Cardamom prices declined last week on higher arrivals coupled with supply of good quantity of inferior quality material at the auctions.

Arrivals last week were around 400 tonnes against about 215 tonnes at this time of the season last year, market sources said.

“General quality of the material arrived was poor as was by and large from the carry over stock. Added to this, the fresh cardamom landed from the first round of the new crop, which stood at around 20 per cent of the total arrivals was also of small in size. These factors have pulled the prices down,” PC Punnoose, General Manager, CPMC, told BusinessLine.

No export buying has taken place as no exportable grade capsules of 7mm and above was available in the market, trade sources in Bodinayakannur said.

At today’s auction held in Bodinayakannur conducted by the Cardamom Planters’ Association, Shanthanpara, 20.6 tonnes of cardamom arrived and the entire quantity was sold out.

The maximum price stood at ₹885 a kg and the auction average was at ₹634.47.

Arrivals last week were at 402 against 425 tonnes the previous week. Domestic demand continued to remain good as imports from Guatemala so far this year are reportedly of negligible quantity.

The South-West monsoon has not arrived in the growing areas in Idukki district so far and the growers are anxiously waiting for its arrival, some of the Kumily growers said.

The individual auction average has slipped to ₹605/kg at one auction while it remained above ₹650 at three auctions.

At all other eight auctions the average was below ₹640.

Total arrivals during the season up to June 6 stood at 19,986 tonnes against 20,582 tonnes during the same period last year.

The sales were at 19,418 tonnes and 19,876 tonnes respectively.

The auction average as on June 6 was at around ₹650 (₹710) a kg.

Prices of graded varieties (₹/kg): 8 mm bold green 950-1,000; 7-8 mm 750-800; 6-7 mm 680-720; below 6 mm: 600-620.

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