The Indian Pepper and Spice Traders, Growers, Planters Consortium (IPSTPC), Kerala chapter, has sought the intervention of the Spices Board to open pepper dealer shops in Wayanad and Idukki, two major pepper growing districts in the State.
In a letter to the Spices Board Chairman, IPSTPC coordinator Kishore Shamji said aggregators and dealers in spices in the two districts were not permitted to open shops owing to the lockdown.
As spices fell under the food industry and are export-related, the Industries Department had permitted processing units to function even during the lockdown, Mr. Shamji said.
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However, without raw materials being available to processing units across the State, they will find it difficult to meet domestic demand from masala manufacturers and exporters, he said.
Hence, the Spices Board should raise the matter with the District Collectors of Idukki and Wayanad to allow opening of pepper dealer outlets, he said.