KATHMANDU, JANUARY 28 Lamjung district has generated more than Rs 243 million from black cardamom sales in the ongoing fiscal year 2025/26, despite a slight decline in production. According to Hari Bahadur Mijar, Agriculture Officer at the National Agriculture Modernization Project (NAMP) Implementation Unit, Lamjung, farmers sold 135 metric tonnes of black cardamom this year. The spice was traded at prices ranging from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,500 per kilogram, resulting in higher overall earnings despite lower output. In the previous fiscal year 2024/25, the district earned over Rs 220 million from 150 metric tonnes, with prices between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,400 per kg. Mijar attributed the current price rise to reduced black cardamom production in neighbouring India, which has increased demand for Nepali produce. Often referred to as 'Black Gold', black cardamom remains one of the most lucrative cash crops in Lamjung. Farmers earned over Rs 240 million from 251 metric tonnes in 2023/24, when prices averaged around Rs 1,200 per kg. Earnings stood at Rs 200 million from 380 metric tonnes in 2022/23, and Rs 150 million from 335 metric tonnes in 2021/22. Similarly, farmers generated Rs 182 million by selling 3,500 quintals in 2020/21, while income in 2019/20 reached Rs 120 million from 2,000 quintals. Although black cardamom is cultivated across 750 hectares in Lamjung, production is currently limited to about 375 hectares, according to NAMP. The project has designated Marsyangdi, Besisahar, Kholasothar, Dudhpokhari and Dordi as cardamom pocket zones, as these areas account for the highest production in the district. (With inputs from RSS)