Cardamom prices were unchanged last week at the auctions. Arrivals continued to increase, as harvesting has reached its peak and is in the third round of picking.

All the buyers were active and 90 per cent of participation was there at the auctions, an auctioneer said.

Exporters were also covering small quantities and they are estimated to have bought 40 tonnes. Quality material is arriving in good volume and that constituted high percentage of 8 mm capsules, and hence the bulk was fetching ₹750-800 a kg.

At the Cardamom Planters Association auction on Monday in Bodinayakannur, 52.8 tonnes of cardamom arrived and of which 51 tonnes were sold. The auction average was at ₹738.48/kg.

At the Sunday auction held by the Kerala Cardamom Processing and Marketing Company, arrivals were 125 tonnes against 120 tonnes the previous Sunday and the entire quantity was sold out. The maximum price was ₹1,003 and the minimum was ₹498. The auction average was up at ₹761 (₹778) a kg the previous Sunday, PC Punnoose, General Manager, CPMC, told BusinessLine.

In the current season, prices have been ruling at moderate levels.

At this time last season, average prices ruled between ₹580 and ₹620, he said. The individual auction average price moved up between ₹730 and ₹780.

Supply of 8mm bold cardamom constituted 30 per cent of the lots and good colour bold capsules were fetching ₹950-1,000 a kg. Total arrivals during the season stood 6,134 tonnes against 7,103 tonnes during the same period last year. The sales were at 6,023 tonnes and 6,851 tonnes respectively.

The individual auction average as on November 9 was at around ₹760 and on the corresponding date last year was at around ₹583.

Prices of graded varieties (₹/kg): 8mm bold 950-1,000; 7mm-8mm 800-830; 6mm-7mm 720-730; below 6 mm 650-660.

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