March 1: Cardamom prices continue to rule low amidst reports of swelling domestic production and increasing supplies of cheaper varieties in the international market. The latest auctions this season in upcountry centres saw cardamom fetching Rs 248.55 a kg whereas at Kumaly, in Kerala's Idukki district, the queen of spices fetched Rs 270.37 a kg at the February 21 auctions.In the same period last year, cardamom had fetched slightly higher prices, sources in the Spices Board said. In the upcountry centres last year, cardamom had fetched Rs 398.58 a kg. At the Kumaly auctions on February 22, 1997, cardamom had fetched Rs 379.97 a kg, sources added.
A total of 26,32,197 kg of cardamom has been sold so far this season (between August and February). In the same period last year, 22,70,391 kg of cardamom was sold.
Data available for the auction centres in Tamil Nadu indicate a marginal improvement in the price of cardamom in the period between August 1 and February 7. The price went up to Rs 235.10 per kgthis season from the earlier price of Rs 234.81. The Delhi and Mumbai auctions have shown slightly better performance.
Between the February and January auctions this season, the prices of cardamom registered a gain of Rs 7.28 a kg at these centres with the price moving up from Rs 269.32 a kg to Rs 276.60 a kg, sources added.
Kerala has accounted for over 50 per cent of the total sale of cardamom in the country this season. The state's cardamom centres have seen a sale of 12.27 lakh kg so far this season. Tamil Nadu centres accounted for the sale of 7.29 lakh kg, coming next to Kerala.
Spices Board estimates say the country will produce 5,560 tonnes of large cardamom this year. This is a slight improvement from last year's production of 5,150 tonnes. Nearly 8,000 tonnes of small cardamom is expected to be produced this year. Last year, the production was 6,625 tonnes.
The price of Indian cardamom had reached dizzy heights in 1992-93 with the queen of spices fetching as much as Rs 450-500 a kg. In thenext season, however, the arrival of cheaper Guatemalan cardamom in the international market dragged down prices by nearly half. Growers in India are still sore at the smuggling in of Guatemalan cardamom into the country.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
