Spices Board to launch second e-auction centre

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.
The new auction centre, constructed on two acres of land at the Board's premises in Bodinayakanur, is equipped with all the modern facilities to assist the cardamom trade.
"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.