Kathmandu, 20 Sep: The harvesting of cardamom has commenced in Lamjung. Harvesting has started for cardamom cultivated up to an altitude of 1,200 meters.
Farmers of Tarachok, Sherā in Marsyangdi Village Municipality-7 have started picking their ripe cardamom of the Dambarsai and Jirmale varieties, according to farmer Dambar Singh Adhikari. “This year, the cardamom ripened early, so the harvesting has also started sooner,” said Adhikari. “We will now dry, grade, and sell it.” Farmers in Tarachok have cultivated cardamom on more than 40 ropani of land.
“All the farmers in the village are enthusiastic about harvesting cardamom,” said local Indra Prasad Tamang. “Locals have replaced their fallow lands and paddy fields that were going to waste with cardamom.” As cardamom farming started providing a substantial income, even those who had migrated have returned to the village. After the migration, only 6 families remained in Ludi, Marsyangdi-7; now there are 19 families.
According to local Ram Prasad Tamang, even those who had moved to city markets have returned to the village and are engaged in cardamom farming. Cardamom has been planted on 400 ropani of land throughout Ludi village. According to Tamang, cardamom farming has been carried out collectively by forming the Ludi Cardamom Farmers Group.
Lok Nath Ghimire, a farmer from Bahundanda, Marsyangdi-6, also reported that he has already finished picking and drying his cardamom. He stated that the Ramshahi variety cardamom planted on 6 ropani of land yielded 150 kg.
Production and Market Outlook
According to Ajay Tamang, President of the Gandaki Province Cardamom Business Association, cardamom planted above 1,200 meters will begin to be harvested after Dashain. It is cultivated on approximately 1,200 ropani of land in the district. The Association informed that cardamom planted on 750 ropani will yield production this year. Although cultivation had expanded to 1,500 ropani in the past, the plants were destroyed due to various diseases.
The largest cultivation in the district is in Marsyangdi Village Municipality, covering 400 hectares. The Association stated that commercial cardamom farming is also being carried out in various villages of Beshisahar, Dordi, Dudhpokhari, and Kwholasonthar Village Municipalities. This year’s production is estimated to be 60 metric tons.
Farmers in the district have been earning more than NPR 16 crore from cardamom sales. This year, with production expected to increase and prices having risen, income could reach around NPR 20 crore, according to Som Bahadur Tamang, President of the Lamjung Cardamom Business Association.
According to the Nepal Cardamom Business Association, at the major trading center in Birtamod, cardamom is currently being sold at prices ranging from NPR 81,000 to NPR 92,000 per man (40 kg), depending on the grade. The highest quality cardamom is called ‘Bold’. The current market price for ‘Bold’ cardamom is NPR 92,000 per man. The standard quality cardamom, known as ‘Chalu’, is priced at NPR 81,000 per man. The medium quality, referred to as ‘JeJe’, is priced at NPR 84,000 per man, the Association informed.
