November 7: Farmers in Taplejung now are busy in harvesting cardamom. With the festive season coming to an end, they are fully engaged in picking, peeling and basking cardamom.    
The period between mid-September to mid-December is the prime time for harvesting cardamom.    
Gyan Bahadur Gurung, a cardamom farmer of Pathivara Yangwarak Rural Municipality-1, Thechambu, informed that the farmers have stepped up their preparation to pick and harvest cardamom fearing possible menace from wildlife. He further said they did not conveniently celebrate the grand festivals such as Dashain and Tihar due to cardamom season.    
Farmers had to spend their time in cardamom farm even during festivals as it was the main season for harvesting, said Basanta Limbu, a farmer of Faktanglung Rural Municipality-6. Madibung.    
Likewise, Khongdu Sherpa, a farmer of Fungling Municipality-6, Bihibare said they were entirely busy in picking, peeling and basking cardamom during the Tihar festival.    
As there is rising fear of wildlife rampage, the farmers had devoted their effort for timely harvesting cardamom, he added.    
It is the high time for the entire cardamom farmers across the district to harvest their yields. There is massive cardamom farming in 60 wards of all nine local units in the district.    
Cardamom has been cultivated in around 4,450 hectares of land in the district. -- RSS