World Spice Congress to boost trade with G20 countries

India is known as the ‘Spice Bowl’ of the world. It produces a number of quality, rare and medicinal spices. With an aim to open up newer opportunities to promote the international trade of Indian spices, the 14th edition of the World Spice Congress (WSC) will be held in Mumbai February 16-18.

According to D Sathiyan, Secretary, Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, this edition of the WSC is special because it coincides with India’s G20 presidency.

He said that it would provide a platform for the stakeholders to discuss the industry’s current trends after Covid-19 and chart out a way forward. The event, organized to create a platform not only for traders but also for policy regulators, will have special business sessions dedicated to promoting spice trade among the G20 countries.

Policymakers, regulatory authorities, spice trade associations, government officials as well as technical experts from key G20 countries will participate in the event.

The theme of WSC 2023 is VISION 2030: S-P-I-C-E-S (Sustainability, Productivity, Innovation, Collaboration, Excellence and Safety).

Speaking about choosing Maharashtra as the venue for the WSC, Sathiyan said, “Maharashtra is one of the leading spice-producing states. It is the largest producer of turmeric in India.”

Maharashtra produces two Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged turmeric varieties and one GI-tagged chilli variety. The coastal areas of Maharashtra are also known for the production of GI-tagged Kokum. The state is one of the largest exporting hubs for spices.

Providing details of the events planned for the Congress, Sathiyan said that Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry have consented to grace the WSC 2023, to be held at the CIDCO International Convention Centre, Navi Mumbai.

Goyal will also distribute the trophies and Awards for Excellence in Exports of Spices on 17 February 2023.

While elaborating on the spice trade in India, Sathiyan said that during 2022-23, there had been an increased demand for certain spices, especially seed spices, including cumin, fenugreek, Bishop’s weed (ajwain), Dill, poppy, aniseed, mustard and others. Garlic has registered an increase of 170 per cent in quantity during April-October 2022 compared to the same period last year.

Some other spices such as saffron, which had a bumper crop in the current season, asafoetida, cinnamon and cassia also show a positive trend. Value-added products derived from spices such as curry powder also show a positive trend.

A majority of the spice trade in India takes place during the last quarter of the year and the Indian spice industry is looking forward to increased export of spices during January-March 2023, which is expected to take the total exports towards the $4bn mark.

The WSC 2023 will provide a platform to further explore diverse possibilities in this area.

This year’s WSC 2023, supported by the Government of India, is expected to be bigger and far more diverse compared to the previous editions and will have special state pavilions and commodity pavilions. The event will provide an opportunity for the spice fraternity to meet and promote Indian brands before a bigger global audience.

The business sessions of WSC 2023 will focus on topics like: India - The Spice Bowl for Global Market Perspectives on addressing Food Safety & Quality Requirements for Spices (Presentation/Panel Discussion with Regulatory Authorities); Strengthening Global Spice Trade - Country Perspective & Opportunities; Crops & Markets - Forecasts & Trends; and Spice Market Outlook by International Spice Trade Associations.

The WSC is organized by the Spices Board with the active participation of spice trade associations in India like the Indian Spice & Foodstuff Exporters' Association – Mumbai, Indian Pepper and Spice Trade Association – Kochi, Indian Chamber of Commerce – Kolkata and Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders – Unjha, Gujarat.