Lok Sabha Question No. 1215 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-24
Subject: Spices Exports
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: RAOSAHEB PATIL DANVE, T.G. VENKATESH BABU, A.T. (NANA) PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1215 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 th  JULY, 2017

## SPICES EXPORTS

## 1215.   SHRI RAOSAHEB DANVE PATIL:

SHRI VENKATESH BABU T.G.:

SHRI A.T. NANA PATIL:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वािणÏय एवं उɮयोग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the spices exports from the country have touched an all-time high and if so, the details thereof for the last three years and the current year in terms of their total volume and value along with the foreign exchange earned therefrom during the said period;
- (b) whether any targets have been fixed by the Government in this regard for the next three years and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any steps to achieve the said targets and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to help spices farmers by integrating operations for  cultivation,  post  harvest  processing  for  value  addition  packaging,  storage  and export  of  spices  and  spices  products  by  meeting  the  quality  specifications  of  the consuming countries?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

(SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

- (a) to(c): Yes Madam, the spices exports from the country have touched an all-time high during 201617. The export of spices & spice products from the country for the last 3 years is given below:

| Year    | Quantity (Tons)   | Quantity (Tons)   |   Value (Rs. crore) |
|---------|-------------------|-------------------|---------------------|
| 2014-15 |                   | 893920            |               14900 |
| 2015-16 |                   | 843255            |               16238 |
| 2016-17 | 947790            |                   |               17665 |

No targets are fixed by the government for export of spices as the production and export of spices are dependent upon various factors such as climatic conditions, market forces, domestic and international demand, etc. (d)      Spices  Board  is  implementing  the  'Export  Oriented  Production,  Export  Development  & Promotion  of  Spices'  Scheme  wherein  assistance  is  provided  to  cultivators  of  cardamom  for production of  quality  planting  materials,  replanting  of  old  and  uneconomic  gardens,  new  planting, irrigation development programme, improved curing facilities, farm mechanization, etc. for boosting production.

In addition, Spices Board implements several programmes for spices farmers which, inter alia, include development  of  infrastructure  for  common  processing  facilities  in  Spice  Parks,  adaptation  of upgraded  technology  in  spice  processing,  setting  up  of  quality  evaluation  labs  for  sampling  and testing  of  the  export  consignments  for  meeting  quality  specifications  of  consuming  countries, assistance  to  farmers  on  post-harvest  quality  improvement,  imparting  training  to  farmers  in  Good Agricultural Practices etc.

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