The Hindu Business Line : Cardamom prices up on thin supply

Kochi May 3 Cardamom prices moved up on thin arrivals during the week at auctions held in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Prices increased by Rs 30 a kg during the week.

Sold Out

The total arrivals from April 27-May 2 stood at 93 tonnes only. Arrivals during the season up to May 2 were at 7,511 tonnes compared with 8,635 tonnes during the same period last season.

Sales during the current season were at 6,923.5 tonnes compared with 8,057 tonnes the previous season.

At the auction conducted by the Cardamom Processing and Marketing Company, Kumily, on Wednesday, 24.5 tonnes of the commodity arrived and the entire quantity was sold out.

The maximum price of Rs 516 a kg was fetched by 8 mm bold good colour capsules. The 7.5 mm and 7 mm fetched Rs 425-Rs 450 and Rs 400-Rs 420 a kg respectively. Current bulk was sold at Rs 370-Rs 380 a kg, Mr P.C. Punnoose, General Manager, CPMC, told Business Line.

Conducting Auctions

The harvesting has almost come to an end for the current season.

The major growers were releasing little quantity from their stocks. Exporters were not seen at the auctions during the week.

Prices of graded varieties were AGEB Rs 445-Rs 455, AGB Rs 380-Rs 390, AGS Rs 360-Rs 375, AGS 1 Rs 330-Rs 340 and current bulk Rs 330-Rs 385 a kg.

According to auctioning companies, due to "lack of reasonable arrivals, auctions would be suspended after May 31 till its resumption by August-end for the next season."

However, two auctioneers would conduct auctions throughout the season, they said.