General Characterstics

• "Cuminseed (Jeera) is a native of the Levant and Upper Egypt. Now it is grown mainly in hot countries, especially India, North Africa, China and the Americas. 
• "Cumin is stomachic, diuretic, carminative, stimulant, astringent, emmenagogic and antispasmodic. It is valuable in dyspepsia, diarrhoea and hoarseness, and may relieve flatulence and colic. It is a widely used spice in India. 
• "In the West, it is now used mainly in veterinary medicine, as a carminative, but it remains a traditional herbal remedy in the East. 
• "It is supposed to increase lactation and reduce nausea in pregnancy. Smoke in a pipe with ghee, it is taken to relieve the hiccups. Cumin also stimulates the appetite. 

Supply & Demand

• "India is the world's largest producer and consumer of cumin seed India's annual production of cumin seed ranges between 1 lakh metric tons to 2 lakh metric tons.
• "Besides India, cuminseed is cultivated in Iran, Turkey and in Syria mainly for exports The new crop in Syria and Turkey is harvested in August - September so until then Indian cumin seed finds good market in overseas countries.
• "The consumption of cumin seed in rest of the world, leaving India aside is only between 25,000 to 30,000 tons.
• "Cumin seed is almost exclusively cultivated in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• "The area under cumin in India increased from 3,15,781 hectares in 2000-01 to 5,26,634 hectares in 2001-02 and the output increased from 1,39,356 tons to 2,06,410 tons in 2001-02.
• "Though cumin seed is grown in several districts in Gujarat and Rajasthan The prominent ones are Banaskantha and Mehsana in Gujarat and Barmer, Jalore, Jodhpur and Nagaur in Rajasthan.
• "In India cumin seed is a rabi crop sown in October - November and harvested in February The crop normally arrives in the market in the month of March.
• "India exports cumin seed to Bangladesh, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, UAE, UK, the US and many other countries and cumin seed powder to UK, the US, etc.
• "India's exports of cumin seed fell from 10,422 tons valued at Rs.93 crores in 2002-03 to 7,957 tons valued at Rs.59 crores in 2003-04.
• "India also exports oleoresins of cumin seed and cumin seed oil to USA, UK, UAE, etc In 2001-02, India exported 2231 tons of oleoresins oil valued at Rs 3494 lakhs.

Indian Scenario

• "Gujarat, with Unjha as the center is the major trading zone for Unjha. 
• "Earlier, cuminseed used to be traded in the mandies at Niwai and Kekri also in Rajasthan The mandi in Nagaur is the largest center for cuminseed in Rajasthan. 
• "The price of cuminseed in Gujarat mandies is normally higher Therefore many farmers in Rajasthan also carry their produce for marketing in the mandies in Gujarat. 
• "West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Karnataka and Haryana are the major producing states. More than 50% of total production comes from the first four states.
• "Delhi, Jaipur and Rajkot are the major terminal markets for jeera, from where it moves to other consumption centers of the country. 

Daily Variation in Cumin Seed Prices at Unjha (2003-04)

Maximum daily price variation recorded - 66%

Factors Influencing Cumin Markets

• "The prices display high volatility due to its seasonal nature and widespread demand within and outside the country. 
• "Weather at the production centers, pests and diseases have an influence on the production of spices. 
• "The market is not perfectly organized and this influences the information flow.