Black Pepper variety Subhakara
India, the home of spices, have a long history of trading with the ancient civilizations of Rome and China. Exquisite aroma, texture, taste and medicinal value make Indian spices the most sought-after globally. Indian domestic market for spices is the largest in the world. India is the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices; the country produces about 75 of the 109 spices crops listed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and accounts for half of the global trading in spices.
High yielding varieties developed by ICAR are replacing low productive spices varieties. Across the spice crops, 150 varieties developed by public funded ICAR research cover more than 80% of the total area. New varieties of seed spices are spreading to different agroclimatic zones. Post-harvest technologies and value-addition further enhanced trade and export potential.