Cumin is a spice made from the seeds of Cuminum Cyminum plant. The plant is native to Mediterranean and Southwest Asia. It is a flowering plant which has a fruit filled with the seeds which are mainly used in the delicacies. The ancient Greeks kept cumin at the dining table in its own container (much as pepper is frequently kept today), and this practice continues in Morocco. Cumin was also used heavily in ancient Roman cuisine. In India, it has been used for millennia as a traditional ingredient in innumerable recipes, and forms the basis of many other spice blends.
Major Cumin Origins and its Harvest Period: –
India tops the Export numbers for Cumin Seeds with export quantity being around 180,000 mt. Syria and Turkey are quite behind India’s Export figures viz. 14,000 mt and 6,000 mt respectively. The taste of cumin seeds can be best described as Warm, Nutty, Earthy and Spicy.A Brief report on Indian Origin New Crop Cumin beginning Feb 2020: –
- A Gracious Monsoon in India has led to improved water availability coupled with favorable climatic conditions has laid a perfect seedbed for the cultivation of Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
- Cumin growers in Rajasthan and Gujarat (major cumin seed produce centers in India are expecting a 25% to 30% higher yield as compared to the previous year.
- A tentative production figure for 2020 is around 5 lakh tonnes vis-a-vis 4.1 lakh tonnes in 2019.
- Here’s what Mr. Vijay Joshi, President of Unjha Commodity Association, said, “The weather is very supportive for jeera crop. The yield is going to be much better this year. We expect about 30 per cent higher production in Gujarat this season. The next ten days appear clear without any weather disturbance. If it stays so for about a month more, there will be a very good crop.”
- Many farmers feared marginal impact in the Cumin production as a result of the locust attack in the locust attack in the south of Rajasthan and North of Gujarat. However this loss might be compensated with higher yields in other places.
NCDEX Reading: –
The prices of Cumin seeds have already started consolidating in anticipation of a good crop in India. The future prices have dropped down sharply for the April 2020 contract to 14,400 on 24th Jan from 15400, from 10th Jan. In the Spot market, Jeera at Unjha is trading at 15,500.
