Sri Vijaya Puram, July 31:In a major stride towards sustainable agriculture and self-reliance in spice production, the Department of Agriculture, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, officially launched the ambitious campaign SPICE PRAVAH — Spice Promotion by Integrated Cultivation & Enhancement – Promotion of Resilient Aromatic Value Chains & Holistic Farming today. The initiative was ceremoniously inaugurated by Dr. Chandra Bhushan Kumar, IAS, Chief Secretary, A&N Administration, at the Organic Horticulture Farm, Sippighat, through a symbolic plantation of cinnamon saplings.
Along with the chief guest, other dignitaries including Ms. Chanchal Yadav, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Agriculture), Dr. Sachin Shinde, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Shri Arjun Sharma, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman, Smti. Pallavi Sarkar, IAS, Secretary (Agriculture), Ms. Jyoti Kumari, IAS, Secretary (Fisheries), Shri Vinayak Chamadia, IAS, SDM, Smti Priyanka Kumari, Director of Agriculture, Dr. E. B Chakurkar, Director, ICAR-CIARI, PRI members and progressive farmers enthusiastically joined in planting cinnamon saplings, symbolizing a collective commitment to the success of the SPICE PRAVAH campaign.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Secretary appreciated the Department for taking up the initiative to launch SPICE PRAVAH to promote sustainable cultivation, value addition, and market integration of tree-based spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper. He highlighted the significant role that spices play in our daily life and also spoke about the rich history of spices. He pointed out that despite this, our country still imports several spices from abroad. Through the SPICE PRAVAH initiative, by cultivating tree-based spices in these Islands, we can position the A&N Islands as a leading contributor to the nation’s spice production.
The Chief Secretary further stated that the plantation activity should be completed by September this year and with the support of the Panchayats, this phase can be successfully accomplished. He also emphasized that post-plantation care is equally important to ensure the survival of the saplings. He directed the Department to form a dedicated monitoring team to regularly oversee and protect the planted trees. This programme should be implemented in every Islands, he said and urged the Panchayats and public representatives to come forward and take this initiative ahead.
After six months, a review will be conducted to assess the status and progress of the initiative. SPICE PRAVAH will not only generate employment opportunities, but also enhance market potential and increase the demand for spices in the local market. For cinnamon bark extraction, ICAR-CIARI has developed a specialized extraction tool called CinnRub, which will be highly beneficial for farmers. This initiative by CIARI is truly commendable and praise worthy. In these Islands, the cultivation of clove and vanilla can also be successfully carried out, yielding good returns. By introducing cinnamon as an intercrop in coconut plantations, farmers can significantly enhance their income. There is also a need to engage Self Help Group (SHG)members in this initiative to strengthen the value chain and ensure its sustainable growth.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Agri), Ms. Chanchal Yadav, IAS, and Dr. Sachin Shinde, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary shared their thoughts on the occasion, highlighting the importance of the initiative. During the programme, a ceremonial distribution of cinnamon and other spice saplings was carried out for the farmers, marking the formal launch of the SPICE PRAVAH campaign. A live demonstration of cinnamon bark extraction was also organized during the programme for the benefit of the farmers.
Ms. Pallavi Sarkar, IAS, Secretary (Agriculture), briefed about the SPICE PRAVAH initiative, highlighting its objectives, implementation strategy, and the expected impact on spice cultivation and farmers’ livelihoods in the Islands. Secretary (Agriculture) informed that with the powerful tagline ‘Sugandh Vrikshon ki Pravah –Advancement through Spice cultivation’, the initiative aims to promote the sustainable cultivation, value addition, and market integration of tree-based spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper. The programme is designed to transform the spice cultivation scenario of the Islands through a holistic approach involving area expansion, farmer capacity building, and product-based development. The Secretary (Agri) urged all farmers and community members to actively participate in the SPICE PRAVAH movement. This is not just a plantation drive, but a nation-building mission aimed at making India self-reliant in spice production and marketing.
As part of the launch activities, a massive spice plantation drive was held today at multiple identified locations across the Islands. In the first round, an area of 40 hectares of farmers’ fields was brought under spice cultivation with the distribution and planting of 78,160 saplings. The second round of the plantation drive, targeting 25 hectares in departmental farms with 47,400 saplings, is scheduled to commence within the next three months.
The campaign has commenced simultaneously in eight zones across the Union Territory from 31st July, 2025. Parallel plantation events were also organized in various districts and sub-divisions under the leadership of the respective Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners, ensuring extensive reach and community involvement. The Future Interventions under SPICE PRAVAH is to establishment of 8 Spice Collection Centres across 8 Agricultural Zones to support processing and value-added product development, provision of training and technical support to farmers. A dedicated core team has already undergone a 5-day intensive training at the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Kozhikode. Focus on branding, GI tagging, and developing a robust marketing network to help Island-grown spices gain recognition in international markets.
A live demonstration of Cinnamon Extraction was also organized as part of today’s event to showcase value addition techniques, development of Integrated Nurseries and Demo Farms to provide farmers with access to modern technologies and high-quality planting material.
Earlier, the Director of Agriculture, Ms. Priyanka Kumari welcomed the gathering and expressed gratitude for their presence and support for the SPICE PRAVAH initiative. The launch programme was also attended by Panchayat Pradhans of the South Andaman zone along with several PRI members. Around 60 progressive farmers participated in the event.
Apart from the State-level function, ceremonial launch programmes were also held across eight different zones.
At South Andaman, the ceremonial planting was done by Shri Arjun Sharma, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman and Smti. Pallavi Sarkar, IAS, Secretary (Agriculture), in the field of Smti Saraswathi, Mithakhari village in the presence of Pradhan, Mithakhari Gram Panchayat, Shri Mohd. Shafique and other PRI members of Gram Panchayat Mithakhari and farmers.
At Car Nicobar, the ceremonial planting was done by Deputy Commissioner, Nicobar District, Shri Amit Kale, IAS by planting Nutmeg seedlings in the field of Shri Nelson Justin, at Malacca village in the presence of Tribal Council members and departmental officials.
At Mayabunder, the ceremonial planting was done by Shri Ashish Joon, Assistant Commissioner, Mayabunder by planting Cinnamon seedling in the field of Saw Pantha, Karmatang-9 in the presence of farmers and departmental officials.
At Diglipur, the ceremonial planting was organized at Keralapuram, Diglipur by Assistant Commissioner, Diglipur, Shri Kamaleshwar Rao S, IAS in the presence of Pramukh Diglipur, Shri Dipankar Mistry, Zilla Parishad Member, Smti Sunidhi Haldar, Pradhan, Keralapuram, Smti Anita Mondal, other PRI members and farmers in the field of progressive farmer, Shri. S Somasekharan.
At Campbell Bay, the ceremonial planting was done at Govind Nagar village by Dr. Keshav Narendra Singh, Assistant Commissioner, Campbell Bay in the presence of Shri. Barnabas, Chief Tribal Council, C/ Bay, Up-Pramukh, Shri. Sanjay Ekka and farmers in the field of progressive farmer Shri. Paramjeet Singh.
At Rangat, the ceremonial planting was done by Shri. Vikash Kumar, Assistant Commissioner, Rangat in the presence of Miss. Sita Majhi, Pramukh, Rangat, Pradhans of GP Dasarathpur, GP Rangat in the field of Shri. Kanai Dakua at Dasarathpur. Demonstration of serpentine method of propagation was conducted to the farmers for production of planting materials in their own field.
At Little Andaman, the ceremonial planting was done at Ramakrishnapur, Little Andaman by Shri. Parmanathan, Pramukh, Little Andaman in the presence of Pradhan of Ramakrishnapur and Hutbay followed by Panchayat Samiti Members and farmers in the field of progressive farmer Shri. Ashok Bachar.
