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G.K. Nair

KOCHI, March 22

EXPORTS of value-added products, except mint oil, have shown a consistent growth by improving its performance so far during the current fiscal.

Spice oleoresins and other oils had gone up to 4,000 tonnes valued at Rs 353.98 crore during the period from 3,367 tonnes worth Rs 343.09 crore in April-February 2000-01.

Export of curry powder also moved up to 5,600 tonnes valued at Rs 38.48 crore from 4,994 tonnes worth Rs 34.85 crore last fiscal. However, mint oil dropped to 3,300 tonnes valued at Rs 116.11 crore from 4,018 tonnes worth Rs 149.73 crore.

The drop in unit value because of the fall in raw material prices had brought down the total value received otherwise it would have been much higher, Mr Sanjay Mariwala, an exporter of spice oleoresins and other oils and former President of the All-India Spices Exporters Forum told Business Line.

He said the overall decline in spices exports from the country was due the fact that ``we are slow at value addition. We are still dependent on bulk export of spices, mainly of a commodity nature''.

Export of bulk spices was affected by their prices. Because of a huge domestic demand, prices here were higher as compared to other producing countries. Besides, availability of exportable surplus also shrunk, he said.

Beside the value-added spices, the items that showed improvement were chilli, which increased to 64,000 tonnes valued at Rs 222.24 crore and other spices to 35,000 tonnes worth Rs 156.45 crore. Export of celery had shown a marginal increase to 4,300 tonnes valued at Rs 13.37 crore, a senior Spices Board official said.

In case of some items there was increase only in terms of quantity.

He said though pepper exports had shown marginal improvement in terms of quantity, in terms of value it had dropped substantially due a sharp fall in the unit value by more than half of the price last fiscal. Pepper exports during April-February 2001-02 stood at 20,500 tonnes valued at Rs 189.02 crore as against 18,528 tonnes of Rs 340.76 crore in the same period last financial year.

During the current fiscal, the unit value fell to Rs 92.21 per kg from Rs 183.92 per kg.

At this level the exports would touch the projected Rs 1,500 crore for the current fiscal, the official said.

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