The Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MoAF), in collaboration with Dzongkhag and gewog administrations, are working to support farmers cultivate price fetching cardamom. Lyonpo Yeshey Penjor shared this during the question hour session of the National Assembly earlier this week.
The Member of Parliament (MP) of Sombaykha in Haa questioned the Agriculture and Forests Minister on the methods and strategies the Ministry is adopting to improve the cardamom business in Sangbay and Gakiling Gewogs.
MP Dorjee Wangmo said, despite a good cardamom harvest this time, people are facing problems in getting a fair price. They are finding it difficult to repay loans they took for cardamom cultivation.
Cardamom is one of the main sources of income for almost 80 per cent of people in Sangbay and Gakiling gewogs.
“There are two types of cardamom. The one which can fetch high price is black small cardamom which is cultivated plenty in South India. The one that we have in our country is the big brown cardamom which doesn’t fetch a good price. It’s always better to cultivate cardamom which fetches a good price in the market. So Agriculture Ministry is working with Dzongkhags and Gewogs on how we can renew good price fetching cardamom,” said Yeshey Penjor, the Minister for MoAF.
He added the cost of production per kilogram of cardamom is Nu 292 while the market price is almost Nu 450 for a kilogram. And so, people are still at profit.
However, if the market price falls below the cost of production, the Minister said that the government, through the Food Corporation of Bhutan Limited, will buy the cardamoms at Nu 350 to 400 per kilogram depending on the quality.
PST
