14th Edition of the World Spice Congress (WSC) to be held in Mumbai from 16-18 February 2023

· The WSC will open new opportunities to promote international trade of Indian spices with G20 countries

· Maharashtra is a one of the leading states producing spices. It is the largest producer of turmeric in India.

· Coastal areas of Maharashtra are also known for production of GI tagged Kokum.

· There has been an increased demand for certain spices, especially the seed spices including cumin, fenugreek, Bishop’s weed (Ajwain), Dill, Poppy, Aniseed, Mustard and others. Garlic has registered an increase of 170% in quantity during April-October 2022 compared to the same period last year.

· Some other spices such as Saffron, which had a bumper crop in the current season, Asafoetida, Cinnamon and Cassia also show a positive trend.

India is known as the ‘Spice Bowl’ of the world. It produces a number of quality, rare and medicinal spices. With an aim to open up newer opportunities to promote international trade of Indian spices, the 14th edition of the World Spice Congress (WSC), is to be held in Mumbai from 16-18 February 2023.

D Sathiyan, Secretary, Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, stated that this edition of the WSC is special because it coincides with India’s G20 presidency. He was speaking at the curtain-raiser press conference held in Mumbai today. He further said that it will provide a platform for the stakeholders to discuss the industry’s current trends after COVID-19 and chart out a way forward. The event, organised to create a platform not only for traders but also policy regulators, will have special business sessions dedicated to promoting spice trade among the G20 countries. Policy makers, regulatory authorities, spice trade associations, government officials as well as technical experts from key G20 countries will participate in the event, informed Mr. Sathiyan. The theme of the WSC 2023 is VISION 2030: S-P-I-C-E-S (Sustainability, Productivity, Innovation, Collaboration, Excellence and Safety).

Speaking about choosing Maharashtra as the venue for the WSC, Mr. Sathiyan said, “Maharashtra is a one of the leading states producing spices. It is the largest producer of turmeric in India. Maharashtra produces two GI tagged turmeric varieties and one GI tagged chilli variety. Coastal areas of Maharashtra are also known for production of GI tagged Kokum. The state is one of the largest exporting hubs for spices.”

Providing details of the events planned for the Congress, Mr. Sathiyan said that, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Smt. Anupriya Patel, Minister of the State, Ministry of Commerce and Industry have consented to grace the WSC 2023, to be held at the CIDCO International Convention Centre, Navi Mumbai. Piyush Goyal will also distribute the trophies and Awards for Excellence in Exports of Spices on 17th February 2023.

While elaborating on the spice trade in India, Mr. Sathiyan said that during 2022-23, there has been an increased demand for certain spices, especially the seed spices including cumin, fenugreek, Bishop’s weed (Ajwain), Dill, Poppy, Aniseed, Mustard and others. Garlic has registered an increase of 170% in quantity during April-October 2022 compared to the same period last year. Some other spices such as Saffron, which had a bumper crop in the current season, Asafoetida, Cinnamon and Cassia also show a positive trend. Value added products derived from spices such as curry powder also show a positive trend.

A majority of the spice trade in India takes place during the last quarter of the year and the Indian spice industry is looking forward to an increased export of spices during January -March 2023, which is expected to take the total exports towards the USD 4 billion mark. The WSC 2023 will provide a platform to further explore diverse possibilities in this area.

WSC 2023 Highlights:

This year’s WSC 2023, supported by the Government of India, is expected to be bigger and far more diverse compared to previous editions and will have special state pavilions and commodity pavilions. The event will provide an opportunity for the spice fraternity to meet and promote Indian brands before a bigger global audience.

The business sessions of WSC 2023 will focus on topics such as:

· India - The Spice Bowl for Global Market

· Perspectives on addressing Food safety & Quality Requirements for Spices (Presentation/Panel Discussion with Regulatory Authorities);

· Strengthening Global Spice Trade-Country Perspective & Opportunities

· Crops & Markets - Forecasts & Trends

· Spice Market outlook by International Spice Trade Associations

The event will have:

· Awards Nights – Distribution of the prestigious Awards for excellence in export of spices

· Spice Experience Zone

· Authentic Indian Experiences– Cultural, Culinary

· Tech Talk Sessions and Product Launches

The WSC is organized by the Spices Board with active participation of Spice Trade Associations in India like the Indian Spice & Foodstuff Exporters' Association –Mumbai, Indian Pepper and Spice Trade Association –Kochi, Indian Chamber of Commerce-Kolkata and Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders - Unjha, Gujarat.

Participation in WSC 2023 is only for registered delegates and those who are interested can register online at www.worldspicecongress.com