Cardamom farmers have claimed they are not getting a reasonable price for their product from the last two years. Since the price of cardamom has been fluctuating in the market, the farmers are waiting for the price to rise to a level that is feasible for them.

Though the country has immense potential in cardamom farming, not able to get a reasonable price has become a regular issue.

As per the Nepal Cardamom Entrepreneurs Association, the current price of cardamom ranges from Rs 28,000 to Rs 30,000 per 40 kg. And the price has not increased for the last two years.

“For the last two years the cardamom prices have kept fluctuating in between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 per 40 kg,” said Aarati Tamang, a farmer from Dhankuta and a member of the association.

According to Tamang, the price had reached Rs 120,000 per 40 kg in 2017.

“Since then the price has been going down and it was once at Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per 40 kg and we stockpiled our produce expecting the price to again increase to what it was two years back,” she added.

Moreover, the Indian traders have been claiming that Nepali cardamom is of low quality.

This has now become a regular excuse for Indian traders buying Nepali cardamom at a low price, Tamang said. “Although the cardamom price has increased in the Indian market, importers from the southern neighbor are not willing to pay the price that Nepali exporters have been seeking,” she added.