India: Largest exporter of Cucumber and Gherkins

India emerged as the ‘Pickle King of The World’, in a recent development.

Highlights

• India crossed the exports if worth USD 200 million of agricultural processed product, pickling gherkins, cucumber or cornichons, in the financial year 2020-2021.
• With this, India became the largest exporter of cucumbers and gherkins worldwide.
• India exported 1,23,846 metric tonnes (MT) of cucumber and gherkins, with a value of USD 114 million during April-October 2021.
• In 2020-21, India shipped 2,23,515MT of cucumber and gherkins with value worth USD 223 million.

India meeting Global Demand

51 companies in India produce and export gherkins. Gherkins are exported in two forms viz., packed in drums and in ready-to-eat packs. India meets 15 percent of total global requirement or demand of gherkins. Indian plants are of international standards and have been made to cater to the requirements of foreign countries.

Export of pickled cucumber

Indian states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh process and export the pickled cucumber across the world. Pickled cucumbers are imported by more than 20 countries, namely, USA, France, South Korea, Japan, Israel, Canada, Germany etc.

Contract Farming for Gherkins

As per reports, gherkins are cultivated under contract farming by 90,000 small and marginal farmers across India. These farmers have an annual production area of 65,000 acres. A gherkin farmer earns Rs 80,000 on an average, with a net income of Rs 40,000.

Crop cycle of gherkins

Farmers can take two crops of gherkins annually, since it is a 90-day crop.

Steps by APEDA

Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has also undertaken several initiatives in infrastructure development, product promotion in international market and food safety management systems across processing units. The gherkin manufacturing and exporting companies are ISO, IFS, BRC, FSSC 22000 or HACCP certified or they possess all the certifications.

What is Gherkin?

Gherkin is also known as pickled cucumber. It is a cucumber that has been pickled in vinegar, brine, or other solution and left to ferment for some time.