ANISEED TECHNICAL

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Introduction
Aniseed is an important spice used mainly in the preparation of pickles. India’s production of aniseed is not monitored by the Ministry of Agriculture and therefore there is no official production figure as such. Trade however, estimates that India produces forty to fifty thousand tonnes of aniseed annually. In recent years, with the growth of overseas market for spice oils and oleoresins. India has also taken up the production and export of aniseed oil. At present, India imports aniseed mainly for extraction of oils which it then exports.
 
Imports
India imports aniseed and badian seeds from China, Vietnam, Singapore, etc mostly for the extraction of aniseed oil for exports. India's imports of the these spices went up from 341.78 tonnes valued at Rs. 98,71 lakh in 1993-94 to 1,282.76 tonnes valued at Rs. 531,03 lakhs in 1996-97.
 
Exports
 India has been exporting small quantities of aniseed to Bangladesh and Pakistan and badian seeds to the gulf countries. Its exports of these spices went up from 138.45 tonnes valued at Rs. 14,23 lakhs in 1992-93 to 420.46 tonnes valued at Rs. 82,73 lakhs in 1996-97. In 1997-98, the exports jumped to 1,656 tonnes valued at Rs. 289,64 lakhs. India's exports of aniseed oil went up from 11.900 kg valued at Rs. 31,37 lakhs in 1994-95 to 28,160 kg valued at Rs. 113,09 lakhs in 1995-96 before declining to 10,002 kg valued at Rs. 55,70 lakhs in 1996097 and rising again to 29,93 tonnes valued at Rs. 124,41 lakhs in 1997-98.