There was a shift – from growing orange to cardamom. For the people of Gongdue Gewog in Monggar, cardamom is becoming a lucrative cash crop. From just a few households in 2015, today about 50 households grow the spice. Farmers say it requires less work with more returns.
A few years ago, 50-year-old Pem Tshering from Daagsa village started growing cardamom. And today, he is all smiles. It is the harvest season and the yield from his one-acre orchard is good.
According to Pem Tshering, cardamom is more profitable than oranges.
“Even during the best harvest season, we get only about Nu 50,000 from orange, but cardamom gives almost three times more,” he said.
Until 2015, people mostly depended on orange for income but today, they have found a better substitute. According to farmers, many were not interested to grow cardamom in the beginning. However, coming to know the prospects of the crop, many followed suit.
“When cardamom farming first started in Gongdue Gewog six years ago, not many farmers were interested to take up the farming. However, after the spice fetched good income, the number of cardamom growers increased gradually,” added Pem Tshering.
And they mostly sell the product to local traders.
Farmers said selling the crop to a vendor saves them from the troubles of ‘having to hire vehicles and reach the product to market’.
This year, the farmers fetched a better price for the spice as compared to last year. From Nu 360 per kilogram last year, it increased to Nu 480 per kilogram this year.
On average, a farmer earns a minimum of Nu 100,000 annually from cardamom.
This year, the gewog expects to produce almost a truck-load of cardamom.
Sonam Tshering
Edited by Chayku
