India's Harvest Calendar for Herbs and Spices

In short

India has two main farming seasons. Seed spices such as cumin, coriander, fennel and fenugreek, and psyllium, are sown in winter and harvested from February to April. Roots and rhizomes such as turmeric, ashwagandha and ginger are harvested from December to March. Black pepper and cardamom from the south are harvested in winter, leaves such as moringa and neem are cut all year, and rain-fed oilseeds and millets are harvested from September to November.

The two seasons: kharif and rabi

In India, crops are organised around the monsoon:

Kharif, the rainy season: sown with the monsoon in June and July and harvested from September to November. Sesame, groundnut and most millets are kharif crops.
Rabi, the winter season: sown from October to December and harvested from February to April. Cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, psyllium and mustard are rabi crops.

Long crops such as turmeric and ashwagandha, and tree and hill crops such as pepper and cardamom, follow their own calendars.

The calendar, product by product

Typical harvest months and main growing areas. Dates shift with each year's weather and region.

Seed spices (rabi)
Product	Main areas	Harvest
Cumin	Gujarat, Rajasthan	February to March
Coriander seed	Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat	February to April
Fennel seed	Gujarat, Rajasthan	February to April
Fenugreek	Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh	February to March
Ajwain	Gujarat, Rajasthan	February to April
Psyllium	Gujarat, Rajasthan	February to March

Roots and rhizomes
Product	Main areas	Harvest
Ashwagandha	Madhya Pradesh (Mandsaur, Neemuch), Rajasthan	January to March
Turmeric	Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh	January to March
Dry ginger	Kerala, northeast India	December to February

Southern and tropical spices
Product	Main areas	Harvest
Black pepper	Kerala, Karnataka	December to March
Green cardamom	Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu	August to February, in several pickings
Red chilli, including the Kashmiri type	Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka	January to April
Tamarind	Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh	January to April

Leaves and herbs
Product	Main areas	Harvest
Moringa leaf	Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka	All year, in several cuts
Neem leaf	All India	All year
Brahmi	Wet areas across India	Several times a year
Tulsi	All India	At flowering, after the monsoon, with a second cut later

Fruits
Product	Main areas	Harvest
Amla	Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan	November to February
Raisins	Maharashtra (Nashik, Sangli), Karnataka	Grapes harvested February to April; raisins dried February to May
Mango	Several states	April to July
Kokum	Konkan coast	April to June
Jamun	Several states	June to July

Oilseeds, grains and seeds for sowing
Product	Main areas	Harvest
Sesame	Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal	September to November (kharif); May to June (summer crop)
Groundnut	Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh	September to November
Mustard seed	Rajasthan	February to March
Pearl millet (bajra)	Rajasthan	September to October
Finger millet (ragi)	Karnataka	October to December
Moringa seed for sowing	South India	Mainly March to June

How to use the calendar to buy

Ask for samples before harvest. If you approve the quality in advance, you can fix volumes as soon as new crop arrives.
Ask for the crop year. Outside the season, stored product is sold. It can be in perfect condition, but aroma and colour change with time; ask for the crop year in the specification.
Plan large lots early. For many crops, supply is widest in the weeks after harvest. Prices still move with weather, demand and stocks, so no date guarantees the best price.
Allow for transit. A sea shipment takes about 5–9 weeks port-to-port to Mexico or the USA, plus the time to source, test and pack the lot. If you sell into a particular season, ask for a quotation several months ahead.

The monsoon, festivals and shipping

From June to September the monsoon brings heavy humidity. Dried product can take up moisture in the warehouse and in the container, so for those months we agree moisture-proof liners and, where needed, desiccants in the container.

Major festivals, such as Diwali in October or November and Holi in March, slow markets and labour for a few days. If your shipment falls near those dates, allow for it in your timeline.

If this is your first import into Mexico, read how to import herbs from India into Mexico too.

The dates in this guide are typical for each crop and shift with weather and region. Every quotation confirms availability and the crop year of the lot.

Frequently asked questions

When are cumin, coriander and fennel harvested in India?

They are winter (rabi) crops: sown in October and November and harvested from February to April, mainly in Gujarat and Rajasthan. New crop reaches the markets from March.

Can you supply all year round?

Yes, for most products. Outside the harvest season, stored product from the last crop is sold. Every quotation states the crop year of the lot.

What is new crop and why does it matter?

New crop is this year's harvest, freshly harvested and dried. It usually has better aroma and colour than stored product, and for many crops supply is widest in the weeks after harvest. If it matters to you, ask for the crop year in the specification.

Which products are available all year?

Leaves that are cut several times a year, such as moringa, neem and brahmi, and most dried products that store well, such as seed spices, roots and powders, which are sold from stock between one harvest and the next.

How does the monsoon affect shipments?

From June to September the air is very humid. For those months it is worth using moisture-proof liners and, where needed, desiccants in the container. We agree this in the specification.

India's harvest calendar for herbs and spices