Central Government has received proposal from the State Government of Telangana for establishing a Spice Park at Nizamabad for turmeric. It has been intimated to the State Government that the Spices Board would extend all technical support if land and funds for establishing the Spice park is provided by the State. Central Government has also approved the setting up of a Spice Development Agency (SDA) for Telangana having headquarters at Warangal for co-coordinating with the State / Central Agencies implementing programmes for research, production, marketing, quality improvement and export of spices, including chilli and turmeric.

Government implements several programmes for providing assistance to spice farmers, including Chilli and Turmeric farmers, which, on one hand aim at increasing production and ensuring remunerative prices to farmers through pre and post-harvest management and support activities, and on the other hand assist the industry through adoption of upgraded technology in spice processing, setting up of quality evaluation labs, quality certification etc for facilitating exports.

Spices Board is implementing the “Export Oriented Production, Export Development & Promotion of Spices” Scheme wherein assistance is provided to spices farmers which, inter alia, includes development of infrastructure for common processing facilities in Spice Parks, adaptation of upgraded technology in spice processing, setting up of quality evaluation labs for sampling and testing of the export consignments for meeting quality specifications of consuming countries, assistance to farmers on post-harvest quality improvement, imparting training to farmers in Good Agricultural Practices etc.

This information was given by the Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today

Spices Board technical support pledged for state funded Spice Park projects, with an SDA to coordinate quality and export infrastructure. The Central Government received a proposal for a Spice Park at Nizamabad and indicated the Spices Board will provide technical support if the State supplies land and funds; it approved a Spice Development Agency headquartered at Warangal to coordinate research, production, marketing, quality improvement and export activities. The Export Oriented Production, Export Development & Promotion of Spices scheme provides for infrastructure for common processing in Spice Parks, upgraded processing technology, quality evaluation labs for export testing, post harvest quality improvement assistance, and training in Good Agricultural Practices.