The price of cardamom has seen a threefold increase this season, marking the highest price in the past four years and bringing optimism to local farmers.
Trader Jeevan Pandey revealed that the current price of cardamom has risen nearly three times compared to the previous year, reaching Rs 85,000 per quintal, up from Rs 28,000 last year.
According to Pandey, the surge in cardamom prices can be attributed to an insufficient supply to meet the international market demand. Biren Shereng of Suryodaya municipality-1, cultivating cardamom across approximately 100 ropani of land, expressed that the improved quality of cardamom and the adoption of modern farming techniques have significantly increased annual yields.
Shereng mentioned that the production of 27 to 30 metric tons of cardamom annually has translated into savings of at least one million rupees.
The positive trend extends to the entire district of Ilam, where this year witnessed a total production of 1,325 metric tons of cardamom, marking a 7.96 percent increase from the previous year.
The Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Ilam reported that cardamom cultivation covered 1,753 hectares of land, with an increased productivity rate of 0.75 per hectare compared to 0.69 per hectare in the previous year.
Despite a decrease in cardamom plantations, the overall production and productivity have surged, bringing economic benefits to farmers in the region.
Cardamom cultivation is prevalent across all 10 local levels in Ilam, with a more extensive presence in Maijogmai and Sandakpur rural municipalities.
The cultivation of cardamom, thriving at altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 meters above sea level, has become a key contributor to the improved income of local farmers.