Sources in the cardamom trade told The Financial Express that Japan has imported 87 tonnes of cardamom so far this season. "We are expecting to export another 50 tonnes within the next 15 days," he said pointing to the eagerness with which the Japanese market is absorbing the Indian produce.

However, he says, the Japanese are wary of wild fluctuations in price. "Price is not a barrier for the Japanese importers. They are only asking us to steady the price so that they can make more commitments," he added.

Japanese importers have reportedly indicated that prices should hold its own for at least a period of 10 days at a stretch. "If this can't be effected," said the source, "they willfeel that we are rigging the market." He said that the emergence of a new Chennai-based exporter has improved the export scene.

The rising demand in Japan for Indian cardamom is also an indication of the crop condition in Guatemala. According to Spices Board sources, the situation in Guatemala has not yet been properly assessed. The board is yet to confirm whether there has been a big cardamom crop loss in that country. Trade sources feel that Guatemalan new crop may be late in arriving in the international market. At the same time, they have not ruled out the possibility of crop losses this season.

The domestic scene, on the other hand, causes some depression for the cardamom growers in the country. According to sources in Bodinaikanur, prices fell this week by about Rs 75 per kg of cardamom. The average price of cardamom at this week's auctions stood at Rs 640 per kg from the previous week's Rs 715. However, an auctioneer in Bodi said that there is no reason to be worried about this week's pricelevels.

It has been alleged that upcountry traders are trying to beat down the price of the queen of spices with the setting in of the Christmas and New Year season. The season is considered good for the domestic sales in particular, sources said. However, reports from Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow have indicated that the offtake this season is lower owing to the prevailing high prices.Growers and auctioneers in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are not ready to believe these reports because they feel that they are aimed at driving down the prices. They feel that even if the demand does not pick up now, it is expected that by early next month prices will move up again. Their prediction is based on the declining crop arrivals this week. While 16 tonnes of cardamom was put up for auctions last week at the centres in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, this week has seen the quantity declining to 9.5 tonnes.

An official of the Cardamom Marketing Cooperative in Bodinaikanur said that so far 1,600 tonnes of cardamom hasbeen sold at the auctions. Another 800 tonnes have been sold directly to the buyers without reaching the auction centres taking the total sales this season to 2,400 tonnes.

Meanwhile, cardamom pickings have dropped considerably during the last two weeks. Vandanmedu area in Kerala's Idukki district is in the midst of its fourth picking this season. Similarly, in Santhanpara, pickings are not expected to improve in the coming weeks. This is an indication of the earlier estimates that there may be reduced cardamom crop this season even though the Spices Board has not released any estimates for the season.