Question : SPICE EXPORTS

(a) the details of the total spices exported from India during the last three years, quantum-wise and item-wise;

(b) the details of the steps taken by the Spices Board to promote the export of spices during the said period;

(c) the details of the workshops organised by the Spices Board in various parts of the country during the said period, year-wise and State-wise;

(d) the total expenditure on organizing these workshops and the net outcome from them; and

(e) whether these workshops have been able to generate adequate response and promote the exports of spices and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI ANAND SHARMA)

a) to e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 365 FOR ANSWER ON 29TH AUGUST 2011 REGARDING “SPICE EXPORTS”

(a) : Details of item-wise and quantum-wise export of spices from India during the last three years are given in Annexure I.

(b) : Spices Board has implemented several export development/promotion programmes during the said period, which include adoption of upgraded technology in spice processing, setting up of quality evaluation labs by the exporters, Quality certification, packaging development and bar coding, product development and research for high-end value addition, sending business samples abroad, setting up of common sterilization units and participation in international fairs/meetings/seminars. Spices Parks are also in the process of being established for providing common infrastructure facilities for cleaning, grading, processing, packing, storing, primarily to promote value addition and quality improvement of spices, along with backward linkages.

(c) & (d): Spices board had organised 1636 workshops/farmers meeting/campaigns in spice growing areas/market centres for production and quality improvement of spices. State-wise details for the last three year are given in Annexure-II. An amount of Rs.30.40 lakhs was spent during the last three years for conducting these training/workshops and 87716 persons were trained under this program.

(e): Yes, these training programmes/workshops did generate adequate response and were organized with an objective to improve the quality of spices.