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UP eyes bigger slice of ₹39,000 crore spice export pie
The roadmap was discussed at the sixth UP Spices Conference & Expo 2026, held at Udyan Bhawan here on Friday and organised by the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), with 3EA Global as the knowledge partner.
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Uttar Pradesh, the country’s top horticulture producer with an annual output of 40 million tonnes, is now looking to increase its share of the spice export market by promoting high-value crops, processing and value addition.
The roadmap was discussed at the sixth UP Spices Conference & Expo 2026, held at Udyan Bhawan here on Friday and organised by the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), with 3EA Global as the knowledge partner.
The conference comes amid strong national spice export figures. India exported 17.34 lakh tonnes of spices worth ₹39,140 crore ($4.43 billion) in 2025-26, compared with an all-time high of 17.99 lakh tonnes worth ₹39,994 crore in 2024-25. Chilli accounted for 27% of export earnings, while cumin and spice oils and oleoresins contributed 12% each.
Inaugurating the expo, horticulture minister Dinesh Pratap Singh said UP needed to move from volume to value by curbing adulteration, promoting high-value spice cultivation on small holdings and expanding processing capacity.
He said industrialists sourcing directly from local farmers could avail themselves of subsidies ranging from 35% to 50% and invited them to set up processing units in the state. Lucknow’s new Agri Mall will also have dedicated space for organic produce and certified spices.
Mukesh Bahadur Singh, chairman of the UP chapter of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC), stressed the need to strengthen the trader and export value chain. He proposed setting up a facilitation centre with the help of industry bodies to provide know-how to businesses in the spice sector.
Vibhor Mishra, CEO of 3EA Global, said the spice economy should be assessed not only by production but also by value per kg, per hectare and across the value chain. He said spice oils and oleoresins account for 12% of India’s spice export basket and curry powders and pastes for 6%, while the country exports 225 spice products to more than 180 destinations. UP, he said, has an opportunity to move towards extracts, blends and branded products.
Technical sessions featured participation from Adani Spices, MDH, Rakesh Masala, Goldiee, CSIR-CIMAP, BBAU, the Spices Board, CARD and the horticulture and food processing departments. Discussions focused on technology, quality compliance, traceability and market intelligence.
