Summer showers in most parts of Idukki district in Kerala have upset the production cycle of cardamom plantations, according to farmers. Idukki has the maximum area under the crop (around 32,500 hectares) and gives 60 per cent of the total production in the country.
The heavy rainfall, especially in the night, followed by summer heat has destroyed fresh panicles. According to growers this would badly affect the flowering of plantations leading to a decline in production. Next harvesting season would commence from July. The growth of fresh panicles from the suckers normally happens in May-June with the beginning of monsoon. But the on going, wide spread summer shower has upset the production cycle of plantations. Branches of these panicles carry flowers which ultimately produce cardamom. As the summer is at its peak, the heat damages the new offshoots that upsets the hopes of farmers here.
They said the drying of plants might affect the formation of new panicles and flowering during May-June. So, growers foresee a drop in production in the next cardamom season.
Meanwhile, the average price of the spice dropped to Rs 990 a kg in latest auction sales. On March 7, the price was Rs 1,008 a kg and on the March 6, it was Rs 1,010 a kg. Except on these two days of this month, auction centers quoted an average price below Rs 1,000 a kg. This is off season in cardamom production and growers and traders expected a sharp upward movement in prices during this period. But, to the dismay of growers and traders, the price is dropping now.
In last April, average price was Rs 1,353 a kg. In the harvesting season last year (July-September), the average price was Rs 1,200 a kg.