Spice prices and quality follow the crop year. Buying just after harvest usually gives the widest choice and the freshest aroma; buying late in the season means carried-over stock and thinner supply. The months below are the usual pattern — weather and region move them by a few weeks every year.
Harvest months at a glance
| Spice | Main growing regions | Main harvest | New crop in the market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black pepper | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu | November – February | December – March |
| Small (green) cardamom | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu | August – February, peak October – December | September onwards |
| Turmeric | Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh | January – April | February – May |
| Dry red chilli | Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh | December – April | January – May |
| Cumin | Gujarat, Rajasthan | February – March | March – May |
| Coriander seed | Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat | February – March | March – May |
| Fennel | Gujarat, Rajasthan | February – April | March – May |
| Fenugreek seed | Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat | February – April | March – May |
| Mustard seed | Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana | February – March | March – April |
| Ajwain | Rajasthan, Gujarat | February – March | March – April |
| Dry ginger | Kerala, Karnataka, North-East India | December – February | January – March |
| Garlic | Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan | February – April | March – May |
| Tamarind | Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh | February – April | March – May |
| Nutmeg and mace | Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu | June – August | July – September |
| Saffron | Kashmir | Late October – mid November | November – December |
What the calendar means for a buyer
- The seed spices of western India — cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, mustard — all arrive between March and May. That is the window to agree yearly contracts.
- Pepper, ginger and turmeric are winter and spring harvests; cardamom is picked in rounds over several months, so quality varies within one season.
- Just before a new crop, stocks are at their lowest and prices react sharply to weather news. Just after it, ask for the crop year on the offer: "new crop" should mean the harvest that has just finished.
- Extracts follow the raw material. Oleoresin and essential-oil producers buy their year's spice at harvest, so contract prices for extracts are usually set in the same windows.
Planning purchases
Share an annual forecast with your supplier before the harvest of each spice you use. It lets the processor secure the grade you need while choice is widest, and it is the basis for a fixed-price or formula-price contract. For spices you buy only occasionally, ask for the crop year and the date of processing on the Certificate of Analysis, and check the volatile-oil figure: it is the first number to fall in old stock.
Need a specification, a sample Certificate of Analysis or a quotation? Tell us the product, grade and quantity.
Contact Meekoo