Cardamom

Cardamom also known as cardamon or cardamum is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. It is widely used as a herbal spice and is added in various sweet dishes to provide a strong aroma & flavor. In Ayurveda it is considered to be a very useful & effective medicine. There are two main types of cardamom: true or green cardamom and black or large cardamom.

Cardamom plants normally start bearing two years after planting. In most of the areas the peak period of harvest is during October-November. Picking is carried out at an interval of 15-25 days. It is generally cultivated in the tropical regions of the world. Major producing countries of cardamom in the world are Guatemala, India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Tanzania etc. However, major production is concentrated in Guatemala and India. Although there are no official estimates available, world cardamom production is estimated to be over 55000 MT. Of the total, Guatemala accounts for nearly 30000 MT.

In India, Kerala is largest producer of small cardamom followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It has been estimated that current year’s output will declined sharply by 40% to 60% from production of previous year due to food in Kerala. In previous year production was stood at 26000 tonnes (including small and large cardamom). For the year 2017-18, export of small and large cardamom has been estimated at 6400 tonnes. Average monthly price of cardamom remained at Rs 1194 per kg (as per Spice Board of India).

Cardamom Contract Specification