The Spices Board chairman V Jayashankar, during his welcome address at a seminar on Export Development of Organic Food & Beverages on Monday said that the board is involved in setting up a National Certification Agency by the union commerce ministry. The board is also evolving specific packages for specific spices for organic farming, he said, adding that as a subsidy the board will meet 50 per cent of the expenses of organic farming.

According to Jayasankar, the Spices Board is the first agency to fix standards for organic spices. Already, 20 per cent of the spices production is coming from organic farming, he said, adding that it fetches a premium price too. About 30 tonnes of organic pepper was exported in 1998-99 against a total estimated export of 40,000 tonnes of pepper.

Pepper, ginger, turmeric and cardamom arethe spices in which organic farm practices are being applied. As pepper is the prominent crop among spices, development of pepper villages is being taken up by the board. It will make available large quantities of exportable surplus of quality pepper.

The Board is bringing out a document on production of organic spices principles, concepts, standards and guidelines for organic production.

The board is promoting farmers through NGOs under the export production villages (EPVs) concept in setting up infrastructure for organic inputs like vermicompost unit. It has also provided trading to its grass root level officers on organic farming at the Kerala Agriculture University. Along with it they have also run an awareness training to farmers and NGOs on the required farm practices.

Kerala government is providing financial aid to the board in a programme for promoting organic farming in spices in the Western ghats. Two NGOs, one in Idduki district and one in Wayanad actively are pursuing the board's initiativein production and marketing certified organic pepper for exports under the EPV concept.

The board is participating in a BioFach Fair abroad -- exclusively for promoting organic agricultural produce world wide to help direct prospective trade enquiries to source organic spice from the country.

The seminar was inaugurated by the joint secretary of the ministry of commerce SM Acharya. He said there was a need for a network of trust between the producer, trader and consumer to promote organic spices.

The seminar was addressed by two ITC consultants on their survey findings of world trade in organic foods and the certification for organic foods globally.