SATV KATHMANDU Nov. 19: The price of cardamom has once again exceeded Rs. 100,000 per 40 kilos. It took 12 years for the price of cardamom, which was low for a long time, to reach Rs. 100,000 per 40 kilos again in the district.

In the year 2012, the price of cardamom had reached Rs. 120,000 per man (40 kgs), but since then it has been going down continuously. 

Shyam Shah, a cardamom trader in Hile, said that the price of cardamom, which has started to drop from Rs. 60,000 per 40 kgs in the year 2074 BS, was traded at an average of Rs. 25,000 per man until last December. Since then, it has been increasing steadily. 

He said that last year it was traded at around Rs. 60,000 per man, but on Sunday it reached Rs. 102,000. According to Shah, the price increased after the production was low and the big businessmen started buying cardamom and stocking it.

This is the last stage of the cardamom production season. Most of the farmers have sold cardamom. At the time the farmers sold cardamom, they got only around Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 90,000 per man. 

Cardamom farmer Nirmal Syangden of Pakhribas Municipality-2 said that after the farmers ended selling cardamom, the price exceeded Rs. 100,000 per man.

"After the cardamom with the farmer finished, the price exceeded Rs. 100,000 per 40 kgs. But it is not certain whether this price will last until next year's cardamom production," said Syangden.

In the previous years, the price would rise as soon as the farmer's production was finished and the it would decrease after the farmer's production started, but this year it has been continuously rising since the new cardamom production started.

In the initial season of cardamom production, the price stood at about Rs. 80,000 per man in the month of August. After that, the price of cardamom, which has been continuously rising, reached Rs. 100,000 per man in mid-November.

According to Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Dhankuta, the prices may have increased due to the decrease in production and increased demand. 

Nagendra Rana, Chief of Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Dhankuta, said that only if the production in India decreased, Nepali cardamom got a good price as the cardamom market depended on India.

The cardamom has been cultivated in Dhankuta for about four decades.  In the district, around 36 tonnes of cardamom is produced from an area of about 112 hectares of land. 

According to the data provided by the Centre, highest amount of cardamom at around 134 tonnes was produced in 230 hectares of land in the fiscal year 2017/18. 

Since then, the production of cardamom has been continuously declining due to the outbreak of various diseases.