Gherkins

Gherkins

Part of: Prelims and GS-III Economy

Context: India has emerged as the largest exporter of gherkins in the world.

Key takeaways 

• India has crossed the USD 200 million mark of export of agricultural processed product, – pickling cucumber, in the last financial year.
• It is globally referred to as gherkins or cornichons.
• Gherkin cultivation started in India during the early 1990s in Karnataka and later extended to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• Nearly 15% production of the world’s gherkin requirement is grown in India.
• Apart from its export potential, the gherkin industry plays a key role in the creation of rural employment. 
  • In India, cultivation of gherkins is carried out under contract farming by around 90,000 small and marginal farmers with an annual production area of 65,000 acres.

News Source: ET