Govt rolls out SPICED Scheme To Boost Spice Exports

Kochi: The Spices Board has launched the 'Sustainability in Spice Sector through Progressive, Innovative and Collaborative Interventions for Export Development (SPICED)' scheme for the fiscal year 2025-26 under which financial assistance is offered across the value chain to farmers and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to enhance the production, quality and export of spices.

The scheme is aimed at increasing the productivity of small and large cardamom, improving the quality of post-harvest processes, and encouraging the production and export of value-added, GI-tagged, and organic spices. It also helps in enabling compliance with global food safety and phytosanitary standards and boosting the capacity of stakeholders across the value chain. Online applications for the SPICED scheme will open on May 26. Spice exporters can apply under the scheme’s export development and promotion components until June 30, while farmers and FPOs can submit applications under the development components in other categories until September 30.

The scheme offers financial assistance for replanting and rejuvenation of cardamom plantations, development of water resources, micro-irrigation, promotion of organic farming, and expansion of good agricultural practices (GAP). In addition, it supports the installation of improved post-harvest infrastructure, such as modern dryers, slicers, dehullers, and grading machines to ensure superior product quality. The scheme also provides financial assistance to farmers and FPOS to procure essential post-harvest machines such as spice polishers, turmeric boilers, mint distillation units, and threshing machines.