IFFCO Kisan empowering Indian farmers

India is one of the largest producers, consumers, and exporters of spices in the world. It has an illustrious history of producing and exporting the spices to over 80 countries.

India has made its mark when it comes to the production and export of spices; Western countries and the middle-east look up to India for the imports of spices in their countries.

India is celebrated widely for producing high-quality spices like cumin, black pepper, cardamom, ginger, chilies, and turmeric. India is home to a variety of spices producing more than 60 spices, thanks to the varying climatic conditions.

However, even the cultivation of spices is becoming a victim of lousy agriculture practices by excessive and unregulated use of fertilizers and pesticides to boost their production.

The rampant use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers leaves its catastrophic residues and also pollutes the soil and environment. And this is the reason why traders shun many crops of spices for export to other countries as they’ve failed to comply with the standards due to poor quality.

Even as there is a dire need to address this issue, IFFCO Kisan provides experts advice to hundreds of FPOs and progressive farmers related to the right and best practices of cultivation of spices.

Also, IFFCO Kisan is associated with the trading of cumin and turmeric and facilitates progressive farmers and FPO’s for easy trade practices of spices.

There are various quality enhancement programmes sponsored by IFFCO Kisan along with the crop specific, zone-specific advisory services in vernacular languages.

IFFCO Kisan is encouraging and supporting farmers to adopt good agriculture practices (GAPs) and helps in ensuring that the spices adhere to the requirements of the export demanded by the traders.

Sandeep Malhotra, MD and CEO, IFFCO Kisan, said, “We’ve initiated the training programmes at block and district levels to different FPOs and farmers regarding the adoption of good agriculture practices.”

“We have been encouraging the farmers to adopt GAPs and produce safe and harmless spices which will comply with the International norms and standards; it will help them to get good prices of their produce.”

He said, “Due to the wide acceptance of organic farming, FPOs and their progressive farmers have started the organic farming of spices under the guidance of IFFCO Kisan. It will keep the taste and health benefits intact. As the consuming countries like the US, Vietnam, and UAE have strict quality assurance norms, quality is an essential parameter for export of spices.