Spice exports dip by $52 m this fiscal

Ajayan

Kochi, Jan 6: Export of spices during the first eight months of this fiscal, fell by over $52 million. The fall in rupee terms was to the extent of Rs 172 crore. According to Spice Board sources, the drop in the unit value was the main reason for the fall in export revenue.

The case of pepper was the most tragic. During the period April-November 2001, the unit value for a kg of pepper stood at Rs 100.36 while during the corresponding period last year it was 204.30. This was compensated to an extent by the rise quantity-wise. During this fiscal exports went up by 9 per cent in quantity terms. However, the fall in value wise was to the extent of 47 per cent.

Quantity-wise, the exports of pepper, spice oleoresins, turmeric, other seeds, ginger and curry powder showed improvement. Among them, only chilli, curry powder and oleoresins registered an increase in value terms. There was a 90 per cent fall in garlic exports while that of fenugreek (64 per cent), coriander (36) and small cardamom (30) were the others to contribute towards massive fall in quantity. While official figures are available only up to November, the provisional figures up to December would put the total exports at 1,66,455 tonnes valued at Rs 1,148 crore as against 1,81,174 tonnes valued at Rs 1,321 crore during the corresponding period last fiscal. The exports going up in December were mainly due to the contributions by turmeric, mint oil and sees spices, said board officials. With regard to the export in the coming months, board sources said that another 60,000 tonnes worth Rs 395 crore would be exported.

This would mean that the fiscal would end with a total export of Rs 1,545 crore which would be short by Rs 313 crore compared to last year. This would mean that the total exports would cross the revised targets of 2,21,000 tonnes and worth Rs 1,500.