The Hindu Business Line : Spices imports drop on rise in unit value

Downtrend
The highest drop was in the case of pepper import which during the first seven months of the current year fell by 4,617 tonnes.
Availability of good quality paprika indigenously has pushed down its imports to 245 tonnes.
Mace imports down to 176 tonnes from 512 tonnes.

G.K. Nair

Kochi, Dec 19 The increase in unit value seems to have pushed down imports of certain spices substantially during April–October 2007, which in turn has resulted in an overall decline in total imports from that of the same period last year.

During April–October total imports stood at 45,876 tonnes valued at Rs 320.63 crore as against 53,506 tonnes valued at Rs 367.63 crore.

Drop in pepper import

The highest drop was in the case of pepper import which during the first seven months of the current year fell by 4,617 tonnes. As against 12,167 tonnes in April–October 2006 valued at Rs 98.52 crore, the arrivals during the period this year stood at 7,550 tonnes valued at Rs 106.31 crore. The unit value stood at Rs 140.81 a kg compared to Rs 80.97 a kg in April-October 2006.

The Indian parity during April–October 2007 remained almost at par with that of the price of other origins due to a squeeze in the world supply position and as a result, imports were found to be uneconomical, industry sources told Business Line.

Cardamom doubles

Meanwhile, imports of cardamom (small) was more than doubled because of the high prices of the indigenous commodity, average price of which ruled above Rs 400 a kg. Whereas, the prices of other origins were at Rs 89.80 a kg this year as against Rs 97.23 in April-October last year.

However, imports of cardamom (large) has shown an upward trend despite an increase in the unit value of imported commodity to Rs 96.80 a kg from Rs 84.30 a kg due to short supply within the country, they said.

Availability of good quality paprika indigenously has pushed down its imports to 245 tonnes during April–October 2007 from 999 tonnes in the same period last year.

Coriander

Increase in the unit value of coriander from that of the previous year has brought down its imports to 620 tonnes from 1,153 tonnes. But, short supply of cumin in the country had pushed up its imports to 1,960 tonnes from 309 tonnes last year despite a significant increase in its unit value, which has gone up to Rs 91.70 a kg from Rs 75.68 a kg.

Other spices

Similarly, significant increase in the unit value of mace has pushed down its imports to 176 tonnes from 512 tonnes. The unit value of it went up Rs 247.44 a kg to Rs 286.97 a kg. Imports of nutmeg also declined on the same ground.

There has been a substantial increase in the imports of ginger fresh/dry which had shot up to 11,000 tonnes from 8,168 tonnes in April–October 2006. The unit value was a meagre Rs 3.50 a kg as against Rs 13.79 a kg last year.

Imports of poppy seed showed marginal decline while that of cloves marked a substantial increase.

Meanwhile, there have been reports of illegal imports of certain spices in to the country by under invoicing and bringing in the commodity grown elsewhere in the world as the product of a SAARC country to avail benefits under preferential trading agreement (SAFTA).

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