value addition to improve exports, he pointed out that value-added spice products contribute 51 per cent of the total spice exports from the country. The government and the Spices Board are now focusing more on promoting higher-end value addition and health benefits of spices, he said at the international symposium on spices organised by the Indian Society for Spices.

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Immense scope

The spices sector has immense scope for development as there are 52 scheduled spices in the country. Only a few of these spices are being promoted and exported. Exports could witness considerable growth through focussing on all spices while adopting a scientific approach to tap the varied uses and benefits of spices — as flavours, fragrances and functional foods. The mission of the Indian spices sector is to emerge as an integrated processing hub and premium supplier of clean, safe and value-added spice products to industrial and retail segments of the global market, he said.

With demand for quality and safety of foods at an all-time high, he urged exporters to acquire necessary certifications and to continue to equip themselves in the delivery of good quality spices in compliance with the prescribed global limits.

Pepping up pepper

Hoang Thi Lien, Executive Director, International Pepper Community, Indonesia, said India is the only country that is part of the International Pepper Community and has been contributing towards the export of value-added pepper products. Though India produces 60,000 tonnes of pepper, the country also imports more than 24,000 tonnes of pepper as value-added products, she said while delivering a lead lecture on Global Production and Trade Scenario - Black Pepper.