India’s cumin (jeera) exports suffered a steep decline in the 2025-26 financial year, with shipment value dropping 28% and volume falling 14%, according to official data reported by The Hindu BusinessLine. The primary driver was a sharp reduction in offtake by the largest buyer, China, which cut its imports by 76% in volume terms.
Decline in Export Volumes and Value
Cumin exports during FY26 fell to 1.96 lakh tonnes, down from 2.29 lakh tonnes in the previous fiscal. Export value in dollar terms declined to $524 million from $732.35 million, while rupee value dropped 25% to ₹4,611.15 crore from ₹6,178.86 crore, as per official data cited by The Hindu BusinessLine.
China Demand Slump
Chinese demand for Indian cumin plummeted, with volume falling 76% to 9,271 tonnes from 38,721 tonnes a year earlier. In value terms, exports to China crashed 80% to $22.81 million from $114.51 million. Yogesh Mehta of SpicExim attributed this to a bumper Chinese domestic crop: “Last year, China had a very good crop of around 85,000-90,000 tonnes, and hence, it avoided buying from India.”
Other Market Dynamics
Shipments to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region were also impacted due to the Iran-US-Israel conflict, Mehta said. Exports to other major buyers such as the US, UAE, Bangladesh, and the UK declined during the year, whereas shipments to Turkey saw a significant uptick.
| Country | FY25 Volume (tonnes) | FY26 Volume (tonnes) | Change | FY25 Value ($ million) | FY26 Value ($ million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | 17,384 | 15,458 | -11% | 67.35 | 50.00 |
| UAE | 30,694 | 29,752 | -3% | 89.21 | 72.15 |
| Bangladesh | 30,515 | 29,579 | -3% | 88.33 | 70.27 |
| Turkey | 967 | 7,529 | +679% | 3.33 | 19.61 |
Tejus Gandhi, Chairman of the Federation of Indian Spice Stakeholders (FISS), attributed the overall decline to reduced demand from China and geopolitical tensions in West Asia. He expressed cautious optimism: “With the US-Iran deal reached we may see some demand coming in going forward.”
Domestic Crop and Competition
Turkey’s rising imports from India are driven by domestic issues: “Turkey has facing issues with soil fertility and is unable to grow cumin seeds. It had only option to buy from India, while the Syrian crop was not up to the mark,” Mehta explained. However, the outlook remains challenging. According to trade sources, China is likely to harvest a bigger crop this year due to favourable weather and better farming techniques. Additionally, the Syrian crop is also large and better. As a result, Indian cumin may face stiff competition, Mehta warned.
On the domestic front, about 60% of the Gujarat crop and around 45% of the Rajasthan crop have already arrived in the market. Mehta cautioned: “If the weak trend in exports continue this year, we may see farmers shifting to other crops and face higher carryover stocks.”
For commodity traders and procurement teams, the sharp drop in Chinese offtake and the prospect of a larger Chinese crop suggest that Indian cumin prices may remain under pressure in the near term. The US-Iran deal could revive some Middle Eastern demand, but the increasing competition from Syria and China poses a structural challenge to India’s cumin export prospects.
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