Spices Board urges exporters to use GI details

The Dollar Business Bureau 

In order to make sure the authenticity of Indian spices, the Spices Board is taking deliberate steps to provide them with the status of Geographical Indication (GI). The board is requesting the exporters to mention the GI tag before shipping the spices to prevent international exporters from taking advantage of the ‘Indian Spices’ tag, which several have been doing till now.

Currently, there are eight varied varieties of Cardamom, Ginger, Pepper and Chilli that have got the GI status.

The Spices Board, in a circular, has requested the exporters to provide details of GI registration on all the branded spice items shipped from the country.

“As a step to make sure Indianness and to supply genuine Indian spices, the spice board is suggesting to include details of GI registration on all the branded spice items exported from the country,” it said.

A GI tag is a mark used on products that have a particular geographical indication and the qualities or reputation that are attached to that place or origin, ensuring the product as a premium. These cannot be matched by the same products in other places of the world. It is learnt that many countries are sourcing pepper from India and re-shipping it as Malabar pepper.

Gulshan John, Chairman of All India Spices Exporters Forum (AISEF), said, “This is a welcome initiative and would definitely help Indian exporters. This move should be extended further and measures should be taken to create awareness among exporters.”

India’s exports of spices and spice products declined by 6% to 843,255 tonne in the fiscal of 2015-16 as compared to 893,920 tonne in the year earlier. The exports of cumin, coriander, large cardamom, ginger and mint products, have witnessed a fall in volume terms.