Spice industry has been witnessing phenomenal growth rates both in the international and domestic sector. The growth in this sector can be attributed to the change in the lifestyle patterns of the consumers all over the world. The shift in the consumption trend toward natural products has also contributed to the increased global demand of spices and culinary herbs. Spice and derivatives market is booming because these products find applications in a number of industries including pharmaceutical, medicine, beverages, food processing, personal hygiene products to name a few.

Developing countries especially in the Asian continent are the major producers of variety of spices. A large percentage of international and domestic trade takes place in the dried form. India, Indonesia, China are few of the prime producers of a variety of high quality spices and also significant contributors to the global spice trade.

The culinary herb market is also expanding though the production areas are widely distributed. India is one of the prime producers and suppliers of raw herbs to USA and the EU. This is a labour intensive industry, therefore producers must have a sound knowledge of the methods and processes involved in the production of herbs and spices.