Is India’s Turmeric Export Surge a Game Changer?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Turmeric exports surged by 50.7% to $341.54 million.
- India holds a 66% share of the global turmeric market.
- Major importers include Bangladesh, UAE, and USA.
- Government initiatives focus on quality assurance and training.
- National Turmeric Board enhances product development and supply chain resilience.
New Delhi, Aug 12 (NationPress) India has seen a remarkable 50.7% increase in turmeric exports, reaching $341.54 million for the fiscal year 2024-25, up from $226.58 million in the previous year, as reported to Parliament on Tuesday.
In terms of volume, turmeric exports from India amounted to over 1.76 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25, compared to 1.62 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24, according to Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada in a written response to the Lok Sabha.
India commands a 66% share of the global turmeric market, with major importers including Bangladesh, the UAE, the USA, Malaysia, and Morocco since 2020, the minister highlighted.
The government, via the Spices Board, is actively promoting the scheme titled "Sustainability in Spice Sector through Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative Interventions for Export Development (SPICED)". This initiative encompasses various programs aimed at boosting spice exports, including turmeric.
Key actions involve implementing food safety and quality assurance certifications, enhancing post-harvest quality, supporting processing and value addition, as well as organizing training for turmeric stakeholders focused on quality enhancement and entrepreneurship growth. Furthermore, quality evaluations of turmeric export consignments are carried out through laboratories to ensure compliance with importing countries' standards, alongside organizing buyer-seller meets to foster direct market connections among farmers, exporters, and foreign buyers.
Moreover, the National Turmeric Board is dedicated to fostering new product development and value addition in turmeric, raising awareness and consumption of turmeric and its products in global markets. The board also promotes resilient and sustainable supply chains for turmeric by strengthening both forward and backward linkages and facilitating the development of necessary infrastructure and logistics for turmeric exports.
Additionally, the Turmeric Board is working to ensure compliance with quality and safety standards throughout the turmeric supply chain while aiding in the capacity building and skill enhancement of turmeric growers for value addition activities, as stated by the minister.