The auction for small cardamom commenced in Mumbai on Thursday with the maximum price moving to very good levels for the current season at Rs 681 per kg.
The auction, the first ever to be conducted outside south India, witnessed hectic demand and good buying. Of the total 4012 kg offered in 45 lots, 3285 kg were auctioned off with prices touching Rs 681 per kg.
The minimum price recorded was Rs 222 per kg. The average price worked out at Rs 347.67 kg, sources said.
Traders from Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Delhi, Pune, Bodinaikannur and Salem offered their bids. Cardamom for auctions were brought to Mumbai from distant Bodinaikannur in Tamil Nadu, which till now was the main trading centre for cardamom in the country.
Besides some of the cardamom plantation owners from Tamil Nadu and Kerala also offered their lots in this auction, sources said.
The auction in Mumbai was managed by Perfect Cardamom and Spice Marketing Company which had been licensed by the spices board.
The cardamom auction in Mumbai would be held twice in a week (Monday and Thursday), sources added.
The chairman of the spices board, V Jayashankar ,in his inaugural speech offered all possible help for the smooth conduct of the auction, adding more auction centres for small cardamom would be opened in other states.
This would facilitate availability of good quality cardamom not only for the small cardamom traders but also for the manufacturers of pan masalas and bakery products.
The north Indian consumers would also get the opportunity to get good cardamom capsules at fair prices, the chairman said.
The decision to open more auction centres in north Indian states was taken by the Spices Board for better market price realisation for the cardamom producers in the country and to make available better quality capsules for the north Indian market.
The Union commerce minister, B B Ramaiah, during his recent visit to the state had said it was proposed to start cardamom auction centres in Kanpur and Delhi.
