By Rameez Makhdoomi
Unjha: Though a single sparrow does not make a summer, the spice trade by cumin farmers from the Unjha Mandi (market) located about 100 kilometres from Ahmedabad has brought great cheer to the trading community. This is despite the mounting number of casualties resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years. Rated as one of the biggest spice trading markets in the whole of Asia, it is a source of a huge chunk of cumins from the export baskets of India that trade in spices.
A seasoned hand in the cumin markets, Pinkul Patel chorused, “We are a happy and satisfied lot that the cumin trade has by and large remained unaffected by the advent and continued presence of the pandemic virus. Our local Unjha market is sourcing the spice to destinations across the globe in a big way. In addition, we are also focusing on two other spices, namely Psyllium Husk (Isbagol) and turmeric.” He also voiced the sentiment that the local Patel community has contributed in a big way towards the prosperity of this Indian spice trade.
Stressing on the volumes of trade, he stated that each year, nearly seven million bags of 50 to 60 kg raw cumin each get traded on an average. India’s export baskets are reported to be earning nearly INR 2000 crores from this trade alone. The markets employ more than 3500 people across 800 business houses, it was reported. The traders averred that the volume of trade in jeera (cumin variety) was not impacted and continued to remain steady even during the peaking of the Pandemic waves.
The traders as well as the farmers from both Gujarat and the neighbouring state of Rajasthan have so far stayed untouched by the fluctuations that the pandemic has caused in other spheres of trade. The farmers bring it to the Unjha market by the tonnes on a daily basis, the locals disclosed. The figures for 2019-20 were cited to stand at 21,66,532 quintals, registering a quantum jump over the previous year’s 11,34,808 quintals in the previous year’s trading season. Cumin varieties of jeera come in five different price slabs that range from INR 1,000 to INR 3,000 per 20 kg. As of now, the markets announced that they were upbeat with the per quintal prices that yielded anywhere from INR 15,000 to INR 17,500 per quintal.
Market players also informed that India was one of the biggest traders in cumin spices falling next only to Turkey and Syria in the global markets.
*Senior journalist
Interesting story. Such reporting on production and trade of agricultural produce is unusual and welcome.