Given below are two statements:
Statement I: The Spices Board of India’s headquarters is located at Kochi.
Statement II: India produces 75 out of 109 spice varieties listed by the International Organisation for Standardisation.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:
(A) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
(B) Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
(C) Statement I is correct and Statement II is incorrect
(D) Statement I is incorrect and Statement II is correct
Explanation :
The correct answer is (A)
🇮🇳 India’s Position in the Global Spice Market
- India is the world’s largest producer of spices, growing 75 of the 109 varieties recognized by the ISO.
- It is also the world’s largest exporter of spices, shipping products to nearly 200 destinations.
- The top spice-producing states in India are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
- In terms of volume, the most produced spices are garlic, ginger, and chili.
- Chili is the most exported spice, accounting for 31% of India’s total spice export value.
- India’s spice exports were valued at $4.4 billion in the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
- Despite being the largest producer, India holds only 0.7% of the global seasoning market, compared to China (12%) and the USA (11%).
🚧 Key Challenges for the Industry
- A major challenge is low value addition, as only 48% of India’s spice exports are processed products like oils and extracts.
- The industry faces stiff competition from countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil, and China.
- Approximately 98% of spice production is carried out by small-scale farmers with land holdings of less than 2 hectares.
- India lacks a comprehensive national standard for Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, which can act as a trade barrier.
- Spice cultivation is highly sensitive and vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
🏛️ Organizations & Government Initiatives
- The Spices Board of India is the main government body for the development and global promotion of Indian spices.
- The Spices Board operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- The headquarters of the Spices Board is located in Kochi, Kerala.
- The World Spice Organisation (WSO) is a non-profit based in Kochi that focuses on food safety, sustainability, and biodiversity.
- The government has set an ambitious spice export target of $10 billion by 2030.
- To achieve the 2030 target, the share of value-added spice products in exports needs to increase from 48% to 70%.
- The Spices Board has established eight crop-specific Spice Parks to help farmers with post-harvest handling and processing.