SNAPSHOT :
| Major Spices Produced | Cardamom large, Ginger, Turmeric, Garlic and Coriander etc. |
| Area (ha) & Production (MT) of Spices | 24355 Ha & 275018 MT |
| Major Spice growing areas | Darjeeling, Kalimpog, Jalpaiguri, Nadia,Malda, Coochbihar, Midnapor west & east etc. |
| AEP/ODOP/District as Export Hub | Mustard-Jalpaiguri |
| Major Ports/Export Hubs | Kolkatta , Gajadanga, Jaigaon, Chengrabanda, Petrapole and Panitanki |
| Major Market Centers | https://agmarknet.gov.in/a> |
| GI/Commercial spices of the State | Nil |
| No. of Registered Exporters | 613 |
| Regional Office | Kolkatta |
| Divisional Office | Kalimpong |
| Field Office | Sukhia Pokhri, Darjeeling District |
| Quality Evaluation Laboratory | Baruipur near Kolkota in West Bengal |
| Co-ordinating office | Regional Office & Quality Evaluation Lab Govt Of India, Baruipur-Amtala Road Bamangachi P.O, Near DRDO & WB Tele Academy, South-24-Parganas Kolkata West Bengal -700145 sbrokolkata@gmail.com |
West Bengal is situated in the Eastern Region of India. The fourth most populous state in the country is widely considered the Melting pot of Cultures. Bordered by five different states, its capital Kolkata is often termed as the cultural capital of India. West Bengal offers a unique flavour to the richness of India with its synthesis of various languages, religions, customs, traditions, cuisines and lifestyle. Bound by the grandeur of the Himalayan ranges in the north and sweetened by the sea in the south, Bengal has everything a state needs to flourish. It is one of the important spice producing states in India.
Among the 75 spices cultivated in India, 8 spices such as such as Large Cardamom, Ginger, Turmeric, Garlic and Coriander , Red Chilli, Fenugreek, and Fennel seeds in West Bengal. . Pepper is a promising crop grown in the State as intercrop in Tea and Arecanut gardens.
As on May 2023, the State has a spice exporter base of 613 firms, of which 9 are manufacturer exporters, with own facilities for processing and value addition of spices. The collective annual exports of spices and spice products during the year 2021-22 through the ports in West Bengal is around 9315.00 MT valued at Rs. 130 crores. The major spice products exported from the State are Ginger, Pepper, Chilies, Garlic, Coriander, Fennel, Fenugreek, Tamarind, Curry paste and Powder etc. to countries such as Bangladesh, USA, UK, UAE, Nepal, Bhutan , Germany and Canada etc.
| Sl No | Item | Area in Ha. | Production in MT. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Large Cardamom | 3305 | 1086 |
| 2 | Ginger | 12510 | 136610 |
| 3 | Turmeric | 17812 | 45648 |
| 4 | Garlic | 3925 | 37468 |
| 5 | Coriander | 11895 | 15780 |
| 6 | Chilli | 5450 | 8576 |
| 7 | Fenugreek | 2595 | 2910 |
| 8 | Fennel | 1052 | 1080 |
| Total (including others) | 74355 | 275018 |
Board's activities are monitored by the Regional Office at Kolkota, one Divisional Office at Kalimpong in Kalimpong District and one Field Office at Sukhia Pokhri in Darjeeling District. Spices Board is also having a Quality Evaluation Laboratory at Baruipur near Kolkota in West Bengal to cater to the analytical needs of the stakeholders in Eastern / North Eastern Region.
Board is also implementing various Development and Marketing schemes and Research and Laboratory activities, the details of which may please be seen from the Board's website indianspices.com