Thin arrivals lend flavour to cardamom

Cardamom prices ruled steady last week as demand matched supply at the auctions.

The average price hovered at around ₹780 a kg last week except on Wednesday and Sunday. The reason attributed was to the arrival of old cardamom.

At the Sunday auction, only 30 per cent of the supply was from the new crop, market sources told Business Line . Arrival will improve after the harvest peak, they said.

As arrivals continued to remain thin, most players were buying actively, albeit in small quantities. Therefore, the participation was good.

Exporters are also buying whatever exportable quality material is arriving.

An estimated 25 tonnes of capsules were bought. The onset of monsoon in other parts of the country, especially in the North, is expected to push up demand.

At the Kerala Cardamom Processing and Marketing Company auction on Sunday, 45 tonnes of capsules arrived as against 37 tonnes of cardamom the previous Sunday.

The entire quantity was sold out. The maximum price was at ₹1,073 a kg and the minimum at ₹514 a kg. The auction average declined to ₹757 a kg from ₹787 a kg the previous Sunday, PC Punnoose, General Manager, KCPMC told Business Line .

During the current season ending this month, arrivals are 21,751 tonnes against 16,313 tonnes during the same period a year ago. Sales are 21,096 tonnes against 15,658 tonnes, respectively.

The weighted average price as on July 27 stood at ₹648.98 a kg against ₹689.18 a kg in the same period a year ago.

Prices of all graded varieties remained unchanged last week,

Prices ₹/kg were during the weekend: AGEB 975 - 985 ; AGB 800 – 810; AGS 770 - 780 ; and AGS -1:750 – 760.

The weather conditions remained favourable with intermittent showers and sunshine, suitable for cardamom plants, growers in Idukki said.

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