The Hindu Business Line : Spices Board setting up centre for value-addition

Bodinayakanur, Aug. 24 Value-addition of spices for use in pharmaceuticals will be the focus area in the future and the Spices Board, in association with the Central Food Technology and Research Institute, Mysore will establish a new centre at an investment of Rs 10 crore.

Also, “Spices Parks” would be established across the country to promote value-added exports, said the Union Minister of State for Commerce, Mr Jairam Ramesh, addressing the media persons here on Thursday. The Minister said that such centres would be established for tea, chilli, and tobacco to enable farmers get right price for their produce.

Warehousing Act

A Warehousing Regulation and Development Act is to be passed by Parliament to allow farmers to deposit their produce with the warehouse and obtain a receipt that can be used to obtain loans from banks.

A major initiative has been taken to replant and rejuvenate spices production in the country through the National Horticulture Mission and by September 30, all allocations would be made for the purpose.

As organic farming of spices is becoming significant, fetching higher prices in the export market, certain development initiatives have been taken in that front through declaration of North Eastern States as an organic zone, tribal area of Paderu in Visakhapatnam for coffee, Guntur for chilli etc. The Spices Board was working towards promoting an Indian brand ‘Favourit’ for export purpose, he added.

Membership

The Minister further said there was a need to improve the membership of farmers’ associations and that of registration with the Spices Board.

He pointed out that the membership of cardamom growers were much less compared to their numbers and added that an initiative would be taken to cover them by December 31 and provide them with identity cards to avail themselves of the benefits.

With reference to payment to farmers who come to the auction centres, the Spices Board rules would be amended to make the payment in 14 days instead of 21 days now. To a query on smuggling of cardamom, the Minister opined that the estimates varied from 500 tonnes to 2,000 tonnes from Guatemala, especially through Nepal and the menace could be tackled only through higher production and exports and gain control in the international market in determining the prices.

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