Thursday 17 March 2016
Promotion of organic farming
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Component
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Objective & Scale of
assistance
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Organic cultivation of spices
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Since the market for organic products is gradually registering an upward trend, there is large
scope for promoting organic cultivation of spices in suitable locations.
The Board is assisting growers for
taking up organic cultivation of spices by providing a subsidy towards 12.5%
cost of production subject to a maximum of
Rs.12500/- per ha. for identified
spices.
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Assistance for ICS groups
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In the case of organic certification of grower groups, Internal Control System [ICS] is mandatory to
educate and monitor the farmers on adoption of organic farming practices. It
is proposed to provide 50 % cost of maintenance of ICS subject to a maximum
of Rs. 75000/- as subsidy.
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Organic certification
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The programme aims to help
growers/processors of spices in acquiring organic certification which is a
per-requisite for marketing as organic spices. Under this programme, Board
provides assistance to group of farmers, NGOs and Farmers Cooperative Societies/Associations in acquiring certification for their
farms/processing units by meeting 50% cost of the certification subject to a
maximum of Rs. 1.00 Lakh. Individuals are eligible for 50% of the cost of
certification subject to a maximum of Rs. 30,000/- .
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Vermicompost units
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There is need to produce organic inputs
in the farm itself to maintain soil fertility in organic production. In order
to enable the growers to establish the vermicompost units, Rs. 3000/- is
offered as subsidy towards 33.33% cost of setting up a unit
with one ton output of vermicompost.
The objective of the scheme is to make
available quality bio control agents viz.
Trichoderma, Pseudomonas, EPN,
Beauveria, Verticillium etc. in the
spices growing areas by assisting in setting up bioagent production units. These units will also serve as training cum
demonstration
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eligible to avail benefit under the
scheme. The Board will provide 50% of the cost equipments , accessories
including mother culture required for setting up the bio-agent
production unit subject to a maximum of Rs. 1.50 lakhs as subsidy.
The objective is to establish organic
seed banks in the growers’ field for multiplication of
planting materials of indigenous varieties of ginger and turmeric having rich
intrinsic value and herbal spices to retain purity and serve as a source for
quality planting materials. Individual growers of these varieties of spices who are under organic certification are eligible to avail benefits
under the scheme. The Board will provide 50% of cost of planting materials
subject to a maximum of Rs.25,000/- per ha for indigenous ginger and turmeric
varieties and Rs.15000/- for herbal spices as subsidy.
The objective of the scheme is to set up
the primary processing / value addition units for organic spices in the growing
areas to improve the quality of organic spices for export. Growers Societies /
NGOs / Women groups/ SHGs/ ICS groups, etc which are having valid scope certificate for C1/C2/C3/Organic
are eligible to avail subsidy under the scheme.
It is proposed to provide 50% of cost of the equipments / machineries for setting up of primary
processing unit for organic spices subject to a maximum of Rs 5.00 lakhs as
subsidy. No assistance will be given for construction of building.
Interested growers will submit
application in the prescribed format to the nearest office of Spices Board
along with the following documents
1 .Organic cultivation
Copy of land document, Voter ID and bank
pass book first page, copy of the contract executed with certification
agency along with farmer’s applications
2.Organic certification
a)
.Documents to be submitted along with the
Part-I application
Copy of the contract executed with
certification agency along with farmer’s applications,Quotation / Estimate received from Certification Body towards cost of
certification, In case of groups, registration details of the group, details of
member farmers in the group ie name, address, survey no., village, area under
organic cultivation, area under spices etc.
b)
.Documents to be submitted with Part-II
application.
Copy of the Scope Certificate ie C1,
C2,C3 (in conversion) or organic status (as the case may be) along with
annexures / attachments issued by the Certification
Body.Invoice / Cash receipt from Certification Body towards payment of
inspection and certification charges
3. Bioagent production
List of members of the NGOs / SHGs /
Spices Producer Societies / Farmers Groups indicating the village, total area
and area under spices. Their profile containing
the details of registration as NGO, area of operation, experience in
implementing Agricultural programmes etc. Documents to prove ownership of land
and building viz. land tax receipt etc. [ If the land / building is in one of the member growers’ name, the agreement to use the building
between the group and the member grower has to be produced.] A detailed project
report with cost estimates for setting up the Unit, Competitive quotations for
equipments/instruments to be purchased for the unit. Details
of qualified staff to manage the production of bio-agents. Plan of the building
and lay out for installation of equipments. Copy of first page of the bank pass
book of the NGO /SHG/Group / SPS, Project Report ,MoU to be executed with the Board after issue of permit order.
4. Vermicompost unit
Copy of Land documents such asland tax
receipt / Percha /Chitta adangal etc.
Copy of ID proof preferably Voter ID Copy
of bank passbook first page
5. Organic seed bank
A letter from ICSto
prove farmer as organic grower along with scope certificate
The Spices Board official will inspect
each application and recommend eligible subsidy to the Zonal Assistant
Director/ Deputy Director, Regional office for sanction. Sanctioned cases will
be forwarded to Head office and the subsidy will be credited to the
beneficiary account (core banking) through e- payment. Zonal Assistant
Director/ Regional Deputy Director will test check recommended cases at random.
6.Organic Value addition unit
Documents to
be submitted along with application
a) Registration details
b) List of member growers in the group with
area under organic spices
c) Copy of validscope certificate issued by
a Certification Agency accredited under NPOPwith enclosures
d) Documents to prove ownership of land and
building viz. land tax receipt etc. where the unit is proposed to be installed.
[If the unit is to be installed in the land / building of the one of the member
grower, an agreement to use the land / building between the
group and the member grower has to be produced.]
e) Copy of first page of the bank pass book
of Growers Societies / NGOs / Women groups/ SHGs /ICS group,etc
f) Quotation from the approved manufacturer
g) MoU to be executed with the Board after
issue of permit order.
Origin of Spices
Spices have been closely associated with
cultural traditions, magic, preservation, medicine and embalming since early
human history. Around 7000 years ago and far before the Greek and Roman civilisations came into being, Indian spices were a key component of its
external trade with the lands of Mesopotamia, China, Sumeria, Egypt and Arabia
along with perfumes and textiles. The clove finds a mention in the Ramayana and
even in writings dating back to the Roman Empire in the 1st
century AD. Caravans of camels moved regularly from Calicut, Goa and the Orient
in ancient times to transport these spices to distant destinations including
Carthage, Alexandria and Rome. While these are readily available today, there was a time when people were ready to go to the extent of
risking their lives to gain access to Indian spices. From the Indian
perspective, it brought in traders and invaders alike - century after century.
Quality was a given but sourcing spices from India meant embarking on long and difficult sea voyages and
withstanding intense competition from other powerful empires eager to dominate
spice trade. Between the 7th and 15th centuries, Arab merchants supplied Indian
spices to the West, but took care to keep their source a closely
guarded secret. The Europeans took their ships on long expeditions in their
quest for the true origin of the spices that gave life to their food. As much
as these were in demand, spices were tremendously difficult to procure, which made them even more valuable than gold in that period. During
the Middle Ages, it has been said that a pound of ginger was worth a sheep; a
pound of mace was worth three sheep or half a cow and a sack of pepper was said
to be worth a man’s life! According to another estimate,
Western Europe imported around 1,000 tons of pepper and 1,000 tons of other
common spices annually during the late Middle Ages. These spices were
equivalent to the annual supply of grain for 1.5 million people in terms of value.
The demand for spices led to wars,
treaties and maritime discoveries. It is believed that the Parthian wars were
largely fought by the Romans to ensure that the trade route to India remained
open to them. In fact, they were also said to be a main factor behind the Crusades. They helped Western Europe regain access to the
spice and silk routes to India and China that had been lost after the decline
of the Western European empire. Ferdinand Magellan, Christopher Columbus and
Vasco da Gama were looking for a new route to Asia’s spice lands
when they ventured out on their historic expeditions.
While Columbus discovered America
instead, Vasco da Gama was successful in circumnavigating Africa for the first
time in history. This Portuguese expedition was led in particular
by the lure of pepper from India. After Vasco da Gama successfully discovered
the route to India via the Cape of Good Hope in 1498, Portugal gained a
monopoly on the spice trade that served it wonderfully for some time. During
the 16th century, over half of the revenues of the
Portuguese government came from Western African gold and Indian spices, with
the spices being more valuable than the gold. But it was not to last for long
and by the 1580s, Venice was increasing its pepper imports rapidly at the expense of Portugal. By the 17th century, trade came in the hands
of the Dutch, who held it zealously till the British took over. The struggle
between the Western European powers of France, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain
and Holland for control over the spice trade endured over three
centuries.
Today procuring spices is hardly as
difficult or perilous as it used to be but their allure remains intact. Curries
based on Indian spices are integral to cuisines in several countries
including UK, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa,
Trinidad & Tobago, Philippines, Fiji, Tonga and the Caribbean Islands. In
fact in 2001, the British Foreign Secretary declared chicken tikka as Britain’s national dish.
Pepper, ginger and turmeric from India
when mixed with cumin and coriander from the Arabs are now the base of several
dishes across South Asia. This has been spread globally by the British as curry
powder. In many ways, it can be said that spices were key in shaping
the course of global history.
Major projects of ICRI of spices board
Last updated on 27-01-2016, 17:32
Crop production technologies including standardization of agro techniques, Land preparation, soil
and water management, nursery management, planting techniques, plant nutrition,
weed management and other cultural practices.
Integrated Nutrient Management (INM)
strategies for cardamom.
Organic farming packages for cardamom.
Evaluation of organic inputs and
validation of farmer's practices and traditional knowledge for
creatingscientific database.
Recording of meteorological data.
Development of a mathematical model to
predict the outbreak of capsule rot disease using data on
weather variables, disease incidence, spore load and crop husbandry practices
Monitoring pesticide residue in cardamom
samples.
Agro-techniques for other spices (include
vanilla, pepper, ginger, turmeric, clove, garlic,
and herbal spices)
Farm mechanization, evaluation and
development of machineries suited for cultivation and processing of cardamom.
Fertigation techniques in cardamom.
Post-harvesthandling, processing
techniques, packing and storage of spices.
Germplasm collection, conservation,
evaluation and cataloguing of gene pool in cardamom and allied genera for
qualitative and quantitative characters.
Development of location specific high yielding varieties of cardamom having superior quality capsules
by selection and hybridization techniques.
Breeding for tolerance to biotic (pest
and diseases) and abiotic (drought, shade) stresses Field adoption trials of
varieties of cardamom in farmers' field
Multi-location field-testing of varieties
in collaboration with other agencies like, ICAR, SAUs, DBT etc. Physiological
studies in cardamom Adaptive trials on other spices
Molecular markers for
1.
Genetic diversity analysis of small
cardamom
2.
Genetic diversity analysis of large
cardamom
3.
Gender detection in Nutmeg at seedling
stage.
4.
Genetic diversity analysis of Fusarium isolates from cardamom.
5.
Identifying archaeo-botanical samples of spices
6.
Identifying adulterants in spices
Tissue Culture protocols via. somatic
embryogenesis in cardamom Molecular marker-assisted
1.
Virus indexing of Black pepper field
samples.
2.
Virus indexing of small & large
cardamom field samples.
Microsatellite markers in small cardamom.
Cardamom Transcriptome sequencing as
resources for future genetic and genomic studies and for gene localization for
accelerating breeding.
Disease identification and its management in cardamom-
1. Azhukal (Capsule rot),
2. Rhizome rot and nursery rot diseases in
plantations and nurseries
3. Foliar and minor diseases such as leaf
spots
4. Capsule spots and malformations and other
root rots, yellowing diseases etc.
Biocontrol of diseases using antagonistic
microbes including fungi and bacteria.
Identifying efficient local strains of
bio-agents (PGPR and antagonistic fungi) for the management of diseases
Integrated Disease Management (IDM)
practices for Cardamom
Mathematical modelfor disease
forecasting using spore trap, weather parameters anddisease incidence
Studies on effect of soil amendments on
soil borne diseases of cardamom.
Studies on management of viral diseases
Adaptive trials for other spices such as Black pepper
Development of Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) strategies for cardamom, Bioecology, Bionomics,behavioural and
physiological approach in pest management
EvolvingBio-control measures, bio-pesticide formulation and screening natural enemies against pests
of cardamom for developing organic farming practices.
Studies on minor pests in cardamom
Pestsurveillance and forecast for
possible pest outbreaks
Post-harvest handling, processing
techniques like cardamom curing, vanilla processing, herbal spices drying etc.
Packing and storage of spices
On-farm value addition techniques for
white pepper production, vanilla curing etc.
This division aims at bridging the gap
between scientists and planters by transferring the achievements in the
institute for application in the planters’ field. This is mainly achieved
through training programmes, conducting seminars, group discussions,
exhibitions, organising spice clinics etc. Scientists of the institute serve as
the resource personnel in seminars and planters meetings
Training programmes on production,
protection and post-harvest technologies& management of cardamom, vanilla and other important spices for farmers and
entrepreneurs.
Two months residential training programme
on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) for quality spice production for
unemployed youth.
Hands-on training programme on Bio-agent
production (Trichoderma,Pseudomonas, EPN) for farmer groups and NGOs.
Training to extension functionaries from
the Development Department of Spices Board, State Agricultural Department etc
on latest technology/ developments.
Mobile spice clinics and farmer scientist interface programmes in different cardamom growing locations to
address field level problems.
Collection, conservation, evaluation and
cataloguing of large cardamom germplasm.
Selection of genetically superior clones
and hybrids having high yield, quality capsules and wide adaptability through
MLTS, CYTs etc.
Hybridization in large cardamom for
evolving high yielders.
Breeding for tolerance to frost as well
as major diseases and pests.
Development of agro-techniques like
nutrient requirements, population density, cultural practices etc. to render
optimum yield.
Studies on Biology, Bionomics of major
insect pests and evolving control measures for major insect pests.
Studies on important
fungal and viral diseases of large cardamom Epidemiology &control of viral
diseases ‘Foorkey’ & ‘Chirke’ as well as clump rot.
Post-harvest technology development for
high quality production.
T ransfer of T echnology to planters
through extension personnel.
Latest spices news from spices board
July 29, 2015: Indian spice exports
increased by 8 per cent in value terms (rupee) and
9 per cent in volume terms during 2014-15. Total exports of spices and spice
products reached Rs 14,899.68 crore during the year, reaching 893,920 tonnes in
volume terms. This exceeded the target of 755,000 tonnes for Rs 12,304.9 crore for the financial year.
February 17, 2015: Spice exports rose by
12 per cent in volume terms and 9 per cent in value during the first half of the financial year as compared to the corresponding period
the previous financial year. Total exports of spices for the period of April-
September 2014 period stood at 421,570 tonnes, valued at Rs 6,963 crore which
was 56 per cent of the targeted volume and 57 per cent of the
targeted value for 2014-15 according to Spices Board, India.
January 14, 2015: Prices of key spices
including cumin, turmeric and cardamom have increased by 25 per cent since
December 2014, due to lower acreage, high export demand and steady domestic demand. The price of cumin have increased from Rs 12,000 to Rs 16,250 a
quintal, a rise of 35 per cent in two months.
September 25, 2014: Highlighting the
trend of increasing demand of Indian spices in global markets, exports of
spices and spice products registered a growth of 10 per
cent during April-July 2014 as compared to the year-ago period.271,280 tonnes
of spices and spice products were exported during the period against 246,060
tonnes in the year-ago period, according to Spices Board data.
July 31, 2014: Favourable weather
conditions will lead to increased black pepper production in the next season.
The 201415 season which starts from October will
witness better production than the current season.
Chennai, June 25, 2014: An animal study
done by scientists in Chennai have revealed that spices and condiments that are
commonly used in Indian soups, curries and rasam, when
taken in a specific proportion with white lotus petals can lower blood
pressure.
Kochi, March 27, 2014: India has set a
target of $2.3 billion for spice exports for 2013-14. For the nine
month period of April-December 2013, the total volume of spices and spices
products exported was 5,71,680 tonnes, valued at Rs 9,433 crore, a growth of 41
per cent in rupee terms and a 27 per cent growth both in volume and dollar terms.
Kochi, February 18, 2014: The World Spice
Congress was held in Kochi in February 2014. The event was hosted by the Spices
Board and the All India Spices Exporters' Forum. It provided a platform to global thought leaders, grower representatives, policy-defining bodies
as well as leading players from the spice industry and food and beverages
companies. Over 700 delegates from 40 countries participated in the event.
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