Cumin arrivals at 5-year high, bolster export prospects

Ahmedabad: Cumin seed (jeera) arrivals at the Unjha agricultural market yard have hit a five-year high this season, fuelling hopes of strong exports. According to data by the ministry of agriculture, a total of 54,410 metric tonnes (MT) of jeera arrived in Unjha, which is India’s largest trading hub for the spice, marking a 17.5% increase over last year’s arrival of 46,313MT.
“The sowing of the jeera crop was much higher compared to last year, and as a result, the output has been good. The yield is still lower against the acreage because of adverse weather conditions and crop damage in Rajasthan. However, the crop in Gujarat has been good,” said Tejus Gandhi, chairperson, Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders (FISS).
The bumper crop this year has mainly been attributed to higher sowing coupled with a good quantity of carry-forward stock.
“Farmers still have about 20 lakh bags of carry-forward stock. As a result, the lower yield has been supplemented. Overall demand is good, due to which prices have risen marginally in the past few weeks,” Gandhi added.
Robust domestic consumption and steady export demand, especially from Gulf nations, are expected to lend further support to prices, analysts say. “Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have boosted demand for Indian cumin, creating additional opportunities for traders and exporters.
Meanwhile, tight short-term supplies are also propping up prices, as arrivals from Rajasthan remain subdued. In Gujarat, the new crop was delayed by nearly a month owing to adverse weather conditions, which slightly restricted immediate availability,” said an industry expert on condition of anonymity.
According to industry estimates, the Unjha market yard continues to dominate the global cumin market, offering the cheapest prices globally. Jeera exports increased 70.7% to 1.65 lakh MT during April–Dec 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
However, some experts believe that there is less yield, which has affected arrivals in the last few days. Former chairman of Unjha APMC, Dinesh Patel said, “The crop in Rajasthan has seen a negative impact of weather, and arrival has decreased in the last few days, which has pushed prices up. There is significant stock with farmers, but they are not selling it now in big quantities like they did at the start of the season.”