Lamjung, Jan 28: Lamjung district has generated more than Rs 243 million from the sale of black cardamom in the ongoing fiscal year 2025/26, despite a slight decline in production.
According to Hari Bahadur Mizar, Agriculture Officer at the National Agriculture Modernization Project (NAMP) Implementation Unit, Lamjung, farmers in the district sold 135 metric tonnes of black cardamom this year.
The aromatic spice fetched between Rs 1,800 and Rs 2,500 per kilogram, resulting in total earnings of over Rs 243 million, Mizar said. He added that although production declined compared to the previous fiscal year, higher market prices helped increase overall income.
In the fiscal year 2024/25, Lamjung earned more than Rs 220 million from the sale of 150 metric tonnes of black cardamom, which was priced between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,400 per kg.
Mizar attributed the favorable prices to reduced production in neighbouring India, which led to increased demand for Nepali black cardamom in the international market.
Often referred to as “Black Gold,” black cardamom has emerged as one of the most lucrative cash crops for farmers in Lamjung and other hilly districts of Nepal.
Historical data show that farmers earned over Rs 240 million in the fiscal year 2023/24 by selling 251 metric tonnes of black cardamom at an average price of around Rs 1,200 per kg. Similarly, income stood at Rs 200 million in 2022/23, with 380 metric tonnes sold at prices ranging from Rs 550 to Rs 700 per kg.
In the fiscal year 2021/22, farmers generated Rs 150 million from the sale of 335 metric tonnes, while earnings reached Rs 182 million in 2020/21 from the sale of 3,500 quintals. Records further indicate that in 2019/20, farmers earned Rs 120 million from selling 2,000 quintals of black cardamom.
Although black cardamom is cultivated over approximately 750 hectares in Lamjung, active production currently takes place on around 375 hectares, according to the NAMP Implementation Unit.
The project has declared Marsyangdi Rural Municipality, Besisahar Municipality, Kholasothar Rural Municipality, Dudhpokhari Rural Municipality, and Dordi Rural Municipality as designated cardamom pocket zones, as these areas produce the highest volume of black cardamom in the district. #nepal #cardamom
