Cumin consumption halves as price goes soaring

By Laxman Kafle,Kathmandu, Oct. 8: With significant increase in the price over the past few months, the consumption of cumin seed (jeera) has dropped drastically.

According to the traders, the consumption of cumin seeds has dropped by more than 50 per cent in the past few months after its price soared in the Nepali market.

“Consumption of cumin seeds has reduced by almost half. Consumers who used to buy 1 kg of cumin at a time have started buying half a kg,” said Raju Maskey, secretary at the Nepal Retailers’ Association.

Obviously, the cumin seed has become the most expensive spice item in the Nepali kitchen in recent months, he said. After the price of cumin increased sharply, consumers have started mixing more coriander in cumin while making spices.

Price rises by threefold

Maskey said that the price of cumin seed has already crossed Rs. 1,300 per kg in the local market.

“The price of cumin seed has increased by almost three times over a year. A kilo of cumin seed was around Rs. 450 during the last Dashain. Now, it costs Rs. 1,300 per kg,” he told The Rising Nepal. 

The price of cumin seed has increased by Rs. 300 per kg within the last three months alone, he said.

Sarita Timalsina of Baneshwor said that consumers were hit hard by the gradual increase in the price of cumin seed. 

She said that the price of cumin, which cost Rs. 1,050 per kg about three months ago, has now reached Rs. 1,300 per kg.

According to her, she reduced its consumption by half due to the price hike. 

She said that she bought only 500 grams of cumin at Rs. 650.

“Earlier, I used to make spices by mixing half a kilo of coriander with one kilo of cumin, but now I plan to mix half a kilo of cumin with one kilo of coriander,” she said. The price of coriander is only Rs. 250 per kg.

According to her, due to the increase in the price of cumin, which is used as an essential spice, there is a pressure to use less cumin while cooking meat at this year’s Dashain.

Import drops by almost half

The import of cumin has dropped by almost half in the first two months of the current fiscal year as compared to the same period last year.

The statistics of the Department of Customs showed that the import of cumin seed has dropped by 49 per cent in the first two months of the current fiscal year as compared to the same period last year.

Only a total of 979 tonnes of cumin has been imported in the two months of the current fiscal year while 1,920 tonnes of cumin had been imported in the first two months of the last fiscal year 2022/23.

The country imported 6,097 tonnes of cumin over the last fiscal year 2022/23.

Even though the import in terms of quantity dropped by half, the amount spent for the import of cumin in terms of money spent is not much due to price hike of cumin seeds.

The country has spent Rs. 485 million for the import of 979 tonnes cumin seeds in the first two months of the current fiscal year. However, the country had spent Rs. 512 million for the import of 1920 tonnes cumin during the review period last fiscal year.

The country had spent Rs. 2.02 billion for the import of 6,097 tonnes cumin in the last fiscal year 2022/23.

The price of cumin increased in the local market due to increased import price in the international market, especially India, Maskey said.

Nepal is fully dependent on imports to meet the demand for cumin, he said noting the price of cumin seed depends on the international market.

Almost 85 per cent cumin seed consumed in Nepal is being imported from India while the remaining 15 per cent comes from other countries, including Turkey, Indonesia and Belgium.

There are no statistics about the production of cumin inside the country.

In the meantime, the import of coriander has also decreased during the review period.

The country imported 809 tonnes coriander worth Rs. 117 million during the first two months of the current fiscal year. A total of 833 tonnes coriander worth Rs. 123 million had been imported in the first two months of the last fiscal year 2022/23. 

The country imported 4,507 tonens coriander worth Rs. 651 million during the last fiscal year.

The import quantity of coriander depends on the local production. When the production increases, the import drops and when the production drops in the country, its import rises.

The consumption of coriander will increase when the price of cumin seeds increases as consumers mix both the items for spices.