(PIB, 01/02/2009) Shri Jyotiraditya M Scindia, Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, will be inaugurating the 10th World Spice Congress, here on 3rd February, 2010. The 3-day (3-5 February) event is being organized jointly by the Spices Board and the All India Spices Exporters Forum. The Inaugural session will also be attended by Shri K.M. Chandrasekhar, Cabinet Secretary; Dr. Rahul Khullar, Commerce Secretary; Shri Nandakumar Agriculture Secretary; and Shri P.K. Chaudhery, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The theme of the 10th Congress is “Global Concerns…India’s response” where discussion would be focused on Food Safety Concerns, Regulations, Progress of Indian Spice Industry, etc. This Conference assumes importance because India has an advantage in the production of spices due to geo-climatic conditions and rich diversity. The first Session of the Congress is on “Global Agricultural Concerns & India” and the second session is on “Food Safety & Spices. Delegates from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Syria, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, Netherlands, USA, and Vietnam are expected to attend the Conference.

India occupies a prominent position in the world spice trade with a share of 44% in quantity and 36% in value terms. Annual production of spices in recent years has gone well above four million tonnes. Share of spices in India’s total agricultural exports ranges between 6 to 7%. The Spices Board’s new venture “Spice Parks” for processing is coming up in Idukki district in Kerala and in Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh. Spice Park had already come up in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh and new ones are to come up in Jodhpur in Rajasthan, Ahmedabad in Gujarat and in Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu.

Source: Press Information Bureau, India