Future of cardamom bleak in Sikkim

Gangtok, Mar 19 (UNI) Large cardamom, one of the major cash crops of this tiny Himalayan state of Sikkim is heading towards a bleak future.

Fall in the yield of black cardamom over the last few years is creating an apprehension about the future of the crop in the state.

So far, Sikkim enjoyed monoply of sorts in the cultivation of the crop and was credited with the distinction of being the largest cardmom growing state of the world.

Out of the total 5,292 tonnes of cardamom produced in the country, Sikkim produces around 4.7 thousand tonnes that compounds to 80 per cent of the total yield coming from the state With India capturing 60 per cent of the global market for black cardamom, it is the largest black cardamom growing country in the world followed by Nepal with 33 per cent and Bhutan with 13 per cent.

State Horticulture Secretary G K Gurung said around 80 per cent of the bushes needed immediate replantation as they had passed their productive life of 12-15 years.

Mr Gurung said though the department was regularly organising awareness campaigns, workshops, meetings to sensitise the cardamom farmers to go for replantation, no body was paying any heed.

He feared that the cardamom crop might go the orange way if no corrective measures were taken by the farmers soon.

Sikkim, once known for its good quality oranges had already lost the crop due to poor replantation.

Since many in rural areas depend upon black cardamom as the main cash crop for their livelihood, the impact of falling yield is likely to spell dissaster, said a report in the recently released economic survey.

Large cardamom has a high demand in the country and abroad. While 50 per cent is consumed domestically, the rest is exported to Pakistan, the UK, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Baharin, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Canada, Japan, Singapore and Hongkong.

Mr Gurung said despite the problem, efforts were on to expand the area of cardamom cultivation by going for fresh plantation under the central government sponspored Integrated Technological Mission Programme.

Additional Director (Spices) horticulture B B Lama said one thousand hectares of land had been undertaken for cardamaom cultivation under the programme.

Former Horticulture Secretary and BJP state unit president H R Pradhan said the declaration of the state as an organic state and a ban on the use of chemicals to control the plant diseases posed a serious threat to the cash crop as there were no alternatives.

However, Mr Lama refuted the charges. He said the horticulture department consulted the scientists in the Indian Institute of Spices Research Centre, Kochi, ICAR, Spices Board and took measures to control the diseases as per their suggestions.

The diseases had already been controlled to a great extent and the per hectare yield had increased from 142 kg per hectare in 2003-04 to 151 per hectare in 2004-05.

But despite the claim, an official of the Spices Board said the state is gradually loosing its monopoly over the crop as a few more North eastern states like Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, besides Nepal and Bhutan have started cultivating the crop.

UNI BD KD VP1225