Large cardamom produced in Nepal

Posted by Anup Baral December 22, 2015 :

Farmers says happy days are here again after cardamom prices reaching new highs. After a decade in the doldrums, the large cardamom business has stirred to life with prices hitting a record Rs 2,250 per kg and climbing. Large cardamom, also known as black cardamom or brown cardamom is the dried fruit of Amomum Sabulatum, a perennial herbaceous plant of family Zingiberaceae and its quality characteristics are different from that of small cardamom or green cardamom (Sukmel in Nepali). Large cardamom is abundantly grown in Nepal, thus it is also known as Nepali cardamom (Elaichi in Nepali). The spice is one of the high value cash crops and export commodities and is grown only in Sikkim and Darjeeling in India, Bhutan and Nepal. Farmers said that prices were expected to soar further after the harvest begins. Cardamom prices normally rise during the main harvesting season (July-September) and the slack season (December-May). The harvest season starts in July and continues until September. During this period, transactions reach a peak, creating immense competition among buyers which pushes up prices. Large cardamom prices had plunged to Rs 1,000 per kg in 2011 on low overseas demand. Since then, prices have been rising gradually, reaching Rs 1,500 per kg last year.