Cardamom rates fall on poor quality

Kochi: Cardamom prices fell during the week in Kerala and Tamil Nadu markets due to poor quality and weak demand. Meanwhile, MAS Enterprises, the auctioneers, which did not suspend the auction along with others after May 31 and conducted its auction on June 15 at Vandamedu, has also decided now to suspend auction till the arrival of the next crop hoped in late July/early August. The harvesting would depend on the behaviour of the Southwest monsoon, which has yet to pick up in the cardamom growing areas.

Apart from the uneconomical arrivals the auctioneers had to settle their accounts before the starting of the next season. The total arrivals during the current season upto June 8 stood at 8,189 tonnes as against 9,507 tonnes on the same date last season while the sales in the current season were at 7,526 tonnes compared with 8,882 tonnes in the corresponding period last season. Prices in the local market in Bodinayakannur were AGEB Rs 430-440, AGB Rs 360-370, AGS Rs 350- 360 and AGS 1 Rs 280-290. Harvesting will, therefore, depend solely on the behaviour of the current monsoon.