Indian spices constituted 9 per cent of the total Japanese imports during 1995. In 1996, this share went up to 10 per cent and during the last year it dipped a little to about 9 per cent. According to Spices Board analysis, the substantial growth in Japanese spices imports is attributable to the increased demand for dry ginger, pepper, chillies, cardamom, cumin and fenugreek. There has been a big increase in the export of value-added spices from India to Japan. Export of items under this category - mostly spice oils and oleoresins - has grown 65 per cent in volume between the lasttwo financial years.

In value terms the growth has been 78 per cent, Spices Board sources said. Export of mint oil, another value added product, has earned Rs 10 crore during 1997-98 compared to the negligible exports in the previous year.

Export of chillies, pepper and ginger has shown a growth of about 100 per cent while items like cumin and fenugreek have shown a growth of nearly 50 per cent.

In the case of cardamom there has been a slight dip in the quantity, but in value terms the exports have grown 44 per cent during the last fiscal. The annual average growth in import of spices by Japan which was around 12 per cent in the early 90s. It is 20 per cent now.

"It is significant that most of the spices imported by Japan is consumed within the country reflecting the burgeoning demand in that country," the sources said.

Dry ginger tops the list of Japanese imports from various countries. In 1995 Japan imported 11,887 tonnes of dry ginger. In 1996 the quantity went up to 11,686 tonnes and in 1997 itwas 27,302 tonnes.

The gainer from increased Japanese imports was Thailand with that country increasing its share from 31 per cent in 1995 to 47 per cent in 1997.