India leads in cucumber & gherkin exports

India has emerged as the largest exporter of gherkins (or pickled cucumbers) and cucumbers in the world. Data from the Commerce & Industry Ministry suggests that India’s outbound shipments for gherkins amounted to US$114 million from April-October 2021 while it exported cucumbers to the tune of 1,23,846 metric tonne. In contrast, in entire FY21, the country exported pickled cucumbers worth US$ 200 million. In 2020-21, India had exported 2,23,515 metric tonne of cucumber and gherkins amounting US$ 223 millions.

The ministry also stated that India has crossed the US$ 200 million mark of export of agricultural processed product, – pickling cucumber, which is globally referred as gherkins or cornichons, in the last financial year. Gherkins are exported under two categories-cucumbers and gherkins, which are prepared and preserved by vinegar or acetic acid and those which are provisionally preserved.

What has made India the cucumber pickle king is that it accounts for 15% of the global requirement of gherkins as the produce is of international standard. Pickled cucumbers from India are shipped to over 20 countries including the USA, France, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Israel, Germany among others. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana form a major chunk of this export pie.