Spices Board holds e-auction of small cardamom

Spices Board today held e-auction of small cardamom at Puttady Spice Park in Idukki district, where the operations were temporarily suspended for technical maintenance and upgrades.
Though the maintenance workis yet to be completed, one e-auction will be held every week at the Park till the maintenance work is completed, Dr A Jayatilak, Chairman, Spices Board, said dispelling rumours that the facility has been shifted to Tamil Nadu.
"Such rumours have literally left the small cardamom farmers in a state of bewilderment. And it is because of such false news doing rounds that we decided to conduct the e-auction every week," Jayatilak said in a release.

He urged the farmers not to fall in such traps and ensured that the maintenance works and technical upgrades are progressing at a fast pace.
Lauding the decision of the Spices Board, Joyichan Kannamundam, president of the Cardamom Growers Association, Vandanmedu, said that those spreadingrumours that the eauction centre has been shifted to Tamil Nadu are purely led by vested interests.
The Spices Board said it has conducted test trials for the last two weeks with the help of its employees as well as students and ensured that the auction would be conducted in an error-free manner.
At the Puttady facility, the e-auctions were held through 70 terminals.