FAO in collaboration with the Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), Government of India and in support of the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) organized a buyer-seller meet for seed spices - cumin and fennel on 5 December 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Marking a significant pace in the spice trade, the programme was attended by more than 130 farmers from Gujarat and 70 exporters from Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.

The event was formally inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Dineshbhai Patel, Chairman of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Unjha. An introductory speech by B N Jha, Director of Spices Board India, set the tone for a day of productive interactions.

Vinay Singh, National Project Manager and Food Security and Nutrition Expert at FAO, took the stage to shed light on the STDF project, providing insights into its objectives and impact, including the importance of food safety, and quality standards in spices. The gathering was also addressed by Ashwin Nayak, Chairman, and Kartik Udayakumar, Co-Chairman of the Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders (FISS) in Unjha, Gujarat.

The networking session that followed allowed buyers and sellers to engage in discussions, addressing each other's needs and exploring potential collaborations. Notably, some exporters expressed their intent to conduct field visits during the upcoming harvesting period in February 2024, underlining a proactive approach to trade relations.

A pivotal highlight of the event was the interaction between Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and exporters, fostering meaningful exchanges and collaborations for direct procurement of spices. Some of the issues which were discussed and deliberated upon at length included the issues and challenges related to the sale of seed spices, and the need to adopt good agriculture practices (GAP) and good hygiene practices (GHP) to improve the quality of the seed spices.

A similar buyer-seller meet was also organized in Guna, Madhya Pradesh in April 2023, which was attended by more than 250 participants from various states and departments, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. The meet focused on creating a conducive environment for stakeholders to explore avenues for mutual growth, emphasizing FAO and the Spice Board's commitment to enhancing the spice value chain. These workshops are being organized under FAO's collaborative project with the STDF titled 'Enhancing the Spice Value Chain for Increased Production and Exports of Safe and Premium-Quality Spices in India and Export Markets' in India.