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Cumin
Conditions of Growth |
It grows well in dry and cool climate |
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It can be cultivated well in all types of soil but sandy soil and medium soil is most suited for it. |
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A cumin seed does not requires heavy rainfall or high humidity. |
Regions |
It grows only in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. |
Production/ Trade |
In India, 73 % production of cumin is mainly done in the Western part of India like Gujarat and Rajasthan. |
Cumin belongs to the family of Apiaceae and it is originated from the part of East Mediterranean. The seeds of cumin are used in different cuisines in roasted or whole form. It is a dried seed of Cuminumcyminum herb. It is placed in the order of two in importance after pepper.
It was cultivated originally in the region of Mediterranean and Iran. It is known as Jeera in Hindi and used to bring flavor in foods and also as an ingredient in Ayurvedic medicines and herbal medicines for curing. It is also used in the preparation of garam masala and various spice mixtures.
Cumin production in India
India is the world leader in the production of various spices and it is the largest exporter, producer and consumer of Jeera as well in the whole world. It is cultivated mostly in the warm and humid climatic conditions which are provided by the North Africa regions along with the parts of Southern Asia. The demand of Jeera comes mostly from the industry of food processing. The total demand of cumin except India accounts for 25 – 30 thousand tons.
India is the major exporter of cumin oil and cumin seeds since a long period of time but nowadays many competitors like Iran and Turkey have also entered in the markets.
There is a production of 1–2 lakh tons of Jeera in India per year and it is the world’s leading producer. 5.25 lakh hectares of land is also allotted for the production of Jeera which makes it the largest area of the country. The total area along with the production level has also increased a lot since many years. The major producing states are Gujarat and Rajasthan. Gujarat being the largest producer had a market share of 86.5 % of 2006-07 according to the data of the spice board.
The consumption of Jeera on domestic basis is about 1 lakh tons in India and the rest is used for the purpose of exports. The export of Jeera is about 8000 tons every year. The cumin seeds by products like oleoresins and the cumin oil are also exported.
India produces major part of cumin seeds which contributes to 73 % of the total production. The 2009 production that there was a rise by 11 % in the production from the record of last year at 1,50,000 tons. The yield of 440 – 500 kg / hectare has been recorded and the area covered during the growing season of 2008- 09 was 3,50,000 hectares.
Methods of Growing Cumin Seeds
Seeds are used to grow cumin. It needs a temperature of 2 – 5 degree Celsius for its emergence. Dry and humid sub-tropical climate is required for its growth and they cannot withstand heavy rainfall and high humidity. It requires loamy soil and the field where the seed has not been ploughed in the past 3 years is the most suited.
Line sowing and broadcasting methods are used to sow the seeds with 10 cm in depth. While preparing the land, a farmyard manure of 10-15 tons is added and changed later on. The irrigation is done first after sowing and then, after 8-10 days depending on the climatic conditions and the type of the soil.
Harvesting is done after cleaning the field and uprooting the plants affected by wilts. Sickle is used to cut the plants for harvesting. For drying the plants in sun, they are stacked on a clean floor. Later, they are separated after drying by winnowing and light beating.
Gravity separators are used to clean the seeds after they are dried and sorted accordingly to be graded and used for further purpose.
Cumin Growing States in India and Best season
Only Gujarat and Rajasthan produces cumin in India. Gujarat being the largest producer holds 86.5% of the total market share in India.
Cumin is the country’s Rabi crop and during the months of October to mid-December, it is well sowed. The harvesting of cumin is done during February and March.
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