First Spice Park in Rajasthan Inaugurated

Jodhpur: Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday dedicated the first spice park in the state, built at a cost of Rs 27 crore, to the nation.

The spice park, which is the second such park in the country, has been constructed in Rampura Bhatiyan village in Mathania near Jodhpur, is a full line processing solution for pre-cleaning, grading, colour sorting, grinding and packing of the seed spices like cumin, coriander and fennel.

The park is set up in an area of 60.07 acres of land provided by the Rajasthan Government free of cost. The spice park has common infrastructure and processing facilities for seed spices, especially for cumin and coriander, which are widely grown in the state.

In his inaugural address, Sharma said the spice processing facilities available at the park are at par with international standards and is equipped with the modern techniques.

He said this park will not only catapult the production of these spices here but will also help in establishing these products in global market. "We are looking forward to see a farmer becoming exporter, thereby doing away with the needs of a mediator," Gehlot said.

The Spice Board will be allotting individual slots for exporters on lease basis for developing their own processing plants in the park. Twenty exporters will get the opportunity to set up their own processing plants in the park.