What is the SPICED Scheme?

About SPICED Scheme:

• Sustainability in the Spice Sector through Progressive, Innovative, and Collaborative Interventions for Export Development (SPICED) is an initiative of the Spices Board, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The scheme offers financial assistance across various components, aiming to enhance sustainability, foster innovation, and promote export development in the Indian spices sector.
• The scheme aims to enhance the productivity of small and large cardamom, improve the quality of post-harvest processes, and encourage the production and export of value-added, GI-tagged, and organic spices.
• It is also focused on enabling compliance with global food safety and phytosanitary standards and boosting the capacity of stakeholders across the value chain.
• Features:
  • The scheme offers support for activities such as replanting and rejuvenation of cardamom plantations, development of water resources, micro-irrigation, promotion of organic farming, and expansion of good agricultural practices (GAP).
  • In addition, it supports the installation of improved post-harvest infrastructure, such as modern dryers, slicers, dehullers, and grading machines to ensure superior product quality.
  • The scheme provides financial assistance to farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to procure essential post-harvest machines such as spice polishers, turmeric boilers, mint distillation units, and threshing machines.
  • The scheme further supports the creation of Spice Incubation Centres and promotes entrepreneurship and product development initiatives aimed at enhancing market access and branding for startups and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
  • Through capacity-building efforts, including training and extension services, the scheme aims to empower spice farmers, SHGs, and FPOs with the latest technical know-how, best practices, and market intelligence.
  • In export development and promotion, the scheme assists in participating in international trade fairs, buyer-seller meets, and other market linkage programs.
  • While exporters with a valid Certificate of Registration as Exporter of Spices (CRES) are eligible for assistance under these programs, preference will be given to first-time applicants, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), etc.
  • Scheme activities will be geo-tagged, and fund availability, status of applications under different components, list of beneficiaries, etc., will be published on the board's website for better transparency.