Spice Board Focuses on Quality Production of Spices to Increase Imports

In 2019,  Guatemala held the highest amount of export share per cent for cardamom in the world with India being no.2 at 7 per cent. Recently according to the Indian Spice Board’s Board Chairman AG Thankappa, “The Spices Board has taken steps to improve quality production of cardamom aimed at increasing exports including the development of a nursery to ensure farmers get quality planting materials”. 

This step is taken specifically due to the higher demand for Indian spices after the pandemic and the rising food safety standards of the western nations. This is especially true for spices that are known to boost immunity in people, which obviously includes cardamom. After the huge drop in the prices of cardamom to 930 Rs per kg due to the pandemic. The average price has finally risen to Rs. 1015 on November 2, 2020, according to the data released by the Spice Board of India. 

All these reasons combined make it absolutely necessary to push for the production of higher quality cardamom.  

Spices from the Indian Spice Board are mostly exported to industrialized nations such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, other European countries, Japan, and Canada. These nations have strict food rules and regulations in place to guarantee that goods, including spices, are safe, whole and produced in sanitary and hygienic settings. As a result, spices exported to these countries should be free of bacterial contamination, mould, mycotoxins, harmful chemicals such as pesticide residues and other pollutants, insect infestation, and filth caused by animals, insects, or unsanitary conditions in the farm, warehouse, packing facility, or transportation vehicle.

It's reasonable that importing countries are concerned about food safety and quality because some of these countries have had to face several cases of foodborne diseases and food poisoning due to the import of contaminated food. 

Hence certain strict guidelines are set by the spice board of India for the production of such spices for export.