The cardamom output may fall 15-20 per cent this season due to delayed monsoon. The plantations in Kerala were devoid of showers during June, resulting in a drought condition that hampered the crop output, farmers from Idukki said.
Last year, the total production was 10,000 tonnes, a majority of which was contributed by Idukki district. Growers said that heavy rainfall during the later half of August has also badly affected the crop in some areas as new offshoots were destroyed.
Apart from monsoon, scarcity of labour has also affected the labour-intensive cardamom production. In some areas, this has affected the proper maintenance of plantations. For the last few years, acreage has been static mainly due to labour shortage, which has also affected the grading of the crop.
The estimated drop in production may also lead to a rise in prices, as demand is likely to pick up during the festival season, especially around Diwali. Traders said there is a good local demand for the spice as north Indian traders have started procuring cardamom for the festival season. The average price of cardamom has increased to Rs 650 -700 a kg during this week, up Rs 40 from the last week.
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