Muttom spice park set to be a brimming hub.

The Spices Park to come up at Muttom, near Thodupuzha, will soon turn turn the district into the State’s hub of marketing in value-added spice products.

The park is to come up under the auspices of the Ministry of Micro, Small, Medium Enterprices (MSME).

It was a long-term demand of the cardamom growers in the district that Central intervention was needed to ensure stable prices.

Allegation

Their allegation was that it was just a few Mumbai-based companies who were deciding the prices.

The Spices Park will not only trade in value-added products of cardamom but also in pepper, cinnamon, ginger and cumin.

An official of the Spices Board of India said the Spices Park would come up at the 15.43 acres of land and it would function under the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA).

It got the green signal from the Union government under the projects of the MSME.

The project was at an estimated cost of ₹19.88. Of this, ₹5.67 crore would be the Central share and ₹14.21 would be borne by the State government.

KINFRA was aiming at completing the project in 21 months.

Safe market

It would provide a safe market for spices produced in the State.

The value-added products from the State would also get an international presence, giving a boost to the State endeavour to make inroads in consumer products. It would help to an extent in arresting the fall in prices, especially of pepper, being faced by the farmers.

The official said that the basic infrastructure to ensure water, electricity, road, waste treatment and warehouse facilities would be developed by the KINFRA.

The steps to acquire 45 more acres of land for the project was progressing, the official said, adding that it would give the district a distinct place in the industrial map.

Though there is a Spices Park under the Spices Board of India at Puttady in the district for conducting cardamom auction, the proposal for an industrial unit for value-added product was a long term demand of the cardamom farmers.

According to K.S. Mathew, president Vandanmedu Green Gold Cardamom Producer Company, the main problem the cardamom farmers faced was the high fluctuation in the prices.

When the production showed a falling trend, there would be an artificial rise in the prices and it would not help the farmers.

Stable prices

There should be stable prices to have a sustained growth of the cardamom sector, he said, adding Spices Board of India’s intervention in this direction was welcome.

This would provide the necessary market intervention to prevent the companies from forming a cartel and deciding the prices of cardamom, he added.

THE HINDU