Kochi peppers up spice trade

Kochi is to be the hub for the $3-billion global spice trade with world trade organisations coming under one umbrella, the World Spice Organisation (WSO), to be headquartered here.

Those who matter in the trade like the American Spice Trade Association, International Pepper Community and European Spice Association are to be part of this organisation, says Phillip Kuruvila, a founding director of WSO.

India accounts for around 48 per cent of the spice trade in the world and is unique in having more than 65 varieties of spices from hot chillies and pepper to flavours like vanilla. But the threat before the industry across the globe is not just food security – ensuring sufficient production to meet demand, but meeting the ever-growing stringent safety norms that Western countries implement, says Philip.

“This will be a platform for the farming community and experts from producing countries to share their farming practices and experiences so that sufficient quantities of spices are grown,” he said.

“Another threat is the consuming countries bringing in food safety norms which make things difficult for producing countries to meet. This forum will be the focal point when we take up this issue,” he said.

Jeemon Korah, president of the All-India Spice Exporters Forum, says quality norms have been shadowing the industry.

(Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/kochi/kochi-peppers-spice-trade-542)