Port Blair: In a bid to revive its historical connection to the global spice trade and enhance domestic spice production, the Andaman and Nicobar administration has rolled out an ambitious new initiative called Spice Pravah.
The project aims to transform the islands into a major hub for spice cultivation while reducing the country’s reliance on imports.
Speaking to PTI, Chief Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar said, “As we know, spices are deeply woven into our culture and gastronomic traditions. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands - historically connected to the global spice trade route since the Chola Empire and later leveraged by colonial powers - are now capitalising on their natural advantages to expand spice cultivation.”
With an annual average rainfall of 3,400 mm spread over 180 days, the islands offer highly favourable conditions for cultivating spices.
Kumar noted that while spices like cinnamon, clove, and black pepper have traditionally been grown on the islands, it has largely been in small quantities for local use. Spice Pravah marks a strategic pivot toward large-scale cultivation.
The full name of the initiative — Spice Promotion by Integrated Cultivation & Enhancement — Spice, Promotion of Resilient Aromatic Value Chains & Holistic Farming (Pravah) — reflects its integrated approach. It includes both government farms and private growers, and aims to bring underutilised land into productive use.
Between August and September, around 1.25 lakh saplings will be planted, including 70,000 cinnamon trees, 50,000 black pepper plants, and 1,000 nutmeg trees. All the saplings are being cultivated in government nurseries to maintain quality and consistency.
The project has received backing from several national research institutions, including the Central Island Agricultural Research Institute (CIARI) and the Botanical Survey of India. Additionally, intercropping techniques will be used by integrating spice cultivation within existing coconut plantations to maximise land use.
“Over the next four years, we expect significant spice yields that will not only support local consumption but also contribute to the national supply chain,” Kumar said. Future components of the project include setting up eight spice collection centres across agricultural zones, developing value-added spice products, and providing technical training to farmers.
A core team has already completed intensive training at the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Kozhikode. There are also plans to focus on branding, Geographical Indication (GI) tagging, and creating strong marketing channels to take island-grown spices to global markets.