Farmers of Zhemgang are not happy with the price of cardamom this season. Although the production and quality of the spice were good, the price has plummeted. Last year, some of the farmers earned about Nu 750 for a kilogram of cardamom. And this time, the best quality fetches just about Nu 500 per kilogram.
Sha Bdr Mongar sold about 19 sacks of cardamom, weighing more than 800 kilograms. He earned about Nu 470 per kilogram.
He said this is the lowest price since he started growing cardamom about a decade ago. Due to the low price, he has about 10 sacks of cardamom stored in his house.
“I fetched a low price compared to last year. We are told by the traders that the cardamom price continues to drop. Last year, the minimum price I fetched was about Nu 680 and this time, it is about Nu 460 to Nu 470,” said Sha Bdr Mongar.
Similarly, cardamom growers in Gongphu, Subrang, Dangkhar and Zhemgang Pam villages have stored the cardamoms as they fetched low prices. Farmers said they have not sold even half of the production. Cardamom is one of the main cash crops in the upper part of Zhemgang.
“The price of cardamom continues to drop. At the moment, we get Nu 510 for a kilogram,” said Phuntsho, a cardamom grower in Gongphu of Trong Gewog.
“This time, we did not get the expected price. But we are hoping that the price might increase. So, in my village, about 70 per cent of the cardamom are not sold as of now,” said Lhundup, another cardamom grower from Dangkhar in Trong Gewog.
According to a trader, there is not much demand from Bangladesh due to the dollar crisis.
Meanwhile, the Food Corporation of Bhutan’s office in Gelephu is also buying cardamom from farmers if they are willing to sell it.
Last year, about 30 metric tons of cardamom were sold from Zhemgang and Trongsa.
Pema Samdrup, Zhemgang
Edited by Tshering Zam
