Coriander - Dhania

Coriander or ‘Dhania’ is the dried ripe fruit of a herb with several branches and leaves with jagged edges. Coriander forms the base of most Indian curries. Both its seeds and leaves are used in dishes. Coriander seeds are mostly used in powder form, slightly roasted to improve the flavour. It is basic to rasam, sambar and curry powders. Its leaves are used for making chutneys and garnishing.

Global production of coriander is about 2.9 lakh MT to 3.35 lakh MT per years. India contributes around 80% of world coriander production and produces around 2.5-3.0 lakh MT annually, Other major producers are Morocco, Canada, Pakistan, Romania. Major importers are Indonesia, Singapore, Sri lanka, UAE and USA. Rajasthan (60%) is the major producer of coriander in India followed by Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil nadu and Orissa. Annually 5-10% of total production from India is exported. Domestically major varieties are Badami, Eagle, Scooter, Double Parrot, Single Parrot, Super Green. Badami variety accounts to about 65 to 70% of total production.

India is the leading exporter and exports around 25000-30000 MT of coriander each year. The export demand has been increasing constantly both in terms of quantity and value. The major domestic buyers of coriander seed in India are spice processing agencies, which consume around 50% of the production and are mostly located in the southern states of India and Delhi. As the masala making business is growing exponentially, the demand from this sector is expected to increase in future.

Turmeric - Haldi

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. The commercial part of the plant is its rhizome. It grows in light black, black clayey loams and red soils in irrigated and rainfed conditions with temperature ranging between 20 to 30 degrees. The crop cannot stand water logging or alkalinity. Turmeric is used to flavour and to colour foodstuffs. It is used in cosmetics and in medicines. Turmeric is ready for harvesting in 7-9 months. Sowings start from May end and extend till August whereas arrivals start from December and extend up to March.


India is the world's largest producer of turmeric and produces nearly 80-85% of world's total production, which stands at around 6.0 lakh MT to 7.0 lakh MT per year. Major producers in India are Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Orissa, West Bengal , Karnataka ,Maharashtra. India is the worlds leading exporter, prime export destinations being UAE, USA, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Japan, Malaysia, UK. Major trading centres in India are Nizamabad, Duggirala, Sangli, Salem, Erode, Dharmapuri.

It is an Antidote against poison.

India is the largest Producer, Consumer and Exporter of turmeric. Indian Turmeric is considered to be of best quality due to its high curcumin content and is increasingly getting known for its medicinal and cosmetic applications. As it is a naturally occurring product, it is finding increasing acceptance in the global markets because of which exports have increased exponentially in recent years and this trend is most likely to continue in future. Majority of the Turmeric produced is consumed locally which reflects a healthy local demand.

Factors influencing Prices

• Domestic Fundamentals
• World production
• International trading price
• Domestic and Export demand
• Carry forward stocks
• Sowing and Harvesting
• Climatic conditions

CLOVE - LAUNG

History of Spices

Spices were one of the most prized articles in ancient world. We find constant references of spices in hieroglyphics on the walls of the pyramids and ancient scriptures. Certain spices were worth so much, especially pepper that it was considered as currency. Some of the other prized spices were ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

What made spices so expensive was its rarity and the danger involved in procuring them. The trade routes of the spice traders were dangerous and full of perils. Ships braved the stormy seas, sailing from Egypt, through the Red Sea, along the coast of South Arabia, through the Persian Gulf and along the Indian coast. There was the constant danger of being attacked by pirates. The terrestrial spice routes were also present and were equally dangerous. However once they reached safe back home, the price the spices fetched compensated the risk involved in obtaining them. No matter which route was taken, they all passed through Cairo and it became the center of the Spice trade.

The spice trade was originally monopolized by the Arabs. They told fantastic tales of the land of spices and the dangers involved in gathering these precious commodities. As the demand for spices grew in Europe, so did the attempts at discovering these fabled lands. In 1271 a young Venetian, Marco Polo set out to discover these mystic lands. His 24-year, journey took him all over Asia and as far as China. This was the first step towards Europe’s entry into the spice trade with the East. With the arrival of Vasco de Gama in India in 1498, the Arab monopoly of the spice trade crumbled. What followed was a fight for dominance of the spice trade routes. The Spanish, Portuguese, British and Dutch empires were all part of this struggle for dominance.

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