How did India emerge as the king of exports for Cucumber and Gherkins?

India has emerged as the excellent and the leading exporter of gherkins in the world. During the months of April to October, India exported 1,23,846 metric tonnes of cucumber and gherkins for USD 114 million (2020-21).

India's export of processed agricultural products like pickled cucumber, also known as gherkins or cornichons, surpassed USD 200 million in the previous fiscal year.

India exported 2,23,515 metric tonnes of cucumber and gherkins worth USD 223 million in 2020-21.

Cucumbers and gherkins, which are produced and preserved by vinegar or acetic acid, and cucumbers and gherkins, which are provisionally preserved, are the two types of gherkins exported by India.

Gherkin cultivation, harvesting, processing, and exports started in early 1990s in Karnataka, however, it spread along the neighbouring Indian states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana as well.

Gherkins are currently exported to more than 20 countries, with the China, South Korea, France, United States, Canada, Australia, Sri Lanka, Germany, Spain, Japan, Russia, Belgium, and Israel being the most popular destinations.

The gherkin sector, apart from its huge export potential, is also popular to contribute significantly to rural jobs. Gherkin cultivation is done by 90,000 small and marginal Indian farmers, with an annual production area of 65,000 acres.

Gherkins are exported in two forms: in bulk as raw material for industries and in jars as a final edible product. Bulk production continues to be a strong reason of holding significant portion of the gherkin market.

APEDA has aided in the promotion of processed vegetable exports by giving financial help for the development of infrastructure, improving the quality of processed gherkins, promoting products on the international market, and implementing food safety management systems in processing plants.

A gherkin farmer produces 4 metric tonnes per acre per crop on average, earning around Rs 80,000 with a net profit of Rs 40,000. Gherkin, a 90-day crop is harvested by farmers twice every year. To meet and support the requirements of all the international buyers, international-standard processing units have also been developed.

All gherkin manufacturers and exporters are either ISO, BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000, and HACCP certified, or have all of the certifications. Many businesses have implemented social audits. This ensures that the employees receive all statutory benefits.

The APEDA is also concentrating on gherkin value addition in order to boost the product's export worth.

Disclaimer: All the data mentioned in this article is only for information purposes and is fetched from reliable sources.

Sources:

https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=229987