5th Large Cardamom auction averages Rs. 1,688/kg

The 5th auction of Large Cardamom for the year 2014-15 was carried out on 11 February at the Spices Board’s Auction Centre at Singtam. The 2897.4 kgs put under the hammer on the day fetched an average of Rs. 1,688 per kilo [Rs. 67,520 per mound], and as per CS Ghatani, Assistant Director, Spices Board, Singtam, the cardamom growers were satisfied with the auction and have assured to bring their produce for future auctions.

Cardamom fetches Rs. 67,500 per maund in Siliguri market!

The large cardamom plantations might be in decline in Sikkim, but the prices are on a steep incline

WEEKLY MARKET PRICE OF LARGE CARDAMOM & FRESH GINGER COLLECTED BY THE SPICES BOARD, GOVT. OF INDIA, SINGTAM ON 08 Jan 2015

Large Cardamom	Name of the markets
	Gangtok	Singtam	Mangan	Jorethang	Geyzing	Kalimpong	Siliguri
Badadana (/kg.)	1637.510	1662.50	1587.50	1600.00	1562.50	1650.00	1687.50
Chotadana (/kg.)	1612.50	1587.50	1587.50	1525.00	1537.50	1600.00	1575.00
Badadaba (/ maund)	65500.00	66500.00	63500.00	64000.00	62500.00	66000.00	67500.00
Chotadana  (/ maund)	64500.00	63500.00	63500.00	61000.00	61500.00	64000.00	63000.00
Ginger		Singtam	Rangpo	Jorethang	Geyzing	Kalimpong	Siliguri
(Price - /kg.)	Mota	25.00	25.00	---`	---	N.A.	30.00
	Patla	25.00	25.00	---	---	N.A.	28.00

 Assistant Director

Large cardamom plantation to be developed under MGNREGA convergence prog

GANGTOK, 06 July: A daylong program on Large Cardamom Plantation in convergence with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme was held at Dalapchand, under Regu Gram Vikash Kendra. A press release informs that Horticulture and Cash Crop Development Department and Rural Management & Development Department were also involved in the program.
During the program today, ADC (Development) Pakyong, Roshni Rai informed the gathering of farmers that an agreement has been signed between two implementing departments RMDD and HCCD where the former will provide labor for land clearing, pit digging, planting and irrigation purposes while the HCCD will provide all inputs like organic manure training, seedlings and other technical support. She urged all the farmers to take advantage of the programme in order to increase their income.
Additional Director Horticulture N/E, DL Chettri in his address informed that this is the first such program being implemented in the area and that all required materials and technical knowhow would be provided to them by the two departments, the release mentions.
In order to increase the survival rate of large cardamom plants such facilities are being provided to the farmers, he added.
During the demonstration of large cardamom plantation at beneficiary, Mahendra Rai's farm, Joint Director Horticulture Pakyong , PL Basnett informed the farmers about the process of cardamom plantation like distance between plants and digging pits. He also informed about the maintenance of surrounding, trees, water management and the role of animals and insects for large cardamom plantation.
He demonstrated the method of planting seedlings for healthy and fruitful plantation and involved farmers in the plantation. He further told the farmers to be present while the MGNREGA labourers plant cardamom saplings.
HDO Regu GVK, T Choppel Bhutia informed that 25 beneficiaries of Dalapchand GPU have been benefitted with 39,000 large cardamom seedlings which will cover nearly 13 ha of barren land. The seedlings have been provided by the department free of cost to the beneficiaries and it is expected to bear fruit after 2 years, it is further informed.
Panchayat Secretary, MK Rai and beneficiary, Ajay Gurung on their part thanked the implementing departments, government and the officers for providing such benefits to BPL category farmers of the area with such programs.

Annual Research Council Meeting on Large Cardamom seeks deeper scientific enquiry from farmers’ perspective

GANGTOK, 26 June: The XXII Annual Research Council Meeting on Large Cardamom of the Indian Cardamom Research Institute Regional Research Station, Spices Board was held today here at the Tourism Department’s conference hall. The meeting was attended by officials from state and central departments and organizations along with scientists, farmers and other stakeholders.

In the inaugural function, the chief guest, ICAR Joint Director, Dr RK Avasthi expressed that the survival of large cardamom is of great concern and increasing its productivity is of extreme importance and the state government is very serious about these issues.

He stated that there are some bottlenecks and issues of concern which needs to research work. Scientists need to look at problems and issues related to large cardamom from the farmer's point of view, said Dr Avasthi.

He added that some pockets in the state are doing well in terms of large cardamom production but not the whole state. Here he stressed upon the need of quality planting materials to improve productivity.

Horticulture Department Director, GP Chauhan stressed on the need for the different concerned departments and agencies related to large cardamom to work with better coordination and as a team. He further stressed upon the need for more research work to study the problems and issues related to the decline in the productivity of large cardamom.  

Spices Board, Cochin Director [Res] Dr MR Sudharshan mentioned that this annual meeting was to review the research works carried out by the research centre and to finalize the future programme. He gave a presentation on the Spices Board, its activities, achievements and new projects and initiatives across the country.

The inaugural function was also addressed by CAE&PHT Dean, Dr PK Srivastava, SAMETI Director, SL Dorjee and Sikkim University Registrar, TK Kaul. On the occasion, the chief guest also released the annual report of the centre. The inaugural session was followed by the technical session of the meeting. 

Miscreants make away with 64kgs of Large Cardamom

GANGTOK, 23 March: SIMFED’s Ginger processing unit at Nayabazar was vandalized on the night of 15 March by some unknown persons. A complaint has been filed at the Nayabazar police station by Deputy Manager, SIMFED, Kailash Roy. As per reports, the shutter at the processing unit located in Birdang was forced open and 64 kgs of large cardamom stocked inside stolen. No one has been arrested so far and the case is under investigation.

Sikkim growers tour Large Cardamom plantations in Lava

GANGTOK, 21 March [IPR]: Eighty farmers elected from all four Districts of the State were taken on a tour of Lava in Algarah Block of Kalimpong Sub-division in Darjeeling District of West Bengal in February-March 2012 as part of an exposure tour to areas where significant success has been achieved in large cardamom farming. The group visited large cardamom plantations at Gitbeong village and learnt of the different management practices adopted by the farmers there.
The farmers were escorted by Deputy Director of the Department and accompanied by Horticulture Development Officers along with Assistant Director, Mr. Ramalingam and Mr. Pradhan, Senior Farm Manager of Spices Board Office, Kalimpong, the organization instrumental in supporting the efforts of the large cardamom farmers of Darjeeling District.
Lava was selected for the visit as the region shared close similarity in terms of agro-climate and edaphic conditions including altitudinal aspects which was comparable with the large cardamom growing regions in Sikkim. Gitbeong village in Algarah Block is flanked on either side by Kalimpong Block and Gorubathan Block which includes Today, an important large cardamom growing belt in the region.
The main aim behind organising the tour was to provide Sikkim farmers an opportunity of informal learning through interactions and exchange of knowledge, information, views and idea.
“A very well maintained plot. We should also adopt the same method of planting,” exclaimed the jubilant farmers, T. Laripa and ST Bhutia, from Pelling.
Karma Bhutia and Nakul Rai from Assam Lingzey remarked that it was possible to maintain the same type of crop in Sikkim as well if the practices followed in Lava were adopted in earnest. Naku Lepcha of Lingi, South District, turned nostalgic upon finding himself at the same plantation from where he had procured the large cardamom suckers for his field six years ago and where it was still performing satisfactorily.
Lakpa Tarbu Sherpa, Panchayat President of Kewzing Bakhim GPU of South District and Khimu Lepcha, ex-Zilla Panchayat member of North District, expressed gratitude towards the Department for the opportunity provided to farmers through the exposure tour.
The agronomic practices followed for growing the crop at Lava are completely traditional in nature without use of any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. The crop is grown under totally organic conditions with use of organic Farm Yard Manure along with provision of irrigation water during the lean winter season using indigenous methods and resources.
Harvesting is followed by intensive care of the plot through application of organic manure to replenish the soil nutrients. The care extended to each plant after harvest was a critical factor determining further growth and development including yield of the crop in the ensuing season and neglect was something unheard of in the region.
In addition, the harvested culms are all collected, heaped and burnt, thereby helping in effective management of the disease inoculum in field, a farmer practice worth emulating and often neglected by farmers.
Phurba Sherpa, an organic farmer, maintains yielding plots as old as sixteen years which were well managed, healthy and free from pests and diseases. With large cardamom being a cross pollinated crop, a few plants of the Churmpa variety, a wild cultivar of large cardamom which was maintained by each farmer on his plot helped in imparting host plant resistance to the cultivated species.
The itinerary also included visits to the Indian Agriculture Research Institute where farmers of South District interacted with the scientists and observed the pot experiments aimed at managing the viral diseases inlcuding greening disease of mandarin orages being undertaken at Institute.

Hee-Gaon farmers fetch the highest price at 6th large cardamom auction

GANGTOK, 14 Mar: The 6th large cardamom auction was conducted by NERAMAC Ltd today at Spices Board’s auction centre at Rangpo.
A press release informs that the total arrival of large cardamom in the auction centre from all the four districts of Sikkim was 3.684 MT. Total quantity sold from the 42 lots was 2.604 MT worth Rs. 18,23,025 and 1.080 MT was withdrawn for next auction to be conducted on 28 March 2012.
Sukhlal Limbu from Hee-Gaon, West Sikkim fetched the highest price of large cardamom i.e Rs. 900 per kg (Rs. 36,000 per mound) in the auction which is much higher than the prevailing market price whereas minimum price was Rs. 635 per kg for inferior quality, the release informs. The average price of large cardamom in the 6th auction was Rs. 739 per kg i.e. Rs 29, 560 per mound.
Sr. Zonal Manager of NERAMAC Ltd, PC Roy has thanked the large cardamom growers and dealers for their participation in the auction and expressed his hope that the next auction to be held on 28 March will be more successful.
Mr Roy informed that the large cardamom growers who contributed maximum crop in the first year’s auction for the year 2010-11 will be awarded in a Seminar on “Fruit-wine and its commercialization” on 23 March at Denzong Regency, Gangtok, the release further mentions.

Fungus identified, Spices Board grapples with ways to fight it and resuscitate large cardamom production in Sikkim

ANUPA RAI
GANGTOK, 27 Nov: The Spices Board recently prepared a report on the “Management of Colletotrichum blight of large cardamom” which looks at the disease that has led to decline in large cardamom production in Sikkim.
“Blight disease that affects large cardamom is one of the major reasons for production decline at present,” states the report and informs that the disease is present in varying degrees at all locations of cultivation.

New season of auctions begins at Spices Board Auction Centre

5.62 MT OF LARGE CARDAMOM PUT TO AUCTION; BEST QUALITY FETCHES Rs. 871/KG BIDGANGTOK, 16 Nov: Large cardamom auction in Sikkim began its second year with a new season beginning today at the Spices Board Auction Centre at Rangpo.

Technology Awareness Program on cardamom concludes at Gyalshing

GANGTOK, 06 Nov: The final Technology Awareness Programme on Disease Free Planting materials and Post Harvest Management of Large Cardamom concluded at KVK, Gyalshing, West Sikkim, on 4 November 2011.

Technology Awareness Program on Large cardamom held at Bering

GANGTOK, 23 Oct: A Technology Awareness Programme on Disease Free Planting materials and post-harvest management of Large Cardamom was conducted at Bering, Ravangla, South Sikkim on 21 Oct, informs a press release.