INDIA'S commerce ministry looks set to approve a proposed pepper subsidy, although the amount allocated could be lower than that originally mooted. According to one leading ministry official, just Rs120m ($2.7m) will be made available, which is significantly less than the Rs200m that the Indian Spices Board requested. To help address the decline in exports of pepper and cardamom, the ISB proposed a scheme that it said would result in a 20,000-tonne boost in overseas shipments. However, only the pepper scheme looks set to be given approval... Read More