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G.K. Nair

Kochi, Aug. 25 The cardamom auction prices, which had shown an upward swing last week till Sunday at auctions held in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, declined on Monday at the CPA auction held in Bodinayakannur.

Arrivals stood at 11.5 tonnes, of which 3.2 tonnes of the commodity were withdrawn as the prices contrary to the farmers’ expectations were declining, market sources told Business Line. The maximum price was Rs 654.50 a kg as against Rs 833 a kg at the KCPMC auction on Sunday in Vandanmettu in Kerala. The average price was Rs 600 a kg; it ruled between Rs 600 and Rs 610 a kg last week, Mr P.C. Punoose, General Manager, CPMC, Kumily told Business Line.

Arrivals were at 28.6 tonnes and the entire quantity was sold out.

Last Wednesday’s CPMC auction was held in Bodinayakannur instead ofVandanmettu because of the nationwide strike called by the Left parties, he said. According to him, both domestic and export buyers were active last weekend; on Sunday exporters bought 4 tonnes of cardamom.

. Meanwhile, the workers had called off their strike, which began on August 13, on Sunday and resumed work, Mr T. Ashok Kumar, a Spices Board Member and Planter.

The management at the Plantation Labour Committee (PLC) meeting held on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram, by the State Labour Minister, Mr P.K. Gurudasan was attended by 40 planters, and trade union leaders apart from the PLC members. They unanimously agreed to pay Rs 126.90 as daily wages.

According to him, the planters were not happy with the wages, which he claimed would be a burden on the management and hence, the Minister had agreed to discuss the issues related to the wages break-up in the next PLC meeting after Onam. Plantation management said around 50 per cent of the total production cost was on labour at present.

Total arrivals as on Sunday stood at 483 tonnes of cardamom as against 263 tonne during the same period last year. The sales were also up at 470 tonnes, compared to 251 tonnes last year. The weighted average price stood at Rs 592.60 a kg, against Rs 408.62 last season.

Prices of graded varieties were AGEB Rs 655-665, AGB Rs 575-585, AGS Rs 540-550 and AGS 1 Rs 515-525 a kg.

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