Lok Sabha Question No. 11 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-04
Subject: Production, Export and Import of Cardamom
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, V. PANNEER SELVAM

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 11 TO BE ANSWERED ON  04 th  FEBRUARY, 2019

## PRODUCTION,  EXPORT AND IMPORT OF CARDAMOM

11. DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD: SHRI V. PANNEERSELVAM:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वा ͨणÏय एवं उɮयोग मंğी ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of total cardamom produced, exported and imported during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (b) whether the Government has noticed the distress of cardamom farmers due to steep fall in prices of cardamom in the domestic market;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  action  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to protect the interests of the cardamom cultivators;
- (d) the  details  of  measures  taken  to  prevent  the  smuggling  of  cardamom  to  domestic market through neighbouring countries; and
- (e) the details of measures taken by the Government to boost the production and export of cardamom?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½ THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a) The  details  of  total  cardamom produced, exported  and imported  during the last three years and in the current year are given in the table :-
- (b) The price of cardamom(small) has been showing fluctuating trend during the last three years. During  the    current  year,  the  price    has  shown  increasing  trend  in  the  domestic  market. However, the price of  cardamom (large) has been showing a declining trend in the domestic market from the year 2015-16 onwards. The weighted average auction price of cardamom(small) in India and the average domestic price of cardamom(large) at Gangtok for the last three years and in the current year  are given below :
- (c)  to (e):  Union Government through Spices Board  has been implementing various programmes/ schemes under the Integrated Scheme for Export Promotion and Quality Improvement in Spices, and, Research  and  Development  of  Cardamom  to    increase  the  income  of    cardamom  farmers  which include,  increasing production and productivity of cardamom through production of quality planting materials  in  the    growers  field,  replanting  of  old,  senile  and  uneconomic  gardens,  new  planting  of cardamom (large) in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, assistance for farm mechanization to address the labour problem and to reduce the cost of production, supply of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) kits to cardamom (small) growers to improve the quality of cardamom to get higher price for growers, promotional measures to increase the domestic consumption of cardamom, aggregation of farmers by promoting the formation of Spices Producer Societies  for common processing, value addition, direct marketing  etc.for  better  price  realization, setting  up  of    e-auction  centres  for  cardamom(small)    to ensure transparency  and  better price for  cardamom to the growers etc.

| Production, Export& Import of Cardamom   | Production, Export& Import of Cardamom   | Production, Export& Import of Cardamom   | Production, Export& Import of Cardamom   | Production, Export& Import of Cardamom   | Production, Export& Import of Cardamom   | Production, Export& Import of Cardamom   |
|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|                                          |                                          |                                          | Export                                   | Export                                   | Import                                   | Import                                   |
| Spices                                   | Year                                     | Production (Tons)                        | Quantity (Tons)                          | Value (Rs.Crore.)                        | Quantity (Tons)                          | Value (Rs.Crore)                         |
| Cardamom(small)                          | 2015-16                                  | 23,890                                   | 5,500                                    | 449.83                                   | 850                                      | 44.74                                    |
|                                          | 2016-17                                  | 17,990                                   | 3,850                                    | 421.50                                   | 1720                                     | 88.70                                    |
|                                          | 2017-18                                  | 20,650                                   | 5,680                                    | 609.08                                   | 685                                      | 43.79                                    |
|                                          | 2018-19(*)                               | 12,950                                   | 2,250                                    | 242.50                                   | 353                                      | 28.24                                    |
| Cardamom(large)                          | 2015-16                                  | 5,315                                    | 600                                      | 75.51                                    | 3410                                     | 307.95                                   |
|                                          | 2016-17                                  | 5570                                     | 780                                      | 82.65                                    | 3120                                     | 242.42                                   |
|                                          | 2017-18                                  | 5,905                                    | 760                                      | 56.47                                    | 5,670                                    | 331.09                                   |
|                                          | 2018-19(*)                               | 6,038                                    | 585                                      | 34.63                                    | 2,270                                    | 119.86                                   |

Source : Production : Estimate by Spices Board

Export/Import : DGCI&S Kolkata/Exporters' Returns/DLE/DLI from Customs

(*) Production : Preliminary estimate;  Export / Import - Estimate for April 18-Oct.18  period

| Crop Year                         |   Weighted Average Auction Price of cardamom (small) |
|-----------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
| 2015-16                           |                                               628.64 |
| 2016-17                           |                                              1088.5  |
| 2017-18                           |                                               955.82 |
| 2018-19 (Aug-Dece.) (provisional) |                                              1246.23 |

Source : Reports received from licensed cardamom auctioneers

| Year              |   Average domestic price of cardamom (large) at Gangtok Market |
|-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2015-16           |                                                        1470.91 |
| 2016-17           |                                                         973.94 |
| 2017-18           |                                                         599.7  |
| 2018-19 (Apr-Dec) |                                                         542.08 |

Source : Spices Board, Gangtok

Further, to protect the interest of  domestic cardamom industry and to control the  import of inferior quality cardamom from other origins, the Government had fixed the Minimum Import Price (MIP)  of Cardamom at Rs. 500 per kg vide Notification dated the 6 th February,2015 as there was drastic fall in the price of cardamom (small).

Measures taken by the Government to boost export of  cardamom and other spices include development  of  infrastructure  for  common  processing  facilities  in  Spices  Parks,   adoption  of  HiTech in  spice processing , technology and process  upgradation,  setting-up/up-gradation  of  in-house quality  evaluation  labs,    study  of  markets  abroad,  product  development  and  research,    pre-export analytical tests for meeting the quality specifications of consumer countries, assistance to farmers for post-harvest  quality  improvement  in  spices,  trade  promotion  activities  including  participation  in international  fairs,  promotion  of  Indian  spice  brands,  conducting  training  programmes  for  the stakeholders in Good Agricultural Practices etc.

****