Cardamom worth Rs. 4.56 billion exported in first six months of current fiscal year

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 12: The income from the export of cardamom has seen a notable increase during the first half of the current fiscal year 2024/25, despite a significant drop in the quantity of exports. 

The surge in income is attributed to the higher price of cardamom this year compared to last year. 

The statistics of the Department of Customs showed that the export of cardamom in quantity has decreased by 7 per cent during the first six months of the current fiscal year as compared to the same period last year.

In the first six months of the current fiscal year, the export of cardamom has decreased by about 192 tonnes compared to the same period last fiscal year.  

About 2,674 tonnes of cardamom have been exported in the first six months of the current fiscal year while 2,866 tonnes of cardamom had been exported in the same period last fiscal year.

In terms of value, the export has increased by 17 per cent during the review period as compared to the corresponding period last fiscal year. 

According to the statistics, the country exported cardamom worth Rs. 4.56 billion during the first six months of the current fiscal year. Cardamom worth Rs. 3.90 billion had been exported during the first six months of the last fiscal year.

Production falls by almost 20%, price goes up by 25% President of Large Cardamom Entrepreneurs' Association of Nepal Nirmal Bhattarai said that although there has been a significant decline in the export of cardamom, the income from the sale of cardamom has increased due to increase in its prices.

“Due to a decline in production of cardamom, the export dropped significantly. The production of cardamom decreased by almost 20 per cent this year compared to last year,” he said.

Owing to the climate change, the production of cardamom has been declining in the country for the last three years, he said. 

The production declined by 50 per cent last year as compared to previous fiscal year. 

Around only 4,000 tonnes of cardamom was expected to be produced in the country this year, he said. Around 5,000 tonnes of cardamom was produced in last year while around 9,000 tonnes of cardamom was produced three years ago.

The cardamom is farmed in around 18,000 hectares of land, he said. 

According to Bhattarai, the price of cardamom has increased by up to 25 per cent this year against last year’s price. 

Farmers have been selling a kilogram of cardamom at Rs. 2,750 per kg based on quality at present which was limited to Rs. 2,250 a kilo last fiscal year.

The price of cardamom has been fluctuating significantly in the local market based on its production in Nepal, India and Bhutan. The production of cardamom declined even in India and Bhutan leading to increased prices, he said.

"If we can expand the area under cardamom cultivation and increase production, Nepal can benefit from the recent price increase. Nepal has the potential to produce over 25,000 tonnes of cardamom," he said.