Exploration and extrapolation of extension strategy for promotion of spice production and processing in India

Abstract

In the post globalisation and free trade liberalisation era, the world is experiencing a great revolution in its economic affairs involving all the nations, which is deemed to be the resultant of the open market policy across the world. India being one of the largest pillars of the world economy could not escape the effect of this change. India is also experiencing a dramatic change in its economic sectors - agriculture, industry and service. Since the inception of civilization, India has been recognised as the ‘Spice Bowl of the World’. The conquering tribes hailing from different corners of the world invaded India with one goal - to take advantage of the rich natural wealth, and Indian spices. The earliest in scripts in India on Spices is found in the Vedas (around 6000 BC). Even the Indian spices played a significant role in strengthening its economic condition during ancient and medieval ages. With time, the spice trade grew in leaps and bounds. Now, India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices in the world with a 46% share by volume and 23% share by value, in the world market. After conceiving the potentiality of spices in case of flavouring food, preparing medicine and earning foreign exchequer the need of promoting this crop in India is essential need of the hour through appropriate extension strategies as this crop is still grown in some pockets of India sporadically. Rural women in developing countries hold the key to many of the planets developmental system for securing the food, protecting the agro biodiversity and eradicating the poverty in a nut shell at local to global level. Most of the women perform various types of activities for the enhancement of their family livelihood status is considered as the biggest unorganized sector where large number of rural women takes part actively. While women have always played a key role in development perspective, their importance both as workers and as managers of farms and homes has been growing as an increasing number of men have been migrating to other localities. In this perspective spice crop can play a pivotal role in case of women empowerment through its production, processing and marketing by developing and managing spice led enterprise. Keeping all these in view, the present chapter is envisaged to explore the appropriate extension strategies for promotion of spice production, processing and marketing by putting emphasis on the paradigm shift from production led to market led extension, research extension linkage by incorporating indigenous knowledge, utilisation of knowledge information system and information communication technology and gender mainstreaming and women empowerment.