Kerala is a proud hub for processing spices and the first state to constitute a Plantation Directorate under the Ministry of Industries and Commerce (MIC). It has now evolved to be a major hub for the food processing industry. The State is in the process of finalizing the new Industrial Policy 2022, which will be made available in the public domain shortly.
Kerala has been a leader in adopting futuristic technologies, and around 60% of oleoresin production happens here, with Kochi emerging as the hub of oleoresin production. There are two mega food parks in the state, in Alappuzha and Palakkad, while a new spice park in Thodupuzha is expected to be commissioned in 2023. Ten mini food park projects are in the offing. Under the one-lakh industries programme, a total of 60,667 new enterprises were registered in a span of 180 days, of which 9,652 units were in the food-tech sector. This has attracted investment totalling Rs. 3,681 crores while generating 1.63 lakh job opportunities.
The pandemic was an eye-opener for the world to realise the true power and potential of spices, since they are a storehouse of compounds having immune-boosting properties. The robust Indian spice industry has been moving forward with a vision to strengthen its position as the premier supplier of clean, safe, and value-added spices and spice products to the industrial and retail segments of the global spice market.