For the first time, a cardamom auction company floated by women collective has started operations at Spices Park in Puttady in Idukki. The inaugural auction trade conducted by Idukki Mahila Cardamom Producer Company Ltd has fetched the highest price for the season at ₹3804 per kg out of the offered quantity of 29,815 kg.
K.A.Anil Kumar, Assistant Director, Spices Park at Puttady told businessline that the women centric company with 49 director board members are cardamom farmers and help realise better prices by selling good quality capsules which would attract vendors in the auction. So far, the presence of ladies in the auction trade is very minimal and the new floated new company is expected to bring in more women participation into the cardamom trading.
With the new company, the number of licensed cardamom auction companies has reached 16 under the Spices Board to carry out trading both at Puttady in Idukki and Bodinayakanur in Tamil Nadu. This will bring in more competition, ultimately benefitting the cardamom trade, he added.
Sujatha Bhagavathiraj, one of the directors of the company hailing from Kambam in Tamil Nadu, said that they are traditionally cardamom planters and floated the company with the objective to support the trade by selling quality cardamom through the auction platform. “We would like to ensure that no artificial colours would be used in cardamom. We will also stand against the usage of unauthorised pesticides in plantations and encourage farmers to bring in fresh capsules for the trade”, she said.
The decision to form the company was taken in 2021 and it was delayed due to Covid. The Spices Board has given all support to the venture, she added.