Kathmandu, July 27: Nepal’s cardamom exports reached a historic high in the fiscal year 2025/26, with export earnings surpassing Rs. 12 billion for the first time, driven by strong international prices.
According to the Department of Customs, Nepal exported large cardamom worth Rs. 12.64 billion during the last fiscal year, marking the highest export value ever recorded for the spice. Export earnings increased by 64.58 percent compared to the previous fiscal year, when exports totaled Rs. 7.68 billion.
Export volume also rose significantly, with Nepal shipping 6,395 tonnes of cardamom, up from 4,301 tonnes in fiscal year 2024/25.
The latest earnings surpassed the previous record set in 2022/23, when Nepal exported cardamom worth around Rs. 8.27 billion despite exporting a much higher volume of 9,990 tonnes, indicating that stronger global prices were the main driver of this year’s record earnings.
Cardamom accounted for 4 percent of Nepal’s total exports, which reached a record Rs. 315 billion during the fiscal year. In comparison, the spice contributed 2.75 percent of total exports in 2024/25, when overall exports stood at Rs. 277 billion.
Deepak Nepal, President of the Federation of Large Cardamom Entrepreneurs of Nepal, said the record export earnings were largely the result of rising market prices rather than increased production alone. According to him, farmers sold cardamom for Rs. 2,400 to Rs. 2,700 per kilogram at the beginning of the harvest season in August, with prices climbing to around Rs. 2,800 per kilogram during the peak harvest months of November and December.
He said these were the highest prices farmers had received in the past decade. The all-time record price was recorded in 2010, when cardamom sold for Rs. 120,000 per maund, equivalent to approximately Rs. 3,000 per kilogram.
The favorable prices have encouraged farmers to expand cultivation. Nepal noted that more than 90 percent of export earnings ultimately reach farmers because exporters operate on relatively small profit margins. He added that most farmers and traders had already sold their stocks due to the attractive prices, leaving very little carryover inventory for the current season.
Productivity remains below potential
Despite the record export earnings, industry leaders say productivity remains below Nepal’s potential because of crop diseases and limited access to quality agricultural inputs. According to Deepak Nepal, national cardamom production is estimated to have increased by around 20 percent this year to 6,500 tonnes, compared to 5,200 tonnes last year. Production is expected to grow by another 20 to 25 percent next season.
He said Nepal has the potential to produce at least 10,000 tonnes of cardamom annually, as the crop is cultivated on around 20,000 hectares across 52 districts. However, annual production has remained between 5,000 and 7,000 tonnes.
Although cultivation has expanded to about 18,000 hectares, yields remain low due to disease outbreaks and inadequate agricultural support. Large cardamom is grown mainly in eastern Nepal, with Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Panchthar and Ilam accounting for more than 80 percent of national production. Taplejung is the country’s largest producer, contributing 44 percent of total output, followed by Sankhuwasabha with 22 percent.
Deepak Nepal urged the government to prioritize the sector by providing concessional loans, technical assistance and improved storage facilities. “If the government prioritizes the sector and supports farmers with affordable financing and technical assistance, annual production could reach 10,000 tonnes, and export earnings could double,” he said.
He also stressed the need to improve storage infrastructure, noting that many farmers are forced to sell immediately after harvest, even when market prices are low. According to industry estimates, Nepal accounts for nearly 60 percent of global large cardamom production, while India remains the world’s largest consumer of the spice.#nepal
