Mohan Bahadur Thapa, Budhdhi Prasad Sharma and
Rajendra Nath Adhikari
(mbthapa2009@gmail.com)

ABSTRACT

Turmeric and chillies are the foremost important spices and about 30 spices are in Nepalese culinary use. Major spices commercially grown in Nepal are large cardamom, ginger, garlic, turmeric, chillies and onions. Tree spices Cinnamon and Timur (Xanthoxylem) grown in-situ and now their cultivation has been initiated. Nepal is the world’s third highest ginger producer [235,033MT], area wise 5th (19,376 ha) and productivity wise 8th (13.45 t/ha) in position. Large cardamom is the number one export commodity with the highest share value [79%] of the total spice export. All together 76,335ha is under spice cultivation with a total production of 672,384 MT annually. Despite of poor technical knowhow and poor infrastructures international trade on spice is almost balanced, there is just deficit of Rs 559 million (10%) in export as compared to import value RS.5443.8 million. Coriander, fennel, Aniseed, onion, chillies specially ‘Akabare khursani’ have the ample scope of increasing production. Among the tree spices Cinnamon and Timur is also important to promote in mid hills. Saffron is extremely high value spice for the mountain regions. Spices have tremendous scope of production in the existing multi environmental conditions of Nepal. This paper briefly gives an introduction to the major spices that are grown, their present status and prospects in Nepal.