India produces a total of 14,000 tonnes of nutmeg with shell annually. The total export of nutmeg/mace from India in the last financial year (2011-12) was 3620 tonnes worth Rs 240.98 crore.
Of the country’s total production, Kerala accounts for 7000-8000 tonnes.
Karukutty panchayat in Ernakulam district tops the production in the state with around 700 hectares under cultivation.
According to exporters, more and more farmers in the state are opting for nutmeg farming because of the ease in cultivation.
‘Boon for Farmers’
‘’The hurricane in Grenada was a boon for the farmers and exporters in India. Realising the opportunity, more and more farmers have opted for nutmeg production.
We believe that the situation will continue to be so in the next few years because of the lack of efficient replanting in Grenada,” said Kishore Shamji, proprietor of Kishor Spices Company, a Mattanchery-based export company.
However, the recent shortfall in production domestically led to an increase in nutmeg prices by 34 per cent in the past month.
After Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka are the major producers of the spice.
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