Cardamom price plunge worries farmers

Dhankuta, November 13

Farmers in Dhankuta have been compelled to store cardamom in their houses as they cannot get suitable price in the market.

Local farmers did not sell cardamom this year in the hope that the price would increase. They received Rs 60,000 to 70,000 for 40 kg last year while the price this year has gone down by two times.

Binod Thapa, a local from Mahalaxmi Municipality said farmers would not get returns on their investment if they sold the cardamom at the current market price. “We are compelled to store cardamom in our houses due to sudden fall in price,” he added.

Farmers in the district are worried. Even traders have stored cardamom in their godowns and are waiting for the price to increase.

A trader at Hile, Tek Bahadur Bhandari, said he had around 1,200 kg cardamom in store. “I fear big loss if the price keeps on going down. I had bought and stored cardamom three years ago,” he added.

Dhankuta Cardamom Entrepreneurs Association Hile Branch Chairman Indra Titung said the farmers would have to bear huge financial loss if they did not get suitable price for cardamom this year.

According to statistics of District Agriculture Development Office, farmers in Dhankuta produced around 97 metric tonnes of cardamom last fiscal.