Grandma!

Grandma is my grand mistress
Totally caring me during distress;
Detailing and showing me the world,
About which I knew no word.
Aiding, menting and teaching,
To equip me to make a living, 
In this fast changing universe,
Flooded with characters diverse;

Tendering the tiny tots,
Natural values, habits and morals,
For bringing lasting goodness
To bring me total wellness!

BEAUTY OF VILLAGE

USUAL WAS HER LOOKS
CASUAL WAS HER STEPS
TREADING PAST THE TREES
BEARING NUTS AND FRUITS
SCANNING THE VIEW 
ON THE TRUNK OF THE TREES 
AND LEAVES OF PLANTS

RHYTHMIC WAS THE WALK
AS THE SHRUBS BY WAY SIDE
GLADLY AND GENTLY BENT 

 IT’S FOLIAGE ON THE MUDDY PATHS

 ADORNING THE ARRIVAL OF A BEAUTIFUL SOUL 
 BACK IN THE VILLAGE SET 
 WITH ALL THE GREATEST BLESSINGS
 OF NATURE SET WITH CALM PEACE

 AND FRESHNESS OF A GOOD DAY BREAK

 SPRINKLED WITH PURE CLEAR MORNING DEW!

On the Coriander tracts of Madhya Pradesh during March 2011

The many miles into the deep interior villages and the travel through the gutted and dusty roads far away from the main highways did not take to a forest. The spots that touched were dotted green all over. The open air of the villages was scenting coriander. The fields that we went past were lush green fields bearing coriander seeds. The ripe wheat fields at the farther end wore golden colour and saw the nature as a master weaver weaving a special green carpet with golden laces. The ups and downs of the topography were very peculiar. The hills are generally barren brown and the valleys are chlorophyll green. It was an artistic presentation of big natural scenery with a flowing border. Imagination was at its peak as it could be the heavenly design of the nature facilitating a whirl winding exclusive path for green agriculture in this plateau of Madhya Pradesh. The rural tract of Guna and Ashoknagar districts in Madhya Pradesh famous for its intrinsically superior coriander has mesmerized me and this impact will not be any different for others too.

 The thick presence of cattle, heaps of cow dungs and the presence of people in the fields are more than sufficient to define the character of the villages. Farming is the main occupation and there is just nothing other than that in the villages.

 A team of officials from the Spices Board was deputed by the Chairman, Mr. V.J. Kurian IAS to undertake a field publicity campaign in the villages of Guna and Ashoknagar in Madhya Pradesh where one of the best quality coriander is grown. Many in the trade for its colour and texture prefer the small and bold coriander that grows in the fields of Guna district. The field publicity campaign held during 1st March to 9th March in the villages to inform the farmers on the need to follow scientific practices soon after harvest of coriander, cumin and fenugreek crops could stir their silent thoughts and bring to surface their expectations for better marketability and better returns. The movement in particular evoked positive attitude by the way the farmers responded. As a person who coordinated the campaign, I felt the happiness of the success of the programme in full length since the team could know the limitations and understand the expectations of the farmers.

 Right at the first interaction in the village of Dhamnar in Guna district farmers were excited to meet the campaign team curiously asking questions on the concept of the Spices Park about which they were reading in newspapers.

 The campaign could feel the expectations of the farmers who are on the look out for infrastructure facilities for enhancing the quality of their products, which they were not able to do till date. The harvested coriander and fenugreek were dried in the sun and then packed for selling to the middlemen at a general average price fixed by the middleman. The prevalence of operations of middlemen ruined the possibilities of getting reasonable prices for the farmer. Hence the concept of quality hitherto was not the botheration of the farmer. Farmers who could afford to hold stocks still hold it but the general quality of the product is found deteriorating. The sample of coriander in the village of Mahour kept by a farmer was shown at the meeting, which was found to have twigs and stones. This is the general practice of storing. Farmers seldom give time or care to clean the product after harvest. But as the campaign moved from village to village and in the aftermath of the interactions, the average spice grower is showing interest in adopting the ideal post harvest practice. But the question finally posed is: what will be the bonus of the farmer?

 To ensure that the theme of the campaign reaches every home in the village. the team members visited schools in the localities where Quiz sessions on general knowledge including spices in general were held for the school children. Prizes were given away to children who participated in the sessions followed by presentation of a book designed to disseminate information on cultivation and processing of spices though a story presentation. The Board prepared a book titled “Nirakhem.. Parekem.. “ in Hindi with a storyline presentation with illustrations for children on different aspects of growing spices like coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, ajowan and mustard. There are chapters on history of spices, package of practices for different seeds spices besides tips to the farmers. The book neatly done with over 45 pages will be a cherished possession for the children. The children will carry the copies home where members of the family will read it. In these villages every one is in a way connected with farming and the book will serve the purpose since one or the other person will run through the pages.

Realities of Organic Natural Farming

The village of Kombu Pallam of Sathyamangalam in Tamil Nadu wore a beautiful look under a clear sky and with lots of small birds hovering over the landscape.  The village appeared more agrarian with lots of agricultural activities happening around. Tractors and tillers in action, grazing cows, ploughing bullocks, men and women at work in the fields,  lush turmeric fields, amazing scenes of curry leaf, marigold and tuberose plants etc all these brought back to my mind the fond memories of  a farming village of yester years in Kerala.  The noises of the water pumping motor sets, streaming waters and moving tillers rend the air.   It was fascinating and nostalgic in every way.  I was in the company of a group of farmers in Alleppey district on the last Republic Day who traveled to Sathyamangalm for a day’s experience with a couple of organic natural farmers in action in Sathyamangalam.  The journey was one of the most valuable and enlightening experiences for all especially the close interaction with Mr S.R. Sundarama Iyer, who in his seventees is still brimming with activity.

 The mastery in the art of natural organic farming has brought him repute and he is an invited lecturer in many of the agricultural universities in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Mr. Sundararaman is a front-runner of the organic natural farming movement and is known far and wide in India as a practical farmer and currently leads the Tamil Nadu Farmers' Technology Association  as its President.

 Owing an area of 14 acres of land, he is doing cultivation in 13 acres following the principles of natural organic farming.  He practices what he preaches in every way.  He says that his farm was a victim of the green revolution. Being an energetic farmer he was responsive to changes and got his farm chosen as a demonstration farm for many of the chemical fertilizers and pesticide companies. On seeing the signs of degeneration in his farm, he has no second thoughts to shift away from the scientific modern farming styles to the traditional natural way.  Mr Sundaraman feels that the farmers have not yet recovered from the ill effects of the innovation brought about by the green revolution. He says that the practice of  using pesticides should stop for the up bringing of a healthy society. How would we be able to eat healthy food when we inundate our fields with poisons?  he asks.

 “ Uproot a green plant, wash its root to remove all soil, and weigh it. If  this green plant weighs one kg, when dried will yield a weight of  300 grams. Burn the dry plant and weigh the residual ash, which will be about 30 grams. This is because water forms 70 percent of the total weight of a green plant, air forms 27 percent, and only the remaining three percent is due to the minerals that the plant took from the soil while it was growing. The water got evaporated when the plant was dried and when burnt, whatever carbon and nitrogen gases were there got evaporated. What is left is the carbon and other minerals. This means that the plant takes very little from the soil and a lot more from the air and water, and uses sun light to grow”, this is the principle, which Mr Sundaraman teaches.   He is against burning of burning farm wastes. Return of the farm wastes will increase the biomass in the soil. Addition of biomass is important for improving the organic carbon content of the soil.   This will enhance the physical and chemical properties of soil since the natural cycle take place unhindered. The population of microbes increases, thus softening the soil. This helps plant roots sink deeper so they can draw nutrients that are buried deep in the soil.  Farming becomes self reliant since the farmer may not even require the advise of an agricultural expert.  This ultimately has no cost. Further there will still be savings from stoppage of use of extra nutrients which otherwise would have to be bought for a fairly high price.

The water retaining capacity of the soil improves, thereby minimizing the need for irrigation. The leaf area is increased leading to the maximum harvesting of light energy for photosynthesis. This leads to increased yields.

Mr Sundaraman has exhorted the farmers by recalling the principles of Dhabolkar who advised such practices by each farmer according to facilities available on the farm itself. Rearing of cows, buffalo, goats, use of animal urine, dung, milk,  rotation of crops, ideal use of the inputs from the farm including the farm waste, vermicompost etc will bring in self reliance in farming besides bringing about surprising changes in the farm and in returns. Do away with funds and finances, perfect one’s own expertise adaptable to the local situation and practice organic natural farming for a healthy and happy life.

The use of chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) has taken over crop production these days. Crops have lost their natural resistance and stamina due to the use of chemical fertilizers. Because of this they have become susceptible to diseases. As a result, farmers have to resort to increased use of pesticides. Chemical residues from these have hardened the soil like a rock. To overcome this farmers are forced to use even larger quantities of fertilizers. These factors make for more work and increase the cost of farming.

Pointing to the heaps of twigs, shrubs and twigs in his farm, he said  it is possible to make use of one's own farmyard waste into value-added products for crop production.  We can also avoid poisoning our land. Our soils keep getting enriched. We would be able to provide healthy farm produce to our relatives, friends, and neighbors. Our environment will be saved. Diseases could be averted. We do not have to depend on others.

The first step in enriching the soil organically is the growing of a variety of crops on our land. Using this method it is possible to enrich the soil in just two hundred days. Even land that has been depleted of all nutrients due to chemical farming can be restored in this manner.


The very important highlight of Mr Sundaraman’s way of farming is the preparation of a multitudes of preparation which are called as growth promoters and catalysts.  This according to him is the result of the Self-reliant farming methodology.
Growth Promoters; Iyer’s combinations
Amudham
in 10 liters water Ingredients: One  liter cattle urine, 1 kg dung, 250 grams
, add to the above, and mix well. Make sure there are no lumps and cover and set aside the mixture for 24 hours. Preparation: Mix the dung thoroughly in water. Add urine and mix well. Powder the
, you may use waste fruit in this manner: Tie one kilogram waste fruit into a nylon bag and immerse this in urine solution. Let it soak for five days. This helps the fruit ferment well. Add ten times water to this and spray or add 60-100 liters of this in irrigation water for one acre. Applications: Add one liter of this solution to ten liters water (for a 10% solution) and spray. Take care to  dilute the solution or else the leaves will get scorched. This solution helps growth of leaves directly. It also repels insects. Instead of using
Concentrated amudham solution : Ingredients: Five liters cattle urine, One kg dung, One liter juice of any waste fruit.
, which is an external input.Preparation: Mix the dung thoroughly in urine and the juice and mix well. Set aside the mixture for five days.  This helps us avoid the usage of
Applications: This can only be used for irrigation and not for spraying. Use 20-30 liters per acre of this solution. This solution gives excellent growth.

, dung, and urine. This solution helps increase the population of beneficial microorganisms and acts as a good catalyst for plant growth. PanchakavyaAvUttam

, one  kg fruit,  two  liters tender coconut, 10-12  any variety of  rotten banana (or similar quantity of other fruit), and three to five liters water, one kg Ingredients: Five kg dung, three  liters urine, two  liters fermented curds, two liters milk, 500 ml

that has been melted and cooled. Knead it well using a bamboo pole. Cover this mixture with moist cloth for four days. Knead it once daily. On the fifth day add the remaining ingredients to this and let it ferment for fifteen days. (Add sufficient quantity of cattle urine and water if the solution is thick).  In twenty days you will find nice-smelling AvUttam. , and Preparation: Mix dung,

given in temples is not fermented. Also, it only has the five ingredients from the cow. Applications: Mix one liter of this with 35-50 liters water (two to three percent solution) and spray. Or, mix  five to ten  liters per acre with irrigation water. It provides all kinds of micro-nutrients, enhances plant growth, repels insects, and helps increase disease resistance in plants.
It is best to tie the fruit in a nylon mesh and leave it immersed in the solution. This obviates the need for filtering later. Also, the contents of the nylon bag could be reused a few times in subsequent solutions. And there is no need to mash the fruit when we use this technique.

Coconut-buttermilk solution: This easy-to-make this solution which will help to enhance plant growth, repels insects, and increases resistance to fungal diseases. Also, it enhances flowering in plants. This solution has the same growth enhancing potential as that of any other chemicals.
Ingredients: Five  liters buttermilk, one liter tender coconut, one to two coconuts, 500ml - 1 liter juice from waste fruit (or 500 gms - 1 kg waste fruit, if extracting juice is not easy).

Preparation: Break the coconuts and collect the coconut water in a vessel. Add buttermilk to this and mix well. Grate the coconuts, add to the mixture, and let it soak. Or, mix grated coconut and fruit (if not in juice form), put the mixture in a nylon mesh, tie it, and immerse it in the buttermilk solution. This solution ferments well in seven days. The contents of the nylon bag could be reused a few times in subsequent solutions by adding a small quantity of grated coconut every time.

Applications:  Mix ten liters water with 300-500ml solution and spray. This can also be used in irrigation at the rate of 5-10 liters per acre.

arappuArappu

Preparation: Mix the buttermilk and tender coconut. Crush the leaves well. If using waste fruit, add it to the crushed leaves and put this mixture in a nylon mesh and tie it. Immerse the mesh in buttermilk - tender coconut solution in a mud pot or non metallic container. Let it ferment for seven days. By using the nylon mesh we could avoid the need for filtering the solution while spraying.
leaf powder, use fruit juice instead of waste fruit. Mix all four ingredients and let it ferment for seven days. The  goal is to simplify the process for farmers. That is why  various options  like waste fruit versus juice and arappu leaves versus leaf powder are suggested.If you use
(cocculus hirsutus) leaves, greens,  tender betel leaves, and the thick peel (outer skin) of jackfruit are examples. is not available, you may use soap nut seed powder instead. In that case, we call it the soap nut-buttermilk solution. Many plant parts when they ferment release a sticky, gum-like liquid. You may add this liquid to the buttermilk and let it ferment. Hibiscus leaves, Wherever

Applications: Mix ten liters water with one liter solution and spray. This helps plant growth, repels insects, and adds resistance to fungal diseases. This solution has the same potential as that of gibberlic* acid.

Archaebacterial solution (Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria - PGPR): It is no use to plants if we simply dump dung and other wastes next to the plant. We have to process them properly before plants can make use of these. Microorganisms exist precisely to carry out this task. Archaebacteria are the best such microorganisms. These thrive in anerobic conditions and are considered to be the earliest microorganisms that came into being in the course of the evolution of life on earth. We could reap good harvests if we make use of these microorganisms in the proper manner. We will not need to use chemical fertilizers at all.

[ Liquorice, Glycyrrhiza glabra]] solution to the above solution. Fill the rest of the container with water so that there will be no air left inside and close it air-tight. Methane will be formed inside the container. Let the air out of it once in a while by slightly unscrewing the cap for a moment. The solution will be ready in ten days. powder in 250 ml water and let it cool .Add the cooled  powder to it and mix well. Boil the , and water well in a container. Add Mix dung,
The solution will be light brown in color.

This enhances plant growth. The archaebacteria are directly absorbed by plants; as well, other microorganisms also ingest it. We could use this to grow blue-green algae. Mr. G. Balakrishnan, the expert who invented this, has recorded 15-20 percent  increase in the leaf area. Such an increase in area leads to a corresponding increase in photosynthesis (harvesting of solar energy as Dhabolkar says) and enhances yield. Application of  200-300 liters of this solution is sufficient for an acre.

, (c) 5-10 liters coconut-buttermilk / arappu-buttermilk / soapnut-buttermilk solution, (d) Three  liters fish extract. With this mix the following, depending on the disease. solution, (b)  Five  to 20 liters Application: Mix a liter of it with ten liters water to spray. Or, for use in irrigation, mix 200-300 liters per acre of this solution with one of the following solutions: (a) 30-50 liters concentrated

To control diseases, which damage the rhizosphere/rhizomes, and to control fussarium wilt, we have to use beneficial fungi like Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichogramma viride, Trichoderma harzianum, and Basilus suptilus. To control root knot nematodes use Paecilomyces lilacinus.
To control root grubs use Beauveria brongniartii and Metarhizium.

The farmers have to buy these from outside. To reduce the cost, farmers could buy in small quantities (100-500gms) and increase the population using the archaebacterial solution and these can be mixed at the time of irrigation. (Each of the fungi should be developed in a separate container.) Specific solutions for specific crops and diseases have been developed. Farmers should select a subset of the above ingredients depending on the crop and the disease.
Let the mixture (of the powders and the archaebacterial solution) ferment for a day before mixing with irrigation water. Each of the above five mixtures can be used one after the other to enhance  soil health and to increase the population of all beneficial organisms in the soil.

Fish Extract (fish amino acid): Fish extract helps us give green manure in the most natural way. This is widely used by organic farmers in Japan, Korea, etc.
. Ingredients: 1 kg native fish, 1 kg
Preparation: Remove the fish intestines and chop into fine pieces. (Using intestines is not harmful but it smells bad.) Powder the jaggery. Add the two to a broad-mouthed glass jar (best) or plastic jar that is just the right size (not too big), cover the jar with the lid (cap), tighten it, and mix well by shaking the jar. Don't add water. In ten days this will have fermented. Filter it using nylon mesh to get 300-500 gms solution into a honey-like syrup. This is a great nutrient for the plants.
Applications: Add 5 ml of this with one liter water for spraying. It could also be mixed with irrigation water.

Egg Extract (Egg Amino Acid): Ingredients:  5 eggs, juice of 10 – 15 lemons and 250 gms jaggery.
Preparation:  Place the eggs in a jar and pour lemon juice in it until the eggs are completely immersed.  Keep it for ten days with the lid closed.  After ten days smash the eggs and prepare the solution.  Add equal quantity of thick jaggery syrup to it and set aside for ten days.  The solution will then be ready for spraying.  This is a great nutrient for the plants just like Fish Extract and will boost plant growth.  It was originally conceived by Ms. Veeriachinnammal of Theni district (TN) as medicine for asthma.
Applications:  Add one to five ml of this with one liter water for spraying.
( The contact details of Mr S. R. Sundararaman, Kombupallam, Bannari Road, Sathyamangalam, TN 638 401; Cell: 098427 24778  Ph: 04295 225047)

TURMERIC & GINGER - THE TWO COUSINS

India is the land of spices with over 70 varieiteis being grown throughout the length and breadth of the country.  Some of the spices are confined to certain locations necessitated by the requirements of  soil and climatic conditions.  Spices like chillies, ginger and turmeric grow in many of the Indian locations but with varying characteristics. However these spices have a national character due to the national presence in cultivation.
The southern States of India, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are the principal localities for ginger and turmeric cultivation.  The States of Chaatisgarh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, North Eastern States also grow turmeric and ginger. There is a big market for these spices  in India since these form part of various cuisines apart from being part of the household where it goes as a food ingredient and as a medicinal stuff.
Elsewhere in the world, many countries consume ginger and turmeric for lot many applications.  The developed nations realised the richness in these two spices.  Turmeric is going to emerge as a the spices of this century as it a  panacea for all ills especially for dreaded diseases.  The demand for these in their natural form is growing. Technological innovations have located different applications. To meet the type and nature of the demand, research has lead to development of multitudes of products in their value added forms.
On the crop front perhaps India is the only one  producing country with a strong research and development base for these two crops besides at the upfront an organisation to do international market promotion and support. On the research side, the efforts of the Indian Institute of Spices Research in Calicut, Agricultural Univesities in the major growing States deserve special mention.

Ginger and Turmeric from the common family have commonality in basic character. They have become inevitable commodities for the man for many essential applications.  Both of them are demanded world wide all the time and hence have vast potential.  These two rhizomes hail from South Asia belonging to the ginger family of Zingiber officinale are considered native of India.
The Indian nativity brings in added value to both ginger and turmeric owing to the distinctive features and characters.  Generically these spices have healing and flavour giving properties but instrinsic qualities take their status to much higher levels.  More often Indian ginger and Indian turmeric are valued more as against from other producing countries.
GINGER
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Turmeric (Curcuma longa)  get propoated through rhizomes. The soil matters a lot in the upbringing of these crops.  Its bearing on food and medicine make them the very rare cousins with long lasting impact on every day human life.   The soil and the agro climatic conditions contribute to the growth and production of one of the world’s finest and the richest generic varieties.  The historical voyages into India also had in the shopping list the Indian dry ginger and turmeric besides black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and other hill produces.
Why ginger:  Ginger is used for its pungency, sweet aromatic ordour,  nutrients, and for "zingibain", which is protein-digesting enzyme. There are four main classifications of ginger's anatomy: pungency or taste; fragrance (essential oil); nutrients (macro/micro); and synergists.
It is the presence of acrid compound gingerol in ginger that is yielding the hot and pungent taste besides the health properties. Ginger oil is rich in chemical constituents like a-pinene, camphene, b-pinene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, borneol, y-terpineol, nerol, neral, geraniol, geranial, geranyl acetate, b-bisabolene, and zingiberene.  The oil taken through steam distillation  is used directly and is also blended with other essential oils for scores of other purposes. 
India is the largest producer of ginger in the world, exporting in many forms.  Indian Ginger has been a sought after spice in many of the overseas markets.  There is a general liking for the Indian ginger and ginger products on account of the generic character powered by the soil and climatic conditions in India.  The different agro climatic zones in India produce ginger of varied qualities with less fibre and more fibre.

In the earlier years ginger was exported only in its raw natural forms. However with the advent of technological innovations and establishment of processing lines, the product range in ginger also multiplied. Today India exports Ginger in fresh form, Ginger in brine, Ginger dry, Ginger powder, Ginger flakes, Ginger oil, Ginger paste etc.   
The spice very common in India and China is now used all over the world. It is found in India, Malaysia, Africa, United States, West Indies, and all over the tropics. In India and China ginger is popular in  medicine for many centuries.  It is also named in the Koran, indicating it was known in Arab countries as far back as 650 A.D. Although often called “ginger root” it is actually a dried underground stem of the herbaceous tropical plant grown as an annual crop. The whole plant is refreshingly aromatic and the underground rhizome, raw or processed, is valued as spice. Ginger is a slender perennial herb, 30-50 cm tall with palmate branched rhizome bearing leafy shoots.

The Indian knowledge of Ginger is based on traditional knowledge and experience in applications. The trait of Ginger is considered to be having aphrodisiac powers. Taken in internally or externally, it is also known diaphoretic, meaning it causes one to sweat. The Grandmas’ remedies mainly center round its application as a digestive aid. It contributes to the generation of digestive fluids and saliva.  Ginger helps relieve indigestion, gas pains, diarrhea and stomach cramping. Ginger's anti-inflammatory properties help relieve pain and reduce inflammation associated with arthritis, rheumatism and muscle spasms. Ginger's therapeutic properties effectively stimulate circulation of the blood, removing toxins from the body, cleansing kidneys, and nourishing the skin. These are all well understood in Indian situation on account of the age-old practices in societies. Whether it be the North or the South or the West or the East of India, an average knowledgeable Indian will surely acknowledge the values of ginger more specifically its curative properties.
The major ginger growing territories in India are in  Kerala, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Orissa, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh.  Ginger with less fibre content goes for application like pickling, flakes, syrup and candy preparations.  The Ginger grown  in the North Eastern region are generally found to be having high fibre content.  The Ginger grown in the Southern areas of the country especially in Kerala are having high volatile content and hence is a sought after variety.  Lots of research has taken place in Indian Institute of Research and the Kerala Agriculture University on ginger.

The popular ginger cultivars  proved to be high yielding varieties.  They are:  Varada,  Rejatha [ High oil content] Mahima [ Resistant to root knot  nematode],  Karthika,   Athira and Nadia.  Traditionally three names are spoken about at farmers level which are the local varieties  of Maran , Himachal and Mananthody.

Ginger requires warm and humid climate and thrives well from sea level to an altitude of 1500 mtrs above MSL. A well distributed rainfall (150 to 300cm) during growing season and dry spells during land preparation and harvesting are required for the crop. Though grows on a wide range of soils, lateritic loams are preferred for higher yields. It requires a tropical climate with both a heavy rain season and a hot dry season. Plants shoot in ten days and are harvested after nine to ten months.
Seeing the scope of ginger, new areas are also being brought under its cultivation.  States like Maharashtra., Madhya Pradesh are now getting into the list of ginger growing areas.

Seed materials of improved varieties can be sourced from reliable sources as follows:

IISR- Varada, IISR Mahima, IISR Rejatha varieties can be bought from : IISR Experimental Farm, Peruvannamuzhi - 673 528, Kozhikode District, Kerala.

High Altitude Research Station, Orissa University of Agriculture and
Technology, Pottangi, 764 039, Orissa can be contacted for varieties like   Suprabha, Suruchi, Suravi

Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni-solar, Himachal Pradesh ñ 173 230. deals with variety  Himagiri

TURMERIC

Turmeric is called the spice of life. Its astonishing feature in curcumin yields health giving properties besides its sparkling natural colour giving much required natural dye for many essential applications.  It goes as an ingredients in lots of  curry powders and mixes besides as a batter for fish and chips. Turmeric is a mild digestive, being aromatic, a stimulant and a carminative. An ointment base on the spice is used as an antiseptic. Turmeric water is an Asian cosmetic applied to impart a golden glow to the complexion.

There is a divine place for turmeric in Indian culture. Most Indian homes  used to have anointing of front door or Door frames with Turmeric.  It is the anti-aging factor and the capability of turmeric to prevent insects other small creatures that go behind this application.  Turmeric is a mild digestive, being aromatic, a stimulant and a carminative. An ointment base on the spice is used as an antiseptic in Malaysia. Turmeric water is an Asian cosmetic applied to impart a golden glow to the complexion.
Turmeric on account of its generic superiority with lots of attributes is known popularly as Indian saffron also.  Its use will be gaining momentum across the world  in the light of many researchers being able to find out the importance of this spice in health, medicine and food.

Turmeric can be grown in diverse tropical conditions from sea level to 1500 meters above sea level, at a temperature range of 20-35oC with an annual rainfall of 1500 mm or more, under rainfed or irrigated conditions.Though it can be grown on different types of soils, it thrives best in well drained sandy or clay loam soils with a pH range of 4.5-7.5 with good organic status.
In the case of turmeric the Indian Institute of Spices Research in Kohekohe  in Kerala and the Kerala Agriculture University have done pioneering work. There are around 15 top varieties in turmeric. The varieties are IISR Prathibha, IISR  Prabha, IISR Alleppey Supreme, IISR Kedaram ,Suguna, Suvarna, ,Sudarsana , Kanti, Varna, Sobha. The high yielding improved varieties are IISR Prathibha, IISR  Prabha, IISR Alleppey Supreme,  IISR Kedaram.  The popular farmer varieties in Kerala are the Wyanadan and Alleppey varieties.  The other popular varieties are Alleppey, Moovattupuzha, Duggirala, Tekkurpet, Sugandham, Amalapuram, Erode local, Salem, Rajapore, Sangli, Nizamabad   and Lakdong turmeric of Meghalaya.

In Tamil Nadu, the important varieties cultivated are Erode local, BSR-1, PTS-10, Roma, Suguna, Sudarsana and Salem local. Among these varieties, 70-75% is occupied by the local varieties.  There are approximately 30 varieties have been recognized in the type of Curcuma in which turmeric belongs. Amalapuram, Armour, Dindigam, Erode, Krishna, Kodur, Vontimitra, P317, GL Purm I and II, RH2 and RH10 are some popular Indian varieties among them.

The land is prepared with the receipt of early monsoon showers. The soil is brought to a fine tilth by giving about four deep ploughings. Hydrated lime @ 500 kg/ha has to be applied for laterite soils and thoroughly ploughed. Immediately with the receipt of pre-monsoon showers, beds of 1.0 m width, 15 cm height and of convenient length are prepared with spacing of 50 cm between beds. Planting is also done by forming ridges and furrows. In Kerala and other West Coast areas where the rainfall begins early, the crop can be planted during April-May with the receipt of pre-monsoon showers.

For the farmers interested in venturing into the cultivation of turmeric, it is important that they procure the right type of seed materials.  The following points may be noted as regards supply of quality seed materials:

Varieties like Suvarna, Suguna, Sudarsana, IISR Prabha , IISR Prathibha , IISR Alleppey Supreme,  IISR Kedaram can be sourced from : IISR Experimental Farm, Peruvannmuzhi - 673 528, Kozhikode District, Kerala.

Varieties like Co-1 and  BSR-1 can be bought from Department of Spices and Plantation Crops, Faculty of Horticulture, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003, Tamil Nadu.

Variety Krishna is available from the Maharashtra Agricultural University, Kasba Digraj -416 305, Maharashtra.

Turmeric variety Sugandham is supplied by Spices Research Station, Gujarat Agricultural University, Jagudan-382 701, Gujarat.

The High Altitude Research Station, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Pottangi - 764 039, Orissa supplies varieities like Roma, Suroma, Ranga and  Rasmi.

The Department of Horticulture, Tirhut College of Agriculture, Rajendra Agricultural University, Dholi-843 121, Bihar takes care of the variety Rajendra Sonia 15

Allepey Finger Turmeric, Rajapuri, Madras and Erode are some of important exported varieties. Turmeric exported in the processed form is dry turmeric, fresh turmeric, turmeric powder and oleoresin.  Alleppey finger turmeric is known for its high content of curcumin - a yellow colouring substance, which is a best natural colouring source.  The Lakodong turmeric is also rich in curcumin content and is now preferred for extraction of curcumin. India also exports turmeric in powder form and as oleoresin.
Curcuma longa is the most important economically accounting for about 96% of the total area under turmeric and the remaining  four percent is under C. aromatica grown in some small district of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Though native of India, countries like Pakistan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, East & West Africa are also growing turmeric. Turmeric is a tropical crop cultivated from sea level to 1200 meter MSL. It grows in light black, black clayey loams and red soils in irrigated and rainfed conditions. The crop cannot stand water logging or alkalinity. Turmeric thrives in the tropics and sub tropics where it requires a hot, moist climate and a fairly light soil. It is propagated through division of the rhizome. The roots are boiled, dried for over a week and their rough skins are often polished before sale.
Turmeric is always used in ground form. The powder will maintain its colouring properties indefinitely though the flavour will diminish over time so buy in moderation. Store in airtight containers,  out of sunlight.

Turmeric is used to flavour and to colour foodstuffs. It is a principal ingredient in curry powder. Turmeric oleoresin is used in brine pickles and to some extent in mayonnaise and relish formulations, non-alcoholic beverages, gelatins, butter and cheese etc. The colour curcumin extracted from turmeric is used as a colourant. Turmeric is used extensively in the East and Middle East as a condiment and culinary dye. Turmeric is also used as a dye in textile industry. It is used in the preparation of medicinal oils, ointments and poultice. It is stomachic, carminative, tonic, blood purifier and an antiseptic. It is used in cosmetics. The aqueous extracts have biopesticidal properties.

Spices importers in Europe and other continents have preferred its bright yellow colour. In Middle East, the UK, USA and Japan, some of the well-accepted varieties are: 'Alleppey Finger' and 'Erode turmeric', 'Rajapore' and 'Sangli turmeric' and 'Nizamabad Bulb'.
India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in the world. Other major producers are Thailand, other Southeast Asian countries, Central and Latin America and Taiwan. The global production of turmeric is around 11 lakh tonnes per annum. India dominates the world production scenario contributing 78 percent followed by China eight percent, Myanmar four percent and Nigeria and  Bangladesh together contributing to six percent of the global production.
India is the global leader in production of value added products of turmeric and exports.

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Presenting safe & clean Indian spices

Grains, pulses, vegetables, herbs and spices form the mainstay for food for the human population.  Almost all of these provide nutrients, proteins, vitamins and other essential elements for  the health of the human beings.  They also contribute the base for many non-food and industrial products also.  The production of these essential crops are scattered all round the world and has varying generic qualities.  The present day focus  is mainly centered on quality and safety of these products.  Though the concern has its origin from the most developed countries, this slowly inches towards the developing and even less developed countries.  The primary botheration on food starts with the availability of water that keeps the life going on earth.  Water that is potable is a rare commodity these days.  Similar is the case of food.  There is no assurance on the quality of the food that is available for human consumption especially in non developed countries. Food and food materials are available but there is a scarcity of safe and quality food.  The imposition of quality regulations and strictures in the developed countries is to ensure the health and security of their population  which has its repercussions in developing countries whose exports exports of many farm products have become much costlier. 

Coming to spices, the cultivation and production happens in many of the developing countries or in the Third World in general.  It is an interesting aspect to note that countries like India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Zanizibar, Brazil top in this list.  Nations like Zanizbar, Reunion Islands, Seychelles, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria Thailand are also in the galaxy of the spices producing countries.  The spices that are produced in different landmasses have different generic properties on thanks to varied geographical locations and soil conditions.  The varieties that are grown are also very different and they contribute to varying levels of production and productivity.  Ultimately the international consumer is looking for a safe and quality  product.  The bulk purchasers of these products like processors and producers of value added spices products are very keen on sourcing products meeting all specifications to ensure safety and quality.   Spices in general are bought not for the sake of making food spicy or for its aroma, the volatile oil in them matters a lot which make this category of commodity as a food ingredient.   Pepper is liked for its piperine, chillies for its capsaicin and colour, turmeric for its curcumin etc.  These identified factors are looked in to while purchase orders are executed internationally.  As has been acknowledged everywhere, geographical locations matter in determining the generic quality of the spices.  It is in this light that the Geographic Indicators are gaining importance.  Tellicherry pepper, Byadagi chillies, Sannam chillies,, Alleppey Green Cardamom are some of the examples.

India being a production source for many spices, remain as the world’s sought after destination for purchases.  The cultivation of many of the spices which originally centered around certain places are now getting scattered in the different climatic zones.  Some of the new areas were also found to be yielding good production of quality spices.
Chilli production used to be the domain of Andhra Pradesh only. But of late, chillies  of different characteristics are grown in other regions of India like in the North East where the highest pungent chillies like the Bhut Jolokia is grown.  It is the native of Assam region from the North East.   The information on the existence of this highly pungent variety has brought in a new set of purchasers who have the purpose of using the pungency for various applications.  Coming to turmeric, the world at large has a fancy for the Alleppey Finger Turmeric, which is rich in curcumin content.  The knowledge of the Lakadong Turmeric of the North East, which too has good curcumin content, brought in people who wanted to purchase this variety exclusively.
The Spices Board of India, the nodal organization of the Government of India under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is in the midst of giving thrust on export oriented activities  of many of the spices grown  in the country. The popular Indian spices like the Black pepper, Cardamom, Chillies, Turmeric, Ginger, Garlic, Cumin, Fennel, Fenugreek, Coriander, Mustard, Ajowan, nutmeg, mace, cloves, cinnamon, and scores of other spices are taken care of the Spices Board in its long terms planning and programmes.  The Board has the mandate to involve only in the research and development of small and large cardamom.  While the responsibility of research and development of other spices is the task of the agriculture departments in various states and the agriculture universities, the Board also does lot of interventions in making available quality spices through training and persuading the farmers through adoption of best agriculture practices.  The importance and thrust in value addition in spices had also brought in results.
Spices exports have registered substantial growth during the last one-decade, registering an annual average growth rate of 13.1 percent in value and nine percent in volume. During the year 2009-10, spices export from India has registered an all time high both in terms of quantity and value. In 2009-10 the export of spices from India has been 502,750 tonnes valued Rs.5560.50 crores (MLN US $ 1173.75 million) as against 470,520 tonnes valued Rs.5300.25 crores (MLN US $ 1168.40) in 2008-09, registering an increase of seven percent in volume and five percent in rupee value. India commands a formidable position in the World Spice Trade with 48 perpcent share in Volume and 44 percent in Value.

Board has formulated and implemented a three tier quality certification programme conforming to HACCP. Award of Spice House Certificate for good manufacturing practices, award of Logo for quality of the product and accreditation under ISO 9000 for international acceptance are the three certification systems adopted by the Board. Yet another area of activity centered upon by the Board is Value Addition. India can now boast as the monopoly supplier of spice oils and oleoresins the world over. In the case of curry powders, spice powders, spice mixtures and spices in consumer packs, India is in a formidable position. The consistent effort of the Board during the last one-decade has improved the share of the value added products in the export basket to more than 53 percent.
The Board has been supporting exporters of spices in India to go in for establishment of infrastructure facilities for ensuring quality process on a continued basis.  The Board has also been undertaking continuous training programmes to educate the farmers on the need to improve their skills for best production practices.  The series of field publicity programmes in the growing villages in different States have helped in instilling confidence in farmers to grow spices of the required standards for exports. These developments are in tune with the changing levels of market acceptance. Other areas focused upon by the Board are export promotion in identified markets, interaction with policy makers in the importing countries, development of new end uses, farm level training for farmers etc.
Indias's share in world trade of spices 2007-08 
  


Revolution in building up production capabilities

India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices in the world. India produces more than 65 spices in different varieties out of the 109 Spices listed by ISO. The estimated world trade in spices is 1.05 million tones valued at 2750 Mln US $, out of which India has a significant share of 48 percent in quantity and 43 percent in value.

In the quality front, the major consuming countries in Europe and USA are demanding more and more quality compliance by the producing countries. It is significant to note that India was able to cope up with the new stringent quality stipulations setup by these consuming countries and sustain and increase our export share in these markets with various quality improvement programmes initiated by the Board. But the recent trends among these countries in quality stipulations will definitely go further and only those suppliers who can meet the aspirations of the consumers could be able to survive in future. To meet this challenge the Spies Board decided to equip to produce and market the spices, which will have internationally accepted food safety standards.

Spice parks will function as a fulcrum for development of spice industries. The basic objective of the concept is to provide common infrastructure facilities for both post harvest and processing operations of spices, which also aims to backward integration by providing rural employment. All the Spices Park will have processing facilities at par with international standards in which the produces could undergo cleaning, grading, pulverizing, sterilization, packing, quality testing, storing etc. Apart from this the common infrastructure facilities like Roads, Power stations, Fire fighting & Control systems, Water Supply, Bank/Post office counters, Weighing bridges, effluent Treatment Plants, Guest house etc will be developed by Spices Board. Spice Park will also render educative services to the trading community. Spices Board will also lease out the land available at the Park for the registered exporters of Spices for developing their own processing plant for Spices with in the Park. Board proposes to set up parks at 8 locations across the major producing/assembling centres of spices during the XI plan period. The location of the parks and Spices covered are as follows

Location


State

Spices Covered
Chhindwara
Madhya Pradesh
Garlic & Chilly
Puttady
Kerala
Pepper & Cardamom
Guntur
Andhra Pradesh
Chilli
Sivaganga
Tamil Nadu
Turmeric, Chilli & Coriander

Guna
Madhya Pradesh
Coriander, Fenugreek & Garlic
Mehsana
Gujarat
Cumin, Fennel & Coriander
Jodhpur
Rajasthan
Coriander & Fenugreek
Kota
Rajasthan
Coriander


Spices Parks

1. Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh.

This is the first park established by Spices Board at Lass Village of Umranala, Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh and inaugurated on 17th February, 2009.  The Park is mainly meant the Spices like Chilli and Garlic. Board has developed all basic infrastructure, and primary processing facilities for Spices. The higher end processing plants installed include Dehydration Plant for Garlic with capacity 6T per day, Extraction Plant for Chilli with capacity 3T per day, ETP system etc. This park is established under the ASIDE scheme of Government of India. The project cost is 18 crores. Spices Board owns all the facilities within the Park. M/s STCL a associate of State Trading Corporation, has developed a steam sterilization unit and a powdering unit within the Spice Park, which can utilized on a user fee basis.

2. Puttady, Kerala.

The Spice park at Puttady is meant for the spices Cardamom(Small) and Pepper. The processing facilities like cleaning, grading, sorting and packing of Black pepper, White pepper production, Warehousing system etc are also developed in the Park. The facilities include processing plant for Cardamom with cleaning, grading, sorting based on size and color and packing. The capacity of the plant is 2 Tons per Hr. The pepper processing plant has the capacity of 24 Tons per day for pre-cleaning & grading and 500 Kg/hr for cracking, grinding. The construction of the White pepper production plant having capacity of 1 Ton per day is in progress. A sterilization unit having capacity 250 Kg per hr is being installed. In addition to this there are 4 Gowdons with total area 2750 Sq Meter are established for the Raw materials and for the finished good. A Puf Gowdown with area of 600 Square meters were also established.

The Board has set up a full-fledged e-auction centre with a higher end server and 60 client terminals. The facilities for functioning the offices of the Auctioneers and Traders are also available in the E-Auction center.

3. Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.

This park is aimed at setting up of infrastructure and processing facilities for Chilly, the major crop of Andhra Pradesh. Govt. of Andhra Pradesh has allotted an area of 124.78 Acres of land in Mydavolu & Vankayalapadu village in Guntur district. M/s. IL& FS had conducted the techno feasibility study for setting up of the park at Guntur. M/s. FEATS Technical Services, Pvt Ltd, Cochin has been appointed as the Board’s consultants for offering professional consultancy services which include Master planning, Design and Detailed Engineering, Award of work to eligible contractors, project management and construction supervision at the site.

Presently, we have completed the civil works related to infrastructure facilities like internal roads, compound wall, drain etc The civil works related to the construction of buildings have already started. In addition to the basic infrastructure and common facilities, Board will establish processing line for Chilli and Steam sterilization system.

Out of the total land available, 50 acres were leased out to exporters for setting up of their processing facilities.

The total estimated project cost of the park is  Rs.20 crores and the park will be operational by March, 2011

4. Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu.

The spices park at Sivaganga is aimed at setting up of infrastructure and processing facilities for Turmeric, Coriander & Chilly.  The Govt of Tamil Nadu has allotted a land of 29.43 Ha of land in Kottagudi village of Sivaganga Taluk at a total cost of Rs.48,85,440/-

IIM Bengaluru had conducted the techno feasibility study for setting up of the park at Sivaganga and submitted the report. Board has assigned M/s KITCO as the project consultant. The civil construction of basic infrastructure, administrative building, building for plant and machinery are almost over.

Works related to the installation of processing lines for Chilly with cleaning, grading, grinding etc. The capacity of the plant is 5 tons per day. The steam sterilization unit with capacity 500 Kg per hr will be established. The estimated cost of the project is Rs.15 crores.

Board has invited EOI from the exporters of Spices for leasing out of land at Sivaganga. The park will be operational by March, 2011.

5. Jodhpur, Rajasthan

The spices park at Jodhpur, Rajastan is aimed at setting up of infrastructure and processing facilities for seed spices like Coriander & Fenugreek.  The Govt of Rajasthan has allotted land to the extend of 38 ha in the Rampura Bhatia Village of Ozian Tehsil free of cost.

Board has appointed M/s KITCO as project consultant. The civil construction of basic infrastructure, administrative building, building for plant and machinery are almost over.  The installation of the processing plant for Seed Spices with capacity 2Tons per Hr  will be installed in the Park. The installation of Steam sterilation with capacity 250 Kg per Hr will be installed. Board has invited EOI for leasing out of land available in the Park to the registered exporters of Spices for developing their on processing Plant. The estimated project cost of the park is  Rs.18 crores

6. Mehsana, Gujarat

The spices park at Mehsana is aimed at setting up of infrastructure and processing facilities for seed spices like Cumin, Fennel & Coriander. Government of Gujarat has allotted land of area 166.435 Acres @ Rs. 50/m2 in Visnagar Taluk. Board has assigned M/s KITCO as the project consultant. The survey work for taking possession of land is in progress. Board is planning to establish Spices Park with processing line for Seed Spices and steam sterilization facilities. The total estimated project cost of the Spice park wil come around Rs. 30 Crore.

7. Guna, Madhya Pradesh

Government has entrusted M/s ICICI-Winfra, Kolkata for the techno feasibility study for establishing a Spice Park at Guna in Madhya Pradesh. Based on the report submitted by ICICI Winfra, Government has given an in principal approval for setting up of the Park at Guna in two phases under ASIDE Scheme. As per the revised DPR, the total estimated cost in phase I is Rs.28.51 Crore and that in Phase-II is Rs.16.68 Crore. The total project cost will come Rs.45.19 Crore.
          
As per the DPR, the Spice park at Guna, has 2 Minimal Processing Centre (MPC) at Jhalarpatan, Shivapuri and 1 Central Processing Center (CPC) at Guna. Also the CPC will have a quality evaluation lab and six warehouses. In this park, it is visualized to have all the facilities in one complex, i.e., processing, quality evaluation, ware housing etc in addition to other common infrastructure facilities like internal roads, security cabin, bank, post office, water supply, drying yard, sterilization units, and effluent treatment plants.

We have requested the District Collector, Guna for alienating around 100 acres of land at Mavan Village at Guna, for setting up of the same and the matter is under consideration. Board has established an Office at Guna for co-coordinating
 the work related the establish of Spice Park at Guna
                 
8. Kota, Rajasthan
The spices park at Kota is aimed at setting up of infrastructure and processing facilities for the seed spice -Coriander. The Govt of Rajasthan has allotted 12.14 ha of land in Nimana village of Ramganjmandi, Kota District for setting up of Spices Park to Spices Board on a free hold basis.

Board has entrusted M/s KITCO, Ltd, Kochi as the consultant and the estimated cost is around Rs.15 crores. Government of India has given approval for establishing the Spice Park at Kota under ASIDE Scheme.

National networking of Quality Labs

To facilitate ongoing quality monitoring of spices exported from India, besides facilitating checking of quality of samples of farmers, traders and exporters for various parameters,  the Board had taken up yet another ambitious plan for establishment of laboratories at the major exporting and shipping centers.  A major lab with all the state of the art machines and gadgets  was set up in Cochin way back in 1988.  New regional labs have been set up in Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and in Mumbai in Maharashtra.

Further new labs with multicrore investments are coming up in Chennai, Delhi and Tuticorin.

These labs will hasten the process of inspection of samples and will be a guiding centre for improving and sustaining the quality requirements for exports.

THE ROMANCE OF SPICES

When Julius Caesar gifted a bagful of spices to Brutus’ mother as a token of his regard and affection of her, neither of them would have  even heard of the place it came from …. the Malabar Coast.  Very soon, Malabar Coast became a synonym for the produce and history was made as thousands of ships were launched from places across the globe to trace the land of spices.  And, as trade followed the flag, the short stretch of land that was then known as the Malabar Coast in the Indian subcontinent became the destination of adventurous seafarers as well as avaricious traders.

It wasn’t the tantalizing flavour alone that made spices rival gold in price and possession in olden times.  They had many other uses--- as incense, as an additive in medicinal ointments, as energy booster, as air purifier and as food preservative.  In some parts of Europe, spices were used for embalming in early centuries.  Arguably, no commodity  had energized world trade, even international power politics, as strongly as spices till, perhaps, the arrival of crude oil.

Historically, the early traders of spices were the Greeks and the Phoenicians.  Greek sailor crossed the Red Sea and Persian Gulf and moved to the West Coast of India, particularly the Malabar Coast.  Consignments of spices from the east used to be taken to the Mediterranean coast from where they used to be transported to the west.  Alexandria in Egypt was a major distribution point.

Towards the end of the 3rd century, the Romans emerged as rivals to the Greeks.  Emperor Augustus Caesar, after his conquest of Egypt, built new ships and opened up direct services to India.   Later, a sailor, Hippalus, by deftly using the monsoon winds, cut the sailing time to the Malabar Coast by half.  This inevitably increased supplies of spices which, in turn, brought down prices.

Records show that the Romans used to put out to the sea fleet of 120 large ships, every April, from Port Myos Hormus in the Red Sea to the Malabar Coast.  These ships, heavily loaded with spices, returned by March the following year.  There are references in the *Sangam era literature about Roman vessels that used to call at Kerala ports in search of pepper and other spices during the **Chera period.

With the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, other powers chipped in.  The Arabs were the first to do so, following the fall of Constantinople in 1453.  They took the conventional route and delivered supplies at the Mediterranean ports to traders, mostly from Venice to Genoa.  At every point of resale, prices used to be more than double.  Reportedly, one hundred weight of pepper that cost three ducats (Venetian money) at Kozhikode used to be sold for 80 ducats by the Venetian merchants.

The arrival of the legendary Portuguese adventurer, Vasco da Gama (1498) to the Malabar coast to be more exact in Kappadu beach near Calicut, seemed to have changed the tone and tenor of spices trade.  After an initial period of distrust, the Portuguese did succeed in entering into agreements with the kings of Cochin (1500) and later Calicut (Zamorin) for exclusive rights for trading in pepper and other spices.  Seeing the enormous revenue potential in trading with the Portuguese, the then reigning Queen of Kollam, a major pepper producing area south of Cochin, entered into an agreement with them in 1502.

The Dutch, who drove away the Portuguese from the Malabar Coast, pursued with equal passion trading in spices.  The Dutch were hard bargainers and saw to it that they paid much less than their competitors, often as less as 25 to 30 per cent.  In 1778, for example, nearly one million pounds of pepper from the Malabar Coast was reportedly sold in Holland at 17 strivers (one Dutch striver equalled one sterling pound) while they cost only five strivers per pound in Calicut.  But whatever margins the Dutch made were lost in the series of wars they had to wage with their European adversaries over their colonies in Asia.

The British, who virtually ousted the Dutch from the subcontinent, were more shrewd, as much in power politics as in business practices.  A meeting of major merchants held in the city of London on September 24, 1599, drew up the contours of British trade in spices.

In its brief to its representative in Bombay, the East Indian Company had let it known that “ we do not want an extent of land if we could but obtain pepper cheap and sufficient”.  Unsurprisingly, the company later widened its brief to include land that finally ended up in converting India into a major British colony.

The English played every trick of the trade, including feigned romance, to expand their interests in spices trade.  One such was enacted at Attingal, near Kollam, south of Cochin, which produced one of the finest varieties of pepper.  The then Rani of Attingal took a fancy to an Englishman that slowly developed into an obsessive fascination with attendant allurements of favours of all sorts.  From his part, all that the Englishman sought was total monopoly in pepper trade within the Rani’s jurisdiction.  The romance, however, ended abruptly when the local traders, seeing their trading interests being threatened, immediately took up cudgels against the Englishman and chased him out of the place.

There were local elements who had as strongly spiced up trading in spices as their foreign competitors.  The most important among them were the Gujaratis.  Legend has it that Vasco da Gama was guided to the Malabar Coast by a Gujarati, Kano Malan, whom he befriended in Africa.

Historians trace the Gujarat connection to the early 18th century when there used to be regular shipping services between Surat in Gujarat and the Malabar Coast.  While the majority of the ships flew the Portuguese flag, evidently for reasons of safety, they were reportedly owned by Asians.  Spices were the major merchandise.  Possibly, the enormous business potential in spices trade had attracted the attention of the business-minded Gujaratis.

Their presence did help the growers get good prices for their produce.  While the foreign buyers bargained at gun-point, the Gujaratis were relatively more generous with pricing that helped them get away with better quality and higher volume.

Little wonder that they continue to hold sway in spices trade even as the foreign elements were eased out partly by commercial but largely by political dynamics.

THE NEED FOR SPICE

A great deal of nonsense has been written by highly knowledgeable people about Europeans’ desire for spices.  Economic historians of the spice trade who have long mastered the relative value of pepper quintals and ginger kintars (both units of weight] and effortlessly par se the price differential of cloves between Mecca and Malacca will typically begin their weighty tomes by mentioning, almost in passing, the self-evident fact that Europeans needed spices as a preservative or to cover up the taste of rancid food.  This is supposed to explain the demand that sent the Europeans off to conquer the world.  Of course, the experts then quickly move on to devote the rest of their study to an intricate analysis of the supply side of the equation.  But did wealthy Europeans sprinkle their swan and peacock pies with cinnamon and pepper because their meat was rank?  The idea is an affront to common sense, to say nothing of the fact that it completely contradicts what’s written in the old cookbooks.

Throughout human history, until the advent of refrigeration, food has been successfully preserved by one of three ways: drying, salting and preserving in acid.  Think prunes, prosciutto and pickles.  The technology of preserving food wasn’t so different in the days of Charlemagne, the Medici, or even during the truncated lifetime of Marie Antoinette, even though the cooking was entirely different in each era.  The rough-and-ready Franks were largely ignorant of all but pepper.  In Renaissance Italy, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, saffron and cloves adorned not merely the tables of merchants and potentates but also found their way into medical prescriptions and alchemical concoctions.  Spices were even used as mouthwash.  And then French trendsetters of the waning seventeenth century, after their own six hundred year dalliance with the aromas of the Orient, turned away from most spices to invent a cuisine that we might recognize today.  So if spices were used for their preservative qualities, why did they stop using them?  The French had not discovered some new way of preserving food.  There was a shift in taste, certainly, but it was the same kind of change that happened when salsa replaced ketchup as  America’s favorite condiment.  There were many underlying reasons for it.  Technology wasn’t one of them.


Old cookbooks make it clear that spices weren’t used as a preservative.  They typically suggest adding spices towards the end of the cooking process, where they could have no preservative effect whatsoever.  The Menagier,   for one, instructs his spouse to “put in the spices as late as may be, for the  sooner they be put in, the more they lose their savor.”  In atleast one  Italian cook book that saw many editions after its first printing in 1549, Cristoforo Messisbugo suggests that pepper might even hasten spoilage.

Perversely, even though spices weren’t used in this way in Europe, they could have been.  Recent research has identified several spices that have powerful antimicrobial properties.  Allspice and oregano are particularly effective in combating salmonella, listeria, and their kind.  Cinnamon, cumin, cloves, and mustard can also boast some bacteria-slaying prowess.  Pepper, however, which made up the overwhelming majority of all European spice imports, is a wimp in this regard.  But compared to any of these, salt is still champion.  So the question remains, why would Europeans use more expensive and less effective imports to preserve food when the ingredients at hand worked so much better?

AN ANCIENT TRADE

The fantastic profits to be made from the spice trade had attracted businessmen for millennia and not only, or even primarily,  in Europe.  A thriving spice trade existed among India, China and the islands of Southeast Asia long before the Portuguese and Dutch bullied their way in.  The Chinese ruling classes of the Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E) were as fond of  Indonesian and other spices as any Burgundian lord.  Marco Polo claimed that for every Italian spice galley in Alexandria, a hundred docked at the Chinese port of Zaiton (Quanzhou).  By some estimates, the percentage of spices that reached the European market was never much more than about a quarter of what Asia produced.

If we can rely on the reporting of the Old Testament, Joseph was sold to a caravan carrying spices into ancient Egypt.  Just what kind of spices we aren’t told, but chances are they brought at least a little pepper.  A pharaoh who died in 1224 B.C.E. has been found embalmed with peppercorns up his nose.  In later years, when the queen of Sheba made a courtesy call on King Solomon, she reportedly brought  along camels bearing spices as a house gift.  Perhaps a more trustworthy source is an archaeological dig in Syria that has unearthed cloves dating back to about 1700 B.C.E and that in the kitchen of an ordinary household.  When the Romans arrived on the scene, they, too, imported spices from Asia, though at nothing like the later European rate.  Pepper seemed to  have been popular, as was cinnamon and its look-alike, cassia, though some scholars have argued that these last two were actually altogether different spices from the ones we recognize by those names today.  In time, the western empire collapsed, and pepper was a rare sight indeed in the former Roman provinces.  Elsewhere, though, spice merchants continued to keep the tables of the rich and powerful well supplied.  China, India, Persia and the Arab states of the Middle East still used spices just like they always had, as both tonic and seasoning.  Even the Eastern Roman Empire – or Byzantium, as it came to be known – kept up its culinary habits more or less as before.

In Europe, things were different.  With the collapse of Rome, the orderly territories north of Alps were ravaged.  Wheat fields were bludgeoned into wastelands, and vineyards were trampled into dust.  Trade was throttled.  Great cities shriveled to hamlets.  Ordinary folk resorted to scavenging for roots and nuts,  while the warrior class tore at great haunches of roasted beasts, swilling beer all the while.  Or that, at least, is our image of the Dark Ages.  Undoubtedly, there were pockets of polished civilization amid the roughened landscape, especially in the monasteries, where fragments of a Roman lifestyle remained.  Italy, in particular, retained active ties to both the current “Roman” empire in Byzantium as well as the memory of the old stamping grounds of the Caesars.  All the  same, whatever else you might say about the invasions of the Germanic and Slavic tribes that swept across the continent in those years, their  arrival was hardly conducive to the culinary arts.

In the meantime, as Europe spiraled down into a recurring cycle of war, hunger, and pestilence, the Middle East flourished under a Pax Arabica.  In Baghdad, the imperial capital, Persians, Arabs and Greeks sat down at the same table to argue about medicine, science, the arts and naturally what should be served for dinner.  Arab merchants sent their agents to China, India and Indonesia to shop for silks and jewels, but most especially for the spices that were the essential ornament to any sophisticated cuisine.  Incidentally, it was those same spice traders who brought Islam to Indonesia and Malaysia.  Meanwhile, in the West, Muslim armies had overwhelmed the Iberian Peninsula and penetrated deep into France.  They took Sicily and all but a fragment of the Byzantine Middle East.  In Jerusalem, mosques towered over Christian remains.  For a time, the cries of muezzins calling the faithful to prayer could be heard from the dusty plains of Castile to Java’s sultry shores.

Quite reasonably, Christian Europe felt under siege, and its response came in a series of assaults on the Middle East between 1096 and 1291 that we call the Crusades.  Yet the short-lived military success of the Crusaders in the Holy Land (they held Jerusalem for just eighty-eight years) pales in comparison to the ideological, cultural and economic after shocks that followed those first Catholic Jihads.

Cultures typically gain their identity not only from what unifies them but, more important, from what sets them apart from their neighbors and foes.  Today, for example, Europeans are united as much by the way they grouse about Americans as they are by the euro.  In much the same way, the early medieval idea of Christendom-given the enormous political and economic differences within Europe- could not have been possible without the outside threat.  On a more everyday level, the Crusades also changed tastes and fashions.  The Norman knight who returned to his drafty St.Albans manor brought back a craving for the food he had tasted in sunny Palestine, much like the sunburned Manchester native does today when he returns from his Turkish holiday.  In the Dark Ages, spices had all but disappeared from everyday cooking.  With the Crusaders’ return, Europeans (of a certain class) would enjoy well-spiced food for the next six hundred years.

JAI JAWAN. JAI MAZDOOR- A CSR APPROACH

The modern day food industry is looking for credible and safe sources for food and food ingredients.  The moden day world looms large under uncertainties relating to unreliability and substandard quality.  The increasing tendencies of mankind in resorting to terrorist means to sign victories over rivals has made the world more unsafe.  There is no guarantee for anything and hence is  more necessary that every part of life is taken care of with utmost care. Governments are looking into every possible avenues to plug risk prone areas. And one among the risky segment is food stuff especially food imports. The anti terrorism act in the US has brought to surface the importance of keeping vitil over imports of food stuffs. A wilful calculative adding of a poisonous stuff by a miscreant can ruin the future of a country.  All these has riased many eyebrows and the result is clamping of stringet laws and rules on imports.  The concept of traceablity also comes to prominence now.  The primary source needs to be identified, process systems needs to be publicised, the men and materials involved known.  These compulsions may be nerve racking when known at the fist instance.  But sit back and think only to find that these are important in the modern day world.                                                                                                                                                                                    It  is mandatory now to insist on sourcing  food and food  ingredients from safer locations where all the safety and hygiene norms are in place. Whenit comes to farm sector,  the role of the farmer and the farm labourer who are at one end of the supply chain assumes lot of importance. People at the ultimate end of the chain usually speak of quality and assurances that go with that. When many people become vociferous. Yes of course this concern is addressed  back in the supply chain. Till recently these concerns get referred back and it end with the quality labs at the exporting countries who will take action in testing and stopping consignments that do not qualify the tests.  But how long can this go? At this rate there will not be any commodity to export. Besides this the domestic market requirements do not call for tests that are normally done on export consignments. But then one needs to think of the quality and safety of the food ingredients in domestic sector also.  It is at this juncture that the food industry should look at the issue with a CSR [corporate social responsbility] angle. This means that education, motivation and getting things done should be in the entire length of the supply chain. Farmer and the farm labourer cannot be excluded since these are the two great factors at the source point.

 Indian farm sector is facing acute crisis in the non availability of farm labour.Whether it be Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or Andhra Pradesh, the farm skilled labour is almost extinct. The labour that you see in the chilli fields of Andhra are memebers of a whole family brought in trucks and tractors from across the Orissa border. In Kerala one can see guys from Nepal and Bihar working in the lands. The situation is more or less the same in other states too. We need to address these issues at great length.  Without a committed labourer no farmer will be able to adhere to the required norms of plant care, plant protection and post harvest operations.
How much of our resources get drained in the name of experiments,product development and promotions.  Only one segment of the population at the farther rosy end continue to get the benefit.  At the tail end where all the inputs, stimulation and hard work take place, every one turn a blind eye.Without production there is no product, without product there is no process, without process there is no promotion and without promotion there is no prosperity. The land, the farmer, the labourer, the trader, the merchant, the processor, the exporter this is our supply chain.When we try to jump or break this chain, error creeps in and supplain chain gets corrupted.
It was Jai Jawan and Jai Kissan up to the 70s.
It was Jai Jawan, Jai Kissan and Jai Vyjanic up to the 90s.
What next !
Is it not fair enough that all of us say in unison
Jai Kissan, Jai Mazdoor!

My Caption for a mural in Hall of Spices at the Spices Board in Cochin

THE CONTEMPORARY TRADE AND COMMERCE IN SPICES HAS ITS LEGACY OF MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS. THE WATERS IN THE OCEANS AROUND THE INDIAN PENINSULA AND THE DUSTY LAND ROUTES OF THE NORTH ARE ABOUND WITH TALES OF WARS AND BATTLES WON AND LOST FOR SPICES OF THE HILLS.

THE PHOENICIANS, ARABS, EGYPTIANS, ROMANS,  DUTCH, PORTUGUESE AND THE  ENGLISH STRUGGLED AND STRUCK AT EACH OTHER TO GET TO THE NECTAR POT OF SPICES.  THE FLAVOUR STILL FAVOURS THE TRIP TO INDIA MAKING IT STILL THE DESINATION FOR SPICES

STARRING NUTMEG, MACE:

The field publicity campaign on nutmeg initiated by the Spices Board during 2011 with the active support of the exporters under the aegis of the World Spice Organisation in the growing areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu turned out to be a new experience for the nutmeg farmers.  It is for the first time that nutmeg farmers were given the opportunity to come together and interact on an issue concerning the very existence of the crop.
The issue of aflatoxin and other impurities in nutmeg and mace had been a point of concern since these contributed to the deterioration of quality.  The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) notifications by the European Union had called for immediate measures to counter the great challenge in enhancing quality of nutmeg and mace exported devoid of aflatoxin.
Nutmeg and mace are becoming spices of major importance in the country's export basket of spices.  The Indian nutmeg and mace which had uninterrupted trade across the seas is now facing quality issues in the international market especially from the West. The European Union which is a major market for Indian nutmeg and mace had issued a rapid alert recently expressing concern over presence of aflatoxin in nutmeg and mace. 
 European Spice Association (ESA) comprising of the members of the European Union has prescribed limits for aflatoxin as five ppb for B1 and l0 ppb for the group. Member countries and others have fixed individual limits ranging from one to 20 ppb. The situation warranted immediate steps to make the Indian nutmeg and mace qualify the European quality specifications.
Addressing the major issue of aflatoxin affecting the quality of spices, the Spices Board had launched a nationwide Field Publicity Campaign to reach the farmers, traders and exporters in the major growing areas. The Field Publicity Campaign focussed on quality of nutmeg and mace produced in India .  The campaign was undertaken in the principal growing areas in Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Calicut and Wyanadu districts in Kerala and in Pollachi in Tamil Nadu. Campaign meetings were held in Ponkunnam and Erattupettah in Kottayam district, in Adimali in Idukki district, in Edakunnu and Kanjoor in Ernakulam district, in Pariyaram in Trichur district, in Koorachundu and Thiruvambadi in Calicut district and in Pollachi in Tamil Nadu during June 2011 where hundreds of farmers assembled. These areas had thick population of nutmeg trees and the farmers really make out a living out of nutmeg and mace.

The campaign  featured a total presentation of the issue, remedial measures besides opportunities for the farmers to interact with the scientists on growing and rearing of the crop and on post harvest operations.
The campaign well attended by farmers including progressive farmers shared the concern and understood the call the hour.  While a majority of the farmers were not aware of the grave situation, many of the farmers were left in lurch on how to get over this problem.

The campaign meeting created awareness on the issue of aflatoxin and the necessity to resort to proper drying and storage during rainy season when the harvesting is at its peak. The major cause for the presence of aflatoxin in nutmeg is due to the poor primary processing followed. As the crop is harvested during monsoon season, sun drying is not possible and most of the farmers adopt traditional methods to dry the harvested nutmeg. This results in inadequate drying and during storage it is very easily susceptible to fungal attack. Thus drying of the produce at the farmer’s level to a safe moisture level at which growth of fungi and mould will be inhibited becomes an important step in processing of nutmeg.
Aflatoxin contamination does not affect crop productivity but it makes the produce unfit for consumption as toxins are injurious to health. The marketability of contaminated produce, particularly in international trade is considerably reduced due to stringent standards of permissible limits on aflatoxin contamination set by the importing countries. 

Progressive farmers who attended the meetings and interactions shared their good processing practices. The measures advocated to farmers included drying of nutmeg and mace to safe moisture content of less than  10 per cent, use artificial driers during raining season and proper storing in  moisture proof room.

Nutmeg and mace are important spices that find wide application in food industry and medicine and hence the paramount importance in monitoring quality. Countries in the European Union, Middle East , South Africa , and Japan have been importing good quantities of these products in whole form besides in the form of oils and oleoresins also.
 Indian exports of nutmeg and mace have gone up substantially from 1530 tonnes valued at Rs 31.17 crore in 2005-06 to 3276 tonnes valued at Rs 91.87crore in 2009-10. The exports declined to 2100 tonnes in terms of quantity and but improved in terms of value to Rs 97.77 crore.
ACTIVE NOTES ON LAZY MAN’S CROP                             ( box)

Approximately 75 per cent of the world’s nutmeg production of around 20,000 tonnes is produced by Indonesia and Grenada . India , Malaysia , Papua New Guinea , Sri Lanka and a few Caribbean countries are also producing and exporting nutmeg and mace.

Meanwhile, the European countries, specifically the Netherlands and Germany , import substantial quantities of around 60 per cent of total world production.  Grenada exports mostly go to the European Union on account of the maintenance of quality in terms of flavour and sanitary issues.  The Grenada Cooperative Nutmeg Association is strictly scrutinizing the quality aspects of the nutmeg and mace exports.

The laxities in qualities have its tale telling effects on the exports from Indonesia . Mainly attributed to the incidence of aflatoxin in nutmeg, exports from other countries including India is facing grave challenges.

The global market is steady and trade sources expect the market to go up on account of more usages and consumption by other allied industries. EU demand for high quality nutmeg is very high and it is said that Grenada alone cannot meet that demand. Hence there is an immediate opportunity for other producing countries to start scientific post harvest operations in upgrading the quality of nutmeg and mace exported.

Nutmeg trees bear an apricot like fruit, which consists of a husk that contains a seed, the nutmeg, which is surrounded by a thin layer called mace. Nutmegs contain 20 percent to 40 percent of fixed oil called nutmeg butter and eight percent to 15 percent of essential oil. Generally traded in whole form, nutmeg is mainly used in ground form by the food processing industry in meat products, sausages, soups, baked good and spice mixes.

Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring mycotoxin produced by two types of mold: Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aspergillus flavus is common and widespread in nature and is most often found when certain grains are grown under stressful conditions such as drought. The mold occurs in soil, decaying vegetation, hay, and grains undergoing microbiological deterioration and invades all types of organic substrates whenever and wherever the conditions are favourable for its growth. Favourable conditions include high moisture content and high temperature. At least 13 different types of aflatoxin are produced in nature with aflatoxin B1 considered as the most toxic.

While the presence of Aspergillus flavus does not always indicate harmful levels of aflatoxin it does mean that the potential for aflatoxin production is present.

Exports of nutmeg oil and nutmeg oleoresin, which cannot be affected by aflatoxin, could be envisaged as a way to bypass aflatoxin and quality problems. Furthermore, non-traditional sectors should be investigated like the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries where new uses of nutmeg can be found and developed in various preparations as balms or syrups.

GRENADA STRICT IN NUTMEG PROCESSING
Grenada, the tri island state, is the world champion in nutmeg trade and commerce.  It is nutmeg tress all the way in Grenada . The quality of their produce has been acclaimed world over. The Grenada Co-operative Nutmeg Association (G.C.N.A.) is the principal player in the Nutmeg Sector of Grenada. Formed under the Nutmeg Industry Act the Association has the mandate to be the sole marketing agent for Grenada ’s nutmegs. The G.C.N.A. manufactures and exports nutmeg and mace oil.
The G.C.N.A. has also started two projects to address the Nutmeg Wilt situation, improve the capacity of its laboratory, resolve the pest problem at the Processing Station and improve techniques for determining the sex of nutmeg trees. In the near future, the Association plans to invest more in the value added products in an effort to generate new revenue streams and allow for better compensation to the farmers.
Nature plays truant in Grenada often and the devastating hurricanes have damaged nutmeg trees and brought down production of nutmeg and mace. After the hurricane in 2004 and 2005, around 80 percent of their trees toppled. The volume of nutmegs exported from Grenada decreased significantly from 2,300 to 1,100 tonnes in 2006. By 2008 it was further reduced to 250 tonnes and by 2009 to approximately 200 tonnes reflecting the impact of the Hurricanes of 2004 and 2005. In the post hurricane period, many nutmeg trees were left to dry and die, as the crop remained uncollected in the fields.

There are splendid plantations growing nutmeg amidst bananas, nutmeg, cocoa and vegetables. The nutmeg tree flowers after six to seven years and can bear fruit for more than 50 years. A typical plantation has 50-200 female trees and one male tree. Nuts are usually harvested in three crops. One tree produces up to 100 kg of nutmeg and 10 kg of mace per year.
Around 7,000 nutmeg farmers on Grenada depend on Nutmeg processing stations to process their produce. There is great deal of pride among farmers in relation to growing and harvesting nutmeg. The majority of the farmers are in their sixties and have in average five to seven acres of land. A typical farmer pays others to collect nutmegs every other day. However, there are many part-time farmers or occasional nutmeg collectors who collect nutmegs once per week or based on cash needs.

There are now fewer “pure stand nutmeg farms”. Unlike cocoa which generates income once or twice per year, nutmeg gives farmers a continuous income throughout the year. Some say that nutmeg is the perfect “lazy man’s crop” based on the easy requirement of picking up nutmegs from the ground.
In Grenada , processing is done centrally at the G.C.N.A. Processing Plant. Grenada has always been a more quality-driven in its picking and drying (in-house) than Indonesia . Also the selection (testing in water, sinkers are of good quality) is more careful than in Indonesia . Careless processing produces more defected nuts, which can only be used for extraction.

In Indonesia , farmers bring the kernels (hard shell with nutmeg inside) and dried mace to regional collectors. There, the hard shell is removed, by first cracking (either in a machine, or by letting it fall on the ground) and then by hand. The nutmeg is then dried down to 14 percent moisture content, packed in 50-75 kg bags (with collector ID) or in containers and shipped for further cleaning and selection. Selecting nutmegs is labour intensive (done by hand), usually carried out by women.

There are around 20 receiving stations in Grenada .  The farmer receives an advance.  At the time of bringing their produce, the produce is examined to discard defective ones. The nutmegs are then transported to one of the three processing stations.  Visitors to these facilities will have to pay a fee to take a tour with one of their knowledgeable guides.  The process is labour-intensive in Grenada also.


POST HARVEST OPERATIONS
AND MARKETING NUTMEG IN GRENADA
Nutmegs are left to dry for six to eight weeks, and the mace is aged from four to six months. Mace is graded into three categories. Prime quality mace is used for culinary seasoning and fetches a premium price. The second and third grades are used in food preservatives and cosmetics respectively.
After drying, the nutmegs are put through the de-shelling machine. This merely cracks the nut, which is then removed by hand. Women complete this process and take out damaged and infected kernels or any that are not yet open. The defective nutmegs are bagged and sent to the oil distillery. The good nutmegs are given the water test. Placed in water, nutmegs with desirable high-oil content will sink. Floaters contain less oil and will be sold to the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The wet nutmegs are left to dry for another 24 hours.
The next step for the top-grade nutmegs is sorting by size; 110 small nutmegs will equal one pound in weight, the same as 80 large nutmegs. Each sack for export contains a total of 140 pounds of nutmegs. The gunny sacks are sewn and the name of the destinations is stenciled onto the sacks by hand. In the course of one year, Grenada processes roughly one quarter of the world’s supply.
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