Spices Board to get focus on cardamom promotion

Spices Board is likely to select a global consultant soon for the promotion of Indian cardamom in west Asia, C J Jose, the board's chairman, said on Friday.

The board plans to complete the evaluation of the five bids, it had received in this connection, in the next one month, he said.

"We hope to begin the evaluation process by the end of the month and award the contract soon. We are waiting for an official from the ministry of commerce to join us for the evaluation," Jose said.

The board had invited global bids to appoint a consultant to suggest ways and means to improve the consumption of Indian cardamom in west Asia. Five international firms had submitted their bids to Rubber Board.

The total cost of the promotion project will be finalised after the evaluation of bids, Jose said. "We haven't opened the bids.

Only after opening the bid, we will have an idea regarding the cost," he said.

The countries in west Asia are the largest consumers of cardamom. India used to be the largest exporter of this commodity to these countries till the late 1980s.

"We have lost the market, with Guatemala emerging the major source for cardamom.

Guatemala supplies cardamom at a very low cost, compared with Indian prices. Now, the challenge is to recapture that market," Jose said.

India exported 1,600 tonnes cardamom worth Rs 350 million in 2004-05. Total cardamom production in the country in 2004 was estimated at around 9,000 tonnes.