In a competitive global market the production cost is intimately linked to productivity, and unless and until we achieve high productivity we will not be able to compete with other countries, said Dr.G Kalloo, Deputy Director General (DDG), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). He was delivering the presidential address in the XVI National Workshop of the All India Co-ordinated Research on Spices (AICRP) at the Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Thrissur. He stressed that the enhancement of productivity and production potential needs a multi-pronged approach integrating high yielding varieties, appropriate production technology and constraint alleviation.

"India being the land of spices, does occupy a prominent place both in production and export of spices. It has been estimated that we produce annually spices worth around Rs.31,000 crores in the country. We have been dominating the world trade by contributing about 30% of its volume. This was due to the combined effort of Indian farmers, traders, merchants and exporters. In the past years in the spice export and during 2000-2001, India exported spices - 2,30,000 tonnes valued Rs. 1,612.07 crores as compared to 2,36,142 tonnes valued Rs.2,025.09 crores during 1999-2000, thus a drop of 6,142 tonnes valued about Rs. 413 crores. The domestic consumption of spices is also quite high and the exportable surplus is just about 10%. In this whole spices produ-ction scenario of our country, the AICRPS has played a very significant role in increasing both production and productivity of spices. The productivity of spices has increased significantly during the past two decades, but still very much less compared to the productivity of other producing countries", Dr. Kalloo stressed.

Dr. Kalloo cautioned that in spite of all achievements, the whole picture is not as cosy as we expect. Fluctuations in production and market prices, high production cost, poor post harvest practices, harmful pesticides and residues, microbial and toxic contaminations pose threat to the progress of our spices industry. "As we entered in to the twenty first century all scientists and organizations associated with the spices research should struggle hard to find solution to these problems. In this process always keep in mind that in the competitive world the consumer is the master and ask yourselves whether your research is sufficiently fine-tuned to meet the needs of the consumers in the market?" He exhorted the scientists.

Inaugurating the workshop, Dr. KV Peter, Vice-Chancellor, KAU expressed hope that the prominent place of India in the world market both in production and export of spices will remain unchanged in the years to come. He said that the present crisis faced by our spices farmers was only a temporary phase. India is the leader in the area of spices and will conti-nue to be so. Our competition in the area of spices is with the developing countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Guatemala and the most developed among them is Brazil. We are not in the fray with developed countries like United States of America and those countries in Europe", said Dr.Peter.

Dr.RN Pal, Assistant Director General (Plantation Crops), ICAR, Dr. YR Sarma, Director, Indian Institute of Spices Research, Shri Koshy Abraham, Director (Development), Spices Board and Dr. K Kumaran, Director of Research i/c, KAU offered felicitations. Dr. EV Nybe, General Convenor proposed vote of thanks.