Jeera and coriander futures inched up, while turmeric futures ended marginally down on Thursday. Festival demand lifted jeera and coriander futures. Concerns over unfavourable weather in Rajasthan too lend support to coriander futures. India’s export of spices during Apr-Nov declined 14% on year to 898,007 tn, according to data from the Spices Board India. In terms of value, the exports rose marginally by 0.3% to 204.8 bln rupees. Sluggish demand for most spices, including chilli, cardamom, jeera, coriander and ginger, weighed on exports. However, garlic exports rose sharply by 107% on year at 35,175.6 tn. While exports of jeera during Apr-Nov declined 17% on year to 133,250 tn, turmeric exports rose 10% on year to 111,968.5 tn. India exported 28,105 tn of coriander, which is down 15% on year, the data showed. Exports of small cardamom declined 16% on year to 5,355.4 tn. A huge decline of 59% was also seen in ginger exports at 38,765.5 tn. Exports of chilli in Apr-Nov were down 24% on year at 299,611.3 tn, while mint product exports rose 26% on year to 55,434 tn, according to the data. Spices Board said it had rescheduled the 14th edition of World Spice Congress from February to Sep 15-17. The congress is scheduled to be held at the CIDCO Exhibition and Convention Centre in Navi Mumbai. The rescheduling is due to constraints in international travel owing to the COVID-19 situation in some of the major spice importing countries. “The venue for the event will remain the same and all existing registrations of delegates and exhibition stalls will be carried forward to the rescheduled event,” the board said. The value of India’s spices market is expected to rise to 1 trln rupees by 2025 from 800 bln rupees this year, with the share of the organised sector likely to reach 50% from 38%, according to experts at the National Spice Conference. Currently, the value of the organised segment is pegged at 300 bln rupees. Improved quality, introduction of smaller stock-keeping units and increased shelf life of spices is one of the major reasons for growth of the organised segment, Ramkumar Menon, chairman of World Spice Organisation, said at the conference. Growth prospects in the case of spices are high and branding plays an important role, as it not only makes a memorable impression on consumers, but allows customers and clients to know what to expect from a company. It is a way to distinguish oneself from competitors and clarify what makes one a better choice, according to a panel of experts at the conference. Currently, the branded spices market is growing at a compounded annual rate of 10-15%, against 7-10% in the case of the unorganised segment. India, the world’s largest producer, exporter, and consumer of spices, produces 75 of its 109 varieties. Around 85% of the spices produced in India are consumed domestically. The country accounts for more than 48% of global demand.