India has been known as the land of spices from time immemorial. So what exactly are the spices? Spices are essentially vegetable products used for the seasoning and flavoring of foods. In the market, it can be found in powdered or seed form. Spices are added to improve the nutrition and flavor of the food.
Some of the common spices found and traded from India are turmeric, black pepper, white pepper, cardamom, cumin, clove etc. The earliest written records can be found in the text of Vedas almost 3000-3500 years back. Countless foreign forces invaded India with the primary purpose of exploiting the natural resource of the land and its spices. Spices from India were in great demand in the international market. Varieties of spices always commanded a premium in the market. To keep the novelty of the products, traders and travelers spread false stories regarding the sources. There were legends like Indian spices were found in inhospitable lands full of snakes and dangerous creatures.
Things started to change with the discovery of large ships that made long voyages possible with greater frequency. Portuguese, Italians, Spanish, British and Arabs started to explore the trade route more frequently. Vasco da Gama is credited in Europe for discovering the spice route to India way back in 1498. Spices were also greatly valued because of its ability to preserve the flavor of the food in absence of refrigeration and cold storage. To control the route of the spice trade, fierce battles were fought between the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Spanish, the French and the British.
In modern times, seeing the growing demand for spices, the spice board of India was set up. In India, spices are grown mainly in the states of Kerala, Punjab, Gujarat and a few northeastern states. Besides adding flavor to the food, spices are also used for medicines, pharmaceuticals, perfumes and cosmetics. Details of the spices grown in India have been listed below:
- Turmeric: This spice is extremely common in the Indian households. The finest quality turmeric or haldi comes from the state of Tamil Nadu (Salem). Fresh turmeric flavor is very stronger than dried one and it also stains very easily. The spice can also be used for basic medicinal purposes in case of fresh-cut and blood clotting.
- Cardamom: Cardamom is essentially an herb. The seeds and the oil from the seeds are used for different medicinal purposes. The oil is extremely fragrant and therapeutic.
- Clove: Clove is a basic ingredient in Indian households. In western countries, its use is associated with Christmas time. The spice is technically a flower and most of the oils are pressed out before the actual use in cooking and medicinal purposes. It can be used independently or blended into spice mixes.
- Black Pepper: Black pepper is grown mainly in the areas of the Western Ghats and Malabar region of southern India. Cultivation and growth is very complex as it requires a very specific amount of rainfall. This is the reason for the volatile price of the black pepper.
Rapid development in information technology has made it easier for buyers and sellers to consult each other without the presence of any middlemen and intermediaries. Spices exporters can now conduct trade from the comfort of their homes and offices with the click of a button. Spice prices don’t fluctuate much because of greater transparency. Trade details can be negotiated online without the need to be physically present. B2B trade platforms like India Mart, Trade India and Alibaba have solved the issue of direct communication to a large extent. Despite solving many issues, the last bone of contention regarding the credibility of the sellers and buyers still exists. There is no fool-proof mechanism to ensure that only genuine buyers and sellers are involved in the trade. Middlemen, brokers and intermediaries still pose as a seller or buyer to dilute the value of the trade. Identifying the service gap, TRADOLOGIE.COM established its own platform facilitating bulk trade between buyers and sellers. It’s the world’s only intelligent digital platform. The platform boasts of 25,000verified sellers and 200,000 buyers. Tradologie.com has been growing rapidly with gross merchandise value in excess of ₹ 25 Billion. Tradologie.com has successfully emerged as an alternate supply chain for exporters and importers. The Pandemic caused a wide-scale disruption to the global supply chain. There is an urgent need for a digital solution to continue the trade. Tradologie.com has the solution to all the procurement and delivery problems for the spices industry. It provides a separate app for both sellers and buyers to facilitate trade in real-time and on the move. Physical boundaries are transcended effortlessly to deliver high-value solutions to both buyers and sellers. The USP of Tradologie.com is the Negotiation Platform that allows sellers to quote prices to the buyer in real-time on a reverse bidding mechanism. The seller is able to Quote Prices while having 100% Genuine Market Insight while the buyer can see the whole spectrum of sellers and place orders after seeing the profile of participant sellers (including previous orders) and negotiating with them through counter offer mechanisms. Buyers and sellers need to furnish important documents like a letter of intent and complete the Payment Obligation using LC before the actual order is executed. Seller receives the payment only after the buyer is in possession of confirmation of dispatch of the commodity (as per the signed contract). Buy bulk species on Tradologie.com and save up to 20% on the platform.
