Spices Board will launch its second e-auction centre at Bodinayakanur, known as cardamom city, in Tamil Nadu's Theni district, to ensure remunerative prices to cardamom farmers.
Spices Board Chairman A Jayathilak will inaugurate the centre tomorrow, according to a release here.
Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O Panneerselvam, along with Theni MP Parthibhan and Bodinayakanur Municipality Chairman N R Palaniraj, will attend the function.
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"Spices Board has revolutionised the auction system for small cardamom by introducing electronic auction, which has started benefiting cardamom growers. The first e-auction centre of the Board was set up at Puttady Spice Park, Kerala in 2011," Jayathilak said.
He added e-auction had replaced the traditional "outcry" system of auction of small cardamom, which also provides increased transparency in trade.
Since introduction of the e-auction, the small cardamom trade has grown manifold.
"The small cardamom production during 2015-16 was 22,000 tonnes, registering the highest production in India. The country exported 5,500 tonnes of small cardamom valued at Rs 450 crore during 2015-16, registering the highest export performance for small cardamomin the history of cardamom trade in India" he said.
He hoped that recent initiatives like the new e-auction centre, implementation of GAP (Good Agricultural Practices), judicious use of pesticides, application of bio-inputs and better grading would go a long way in assisting the cardamom industry and promoting consumption of the spice.