The Spices Board has asked cardamom growers to use plant protection chemicals judiciously so as to ensure good production in the upcoming crop season.

According to D Sathiyan, Secretary, Spices Board, early round of pickings have started in some of the cardamom plantations and farmers are expecting a good yield, thanks to the good summer rains and favourable climatic conditions. A stable demand and resumption of exports to Saudi Arabia have boosted their hopes.

Shipments up

Despite of these good signs, he said farmers and exporters, need to ensure that their produce is compliant with international quality standards, including chemical residue levels. The momentum in cardamom shipments gained recently with the resumption of exports to Saudi Arabia and to make sure this is not lost farmers have to ensure judicious use of chemicals during the production phase, he said.

Importing countries, specifically Saudi Arabia, which is the largest buyer of Indian small cardamom, follow the internationally accepted Codex standards in the trade. From May, consignments of small cardamom to Saudi Arabia, prior to exports, are being tested and cleared in Spices Board’s Quality Evaluation Laboratories for compliance with residues of plant protection chemicals.

Prescribed standards

Standards prescribed by the Codex Alimentarius commission limit the presence of compounds such as Acetamiprid, Cyhalothrin (includes lambda cyhalothrin), Cypermethrin (including alpha and zeta- cypermethrin), Profenofos, Triazophos and Dithiocarbamates in cardamom for international trade. Dithiocarbamates is a group of pesticides, under which eight chemicals are considered such as Ferbam, Mancozeb, Maneb, Metiram, Propineb, Thiram, Zineb and Ziram.

Curbing pesticide use

Meanwhile, the government has initiated the consultation process for curtailing the use of a set of pesticides in the country, including chemicals such as Mancozeb, Thiram, Zineb and Ziram, which are part of the Dithiocarbomate group, he said.

Random analysis of cardamom samples at farm-gate level by Spices Board, has revealed that while many samples comply with the Codex limits for all chemicals, some of the samples analysed contained Dithiocarbamates, above the prescribed MRLs.

As global concerns on quality of food and food ingredients are getting more serious, it is pertinent that produce from the country conforms with the prescribed quality and safety parameters to sustain the trade, Sathiyan said.

Cardamom exporters are also advised to strengthen backward linkages with farmers, farmers’ groups, spice producer’s societies and collaborate with Spices Board in ensuring production of cardamom compliant with the food safety and quality standards, he added.