The small cardamom prices showed an easier/ steady trend on Monday after remaining firmer last week. As the prices moved up in recent days those holding the capsules have started releasing in good quantity and that coupled with the comparatively inferior quality of the material has pushed the prices marginally down on Monday, Ranganathan, a Bodinayakannur based dealer said.

He said at the auction in Bodi conducted by the Cardamom Planters Association (CPA) Santhanpara 27 tonnes arrived and of these around 20 tonnes of cardamom were traded.

The maximum price stood at ₹1,166 a kg while the auction average slipped to ₹919.07 from ₹923.98 the previous Monday.

When the arrivals started showing signs of an upsurge the buyers have resorted to a slow down and how is it going to affect the prices would be known by tomorrow, PC Punnoose, General Manager, CPMC and KCPMCS told Business Line .

He said the harvesting is over in 90 per cent of the estates and what ever material arriving, at present, is by and large from the stock held by the growers/traders.

Exporters have bought an estimated 60 tonnes of cardamom last week, he said.

Total arrivals last week increased to 469 tonnes from 280 tonnes in the previous week from six auctions (due to Easter holidays).

The Individual auction average has risen to ₹962.08 a kg from ₹922.21 a kg the previous week and was vacillating between ₹924 and ₹995 a kg.

Total arrivals during the current season as on April 07 were at

21,459 tonnes and sales were at 20,821 tonnes. The individual auction average of the season was at ₹961.77 a kg.

The prices of graded varieties today at Bodinayakannur in ₹/Kg : 8mm green bold 1,250 -1,280 ; 7 mm : 940 ; 6-7 mm 900 -930. Good bulk was being traded at ₹950 - ₹960 a kg.

The weather conditions continued to stay favourable so far for the plants, according to the growers.

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