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G.K. Nair

Kochi , Sept. 8

THE Union Commerce Ministry has approved the launch of the `Flavourit' brand of Indian spices, promoted by the Spices Board, in the US markets from mid-October.

The Centre has agreed to bear 50 per cent of the cost of launching, while the rest would be borne by the other stakeholders, Ministry sources told Business Line.

They also said 50 products valued at Rs 10 lakh would be made available at the launch in San Francisco, likely to be held on October 16.

The product range includes organic spices, curry paste, spice-flavoured organic tea, ginger and cardamom-flavoured products, etc.

Given the positive response to the samples introduced through the supermarkets recently, there appears to be a good potential for `Flavourit' in the US markets, especially in areas dominated by Indo-Americans, they said.

"We are targeting the large number of high-income Indo-American families concentrated in areas such as Silicon Valley," said Mr C.J. Jose, Chairman, Spices Board, when contacted.

Commonly used spices such as black pepper, white pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, and herbal spices such as rosemary and parsley, are being marketed now.

The board has embarked on this venture based on a marketing study in the US conducted by an international agency appointed by it some time ago.

Convinced of the potential, the Centre had shown interest in financing a publicity campaign in the US for promoting the `Flavourit' brand, he said.

The introduction of the brand, promoted and quality assured by the Spices Board, "is an attempt to re-establish their identity and get for our spice growers a fair share of the value realised in the spices trade."

The launch is aimed at providing a marketing channel for growers of cardamom, vanilla, and pepper and particularly those who have taken up organic production of spices with encouragement of the board inasmuch as the spices would be directly procured from spice farmers' groups, he said.

Mr Jose said the effort was an attempt to ensure remunerative prices to the spice growers who have enthusiastically taken up the cultivation of exotic spices such as vanilla and continue to produce for the world other spices, despite adverse conditions.

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