Jhapa, April 26: Nepal’s cardamom exports have increased this year. In the first 9 months of the current FY 2082/83 BS, cardamom worth Rs. 10.70 billion (approximately) has been exported through the Mechi Customs Office, Kakadbhitta.
According to Information Officer Ishwor Kumar Humagain, a total of 5.29 million kilograms of cardamom have been exported from Shrawan to Chaitra (Nepali calender). Compared to the same period of the previous FY 2081/82 BS, exports have increased by 41.58 percent.
Traders say that cardamom has been traded at prices ranging from Rs 80,000 to 95,000 per 40 kg, and prices have remained high and stable throughout the year. Even toward the end of the season, prices remained strong, ranging between Rs 76,000 and Rs 100,000 per 40 kg, according to Krishna Paudyal, chairperson of the Ilam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He added that exports to Gulf countries have declined in recent times due to tensions in West Asia. However, as cardamom farming has become more profitable, farmers have been expanding its cultivation.
Cardamom is now cultivated in 54 districts across Nepal. According to the Cardamom Development Centre, the crop is grown on around 14,383.5 hectares of land nationwide.
Production is highest in the Koshi hill districts, particularly in Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung, Tehrathum, Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, and Dhankuta. #Nepal #cardamom
