March 12: Despite the price rise, cardamom export has witnessed a sharp spike this fiscal year. Following increase of demand and price due to the fall of cardamom’s output in India, export of black gold from Nepal has seen colossal hike. 

According to the data at Trade and Export Promotion Center, cardamom export has increased by 85 percent as per value in the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

Federation of Large Cardamom Entrepreneurs of Nepal (FLCEN) said that with the rise of demand the price of the cardamom had increased by Rs 13,000 per mann(traditional measurement tool). Forty kilograms constitute one mann. The price increase has also led the export to increase.  

Nepal exported 2,996 metric tons of cardamom worth Rs 2.64 billion in the first seven months of the last fiscal year. On the contrary, country exported 6,117 metric tons of the cardamom worth Rs 4.89 billion in the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

Federation of Large Cardamom Entrepreneurs of Nepal (FLCEN) Chairman Nirmal Bhattarai said that production of spice crop had declined both in Nepal and India this year.  India, which had produced 50,000 sacks of cardamom last year, produced only 20,000 sacks of cardamom this year. Though Nepal had produced 1,20,000 sacks of cardamom last year, the country produced just 1,0,5000 sacks of cardamom this year.

Since India’s production had increased last year, Nepal’s export was not enthusiastic. “Nepal’s cardamom export went up massively due to the export of stock cardamom and this year’s production simultaneously,” said Bhattarai.

In the last four months, the price of JJ(number one) cardamom jumped up from Rs 27,000 to Rs 40,000 per mann. Likewise, the value of SD(number two) increased from Rs 26,000 to Rs 39,000 per mann. The price of number of cardamom rose from Rs 25,000 to Rs 38,000. 

In spite of rise of export price, cardamom farmers have not been able to take benefit. At the time of cardamom harvesting, the price of number one cardamom was Rs 27,000 per mann. The cash crop had reached the hands of middlemen before the price had inflated, according to Bhattarai.

Of spices grown in Nepal, ginger ranks in the first place in terms of output  and area of cultivation. Cardamom ranks in the last place. Cardamom is cultivated in 1,700 hectares of the land in Nepal.

National Center for Potato, Vegetable, and Spice Crops Development’s Senior Crop Development Officer Rajan Pariyar said that export might have risen as the stock from the last year had come at a time in the market. 

“Traders exported cardamom they owned, causing the export to go up sharply,” Pariyar stated. Nepal’s cardamom export has found its market in Gulf countries from this year, apart from India and Pakistan.

Nepal has received export certificate(halal) for cardamom export to Gulf countries including Qatar.