Cardamom Guide

Competitive analysis

-Appearance: Indian cardamom tend to have a stronger flavor, and the green color is lasting longer than the Guatemalan Cardamom. Guatemalan Cardamom has smoother skin and mild flavor, and premium quality.

-Value chain: Indian value chain is regulated by the Indian Spice board, which provides an e-auction system for wholesalers and exporters, so there is less speculation than the Guatemalan market where at least 2 middlemen exist between players.

-Consumption: As India consumes 98% of the total production, export prices fluctuate depending on the domestic market situation whereas Guatemala exports 100% of the cardamom produced

Price trends

-Guatemalan cardamom prices used to be 30-40% less than Indian cardamom before the Pandemic era, but nowadays Guatemalan cardamom is slightly more expensive.

-Guatemala: wholesale price at USD 20/kg (Aug 4th, 2021)

India: FOB price at USD 17.5/kg (Aug 5th, 2021) 

Processing of cardamom is done after harvesting capsules from the farm. In processing, drying is a critical step, where moisture is brought down to 10% from 85% (in a naturally obtained capsule). Here are some of the processing types of cardamom:

1. Sun drying

    Capsules are spread on a concrete or hard wooden floor to dry in natural heat during daytime from sunlight. The capsules are shielded from direct sunlight to preserve the green color (strong sunlight will make the color fade). It is only successful in places where the climate is dry and hot

2. Solar drying

    Capsules are placed inside the dryer till time 10% moisture level has been attained. This method is preferred in places having dry and hot environments. In places, with high humidity, the solar dryer can only be used together with an extractor fan to remove the humid air

3. Wood-fired dryer or Flue curing

    Cardamom capsules are traditionally dried in curing houses, using wood to provide heat. It is a common method in India, where wood drying is used in curing houses. Traditional firewood-based curing house consists of a furnace for burning the wood, flue pipes for conveying the hot air, and drying racks for stacking the trays. The capsules are evenly spread as a single layer on the trays. After stacking the trays on the racks in the drying chamber, the curing room is closed. This process enhances the room temperature to 45-55°C, which is maintained for a period of 3-4 hours. During this period, the capsules sweat and give off the moisture

4. Electric or gas dryer

    The most expensive of all options but also produces the best quality final capsules, as the risk of degrading or scorching due to excessive sunlight or smoke deterioration by wood drying method, is removed in this method of drying. Capsules are placed inside electrically heated furnaces and dried. Precaution is taken to not increase the temperature beyond 50 degrees C

5. Humidity-controlled drying

    A new technique was developed that helps to reduce color loss and to produce high-quality pods. The cardamom capsules are placed in the drying chamber, which is at a temperature of 50°C. No light is allowed into the drying chamber. After two hours the humid air is blown out of the chamber and the humidity is reduced. The capsules are left in the chamber to dry until reaching a final moisture content of 10%

Cardamom is grown by mainly 2 methods:

1. Primary Nursery

• Digging the soil in pits to a depth of 30 cm and sowing beds of size 6×1×0.2 m are prepared and a thin layer of humus-rich forest soil is uniformly spread over the beds.
• Sowing of the seeds is commenced, in rows spaced at 10 cm and 1 to 2 cm of the interval within the row. The seed rate for a 6 × 1 m sized bed is 30-50 G.
• After the sowing process, the beds are covered with a thin layer of sand and mulched with grass or paddy straw to a thickness of 2 cm over which tree twigs are laid.
• Watering of the beds is done regularly to maintain sufficient moisture and to promote germination.
• Germination commences in about 20-25 days and may continue for a month or two.

2. Secondary Nursery

In this method of sowing and planting, any of the 2 processes are used:

- Bed nursery

• The beds are prepared in the same manner as in the primary nursery method. Seedlings with 3-4 leaves are transplanted at a distance of 20 to 25 cm. Mulching and watering are performed immediately after the transplanting of seeds.
• Earthing up the process is commenced after each fertilizer application and hand weeding is done once in 20-25 days.

- Polybag nursery

• Polythene bags of size 20 × 20 cm and 100 gauge thickness are filled with a potting mixture consisting of forest topsoil, cow dung, and sand (preferably in the ratio of 3:1:1).
• Seedlings at 3-4 leaf stages are transplanted into each bag.
• Harvesting
• The cardamom capsules are harvested when achieving maturity, indicated by the dark green color of rind and black-colored seeds.
• Capsules ripen within a period of 120-135 days after the formation.
• Harvesting is carried out at an interval of 15 -30 days.
• Harvesting is carried out using a special knife known as an elaichi chhuri. The harvested spikes are stored for 2–3 days after harvesting.
• Separation is mostly done manually.

-Sizes: 8 mm, 7.5 mm, 7 mm (most preferred, and expensive) / 6.5 mm, 6 mm, 5 mm

-Color, ripeness: Seed and Green cardamoms are generally more expensive compared to the ripe ones

India is the second-largest producing country in the world, the exported volume and value have fluctuated since 2012, hit the record-high exported value and volume respectively in 2020 (USD 114 million) and 2017 (5,776 MT).

As per the latest Spices Board data, cardamom exports between April to February 2022-23 stood at 7,031 Mt, worth Rs 828.50 crore (USD 99.52 M), a decline of 25 percent in volume and 33 percent in value YOY In 2021-22, exports had peaked at 10,572 Mt, worth Rs 1,375.70 crore.(USD 165.25 M)

The main producing regions are Kerala (35%), Sikkim (17%), Karnataka (5.94%), Nagaland (5.86%), West Bengal (3.16%), Tamil Nadu (1.50%).

The seasonality of cardamom cultivation in India varies slightly across different regions, but in general, the harvesting season extends from late summer to early winter. Here is a rough breakdown of the seasonality by region:

Green/Small Cardamon regions :

1. Kerala (Idukki district):

Harvesting Season: August to January

Peak Season: September to November

2. Karnataka (Coorg district):

Harvesting Season: August to January

Peak Season: September to November

3. Tamil Nadu (Western Ghats region, Nilgiris, Kanyakumari):

Harvesting Season: August to January

Peak Season: September to November

2. Black/ Big Cardamon Regions :

4. Assam: In the northeastern part of India, Assam also has some areas where cardamom is cultivated.

5. Himachal Pradesh: Certain regions in Himachal Pradesh, particularly in the higher altitudes, may also engage in cardamom cultivation.

6. Sikkim: This northeastern state is known for its favorable conditions for cardamom cultivation.

7. Andhra Pradesh: Some parts of Andhra Pradesh, especially the hilly regions, may contribute to cardamom production.

These are general timelines, and the actual harvesting periods may be influenced by specific weather conditions, local agricultural practices, and other factors. 

There are 2 types of cardamom:

1. Small Green Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): This kind of cardamom is the most common variety and also most preferred. It is light green or dark green in color. The size of the capsules varies between 5.5 mm to 6.5 mm and weight varies between 385 grams to 500 grams. This variety is grown mostly in India, Guatemala, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Vietnam, and Laos. Grown in areas having rainfall between 1500 to 400 mm, dark soil with loam, and humus
2. Large Red/Black Cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb): This kind of cardamom is grown in Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, North-Eastern India. The size of the capsules goes up to 8 mm in size and weighs up to 550 to 600 grams. Capsules have dark red or brown color. This cardamom is also grown in the same weather and climate as green cardamom

Indonesia, Guatemala, and India were the largest producers of cardamom in 2020, with Indonesia ranking first with a production volume of 43.97K MT followed by Guatemala with 38.39K MT of production, and India coming at the third spot with 38K MT of production. 

Saudi Arabia, United States, and Germany were the top importers of cardamom in 2020 among others. The USA imported a total value of USD 106,898  for 26,641 tons. Saudi Arabia reached an import value of USD 100, 799 with an import quantity of around 25K MT, followed by Germany with an import value of USD 60.296 and an import quantity of around 14.K MT. 

Guatemala, India, and Indonesia were the top exporters for cardamom in 2020 (HS 090831 neither crushed nor ground). Guatemala had an export value of USD 983,060K, followed by India with an export value of USD 114,637K. Indonesia, which was third in exports, had an export value of USD 64,221K.

Correct labelling is important for European buyers, which means that producers should pay extra attention to labelling the product. For bulk cardamom, producers have to include the following information:

• the name of the product
• details of the manufacturer (name and address)
• batch number
• date of manufacture
• product grade
• producing country
• harvest date (month-year)
• net weight

Other information that exporting and importing countries may require includes the barcode, the producer and/or packager code, and any extra information that can be used to trace the product back to its origin. It also has to mention the colour group on the label to indicate the grade of the cardamom, in case 95% of the cardamom corresponds to one colour (deep green, green, light green, pale brownish). If the cardamom does not have one uniform colour, it does not have to indicate the colour on the label. Buyers are often interested in buying one specific colour or grade.

Source: 

Exporting cardamom to Europe

European countries

• Double-layered jute bags (42-50 KG)
• Single-ply fabric bags lined with polythene (42-50 KG)
• Premium-grade cardamom is often packed in vacuum-sealed bags and shipped in 5-kg cartons.
• If it offers organic certified cardamom, physically separate it from cardamom that is not certified.
• Make sure that the materials used for packaging are impermeable to moisture and air. Sealing machines can be used to seal the bags.

India

• Packaging of cardamom is done in bulk or in smaller cartons
• For bulk packaging, jute bags, completely sealed, from the capacity of 10 KG to 100 KG are used
• For bulk packaging, gunny bags are also used with an inner polythene liner
• The jute bags may be provided with a loose liner bag of polyethylene or maybe without a liner
• A new method of woven plastic bags with a loose liner bag and multi-wall paper sacks with a plastic liner bag is also used
• 5 KG, 10 KG, 15 KG, 20 KG, and 25 KG Polypropylene bags are used as per importer requirements
• Printed pouches are also used with laminates of various compositions. Some of the commonly used laminates are Polyester/metalized polyester/LDPE, BOPP/LDPE, BOPP/metalized polyester/LDPE, and Polyester/Al foil/LDPE

Myanmar (Burma)

• Cardamom is packed in a glass clamp preserver bottle and larger bags made of paper.
• The packaging size can be found from 1.1 oz, 3 oz, or 5 oz (Burma Spice)
• In Kayin State, farmers/traders use plastic and gunny-made large bags to pack cardamom for export to China. The size varies from 10 to 50 KG per each (SNV Netherlands Development Organization, 2017).

Source: 

Exporting cardamom to Europe

1. Cardamom thrips (Sciothrips cardamomi)

    Cardamom thrips are the most destructive and persistent pest of cardamom, found in almost all the cardamom growing areas. Thrips breed inside the unopened leaf spindles, leaf sheaths, flower bracts, and flower tubes. Adults, as well as the larvae, lacerate and feed on leaves, shoots, inflorescences, and capsules. Infestation on the panicles results in the shedding of flowers and immature capsules. Feeding activity on tender capsules leads to the formation of corky, scab-like encrustations. The extent of the damage may be as high as 80 percent in certain areas. The population of thrips is generally high during the summer months (February- May) and declines with the onset of monsoon. The Mysore and Vazhukka types are highly susceptible to thrip infestation.

      Management

• Regulate shade in the plantation by pruning branches of shade trees.
• Trash cardamom plants thrice a year i.e., during early monsoon, mid-monsoon, and late monsoon periods to remove breeding sites of the pests
• Spray insecticides like quinalphos (0.025%), during March, April, May, August, and September.

2. Shoot and capsule borer (Conogethes punctiferalis)

    The shoot and capsule borer is a serious pest in nurseries as well as in the main plantations. The larvae bore into pseudostems and feed on the internal contents leading to the formation of 'dead heart' symptoms. When panicles are attacked, the portion ahead of the point of entry dries off. The larvae also bore into the capsules and feed on the seeds resulting in empty capsules. The pest is prevalent throughout the year but a higher incidence is pronounced during the months of January-February, May-June, and September-October.

     Management

• Remove infested suckers as indicated by extrusion of frass, during September-October when the infestation is less than 10%.
• Collect and destroy adults which are generally observed on the undersurface of leaves.
• Spray quinalphos (0.075%) twice, during February-March and September-October coinciding with the emergence of panicles and new shoots.

3. Root grub (Basilepta fulvicorne)

    Root grubs are major pests of cardamom in nurseries and main fields. The grubs damage the roots and rhizomes by feeding, sometimes resulting in the death of the entire root system. As a result, the plants turn yellow and remain stunted; severely infected plants die. The peak periods of adult emergence are during April and September. Grubs have two periods of occurrence, first during April-July and January.

      Management

• Collect and destroy adult beetles during peak periods of emergence i.e. April-May and September – October
• Apply phorate 10 G (banned in Kerala) @ 20–40 G per clump or chlorpyrifos (0.075%) twice a year during May−June and August-September synchronizing with the emergence of adults and egg-laying periods of the pest.
• Light raking of the soil before the insecticide application is essential for effective control of root grubs

Source: Vikaspedia: Cardamom

Cardamom can be classified into several aspects such as the grades in general, cultivars, and the subgrades. Here is the following explanation:

1. Green Cardamom

• Extra Fancy or Super (Extra) Bold
  

        - Colour of the capsules is green and diameter size of 8 mm or more

        - Capsules have a weight of 450 grams

• Fancy or Bold
  

        - Colour of the capsules is green and diameter size of 6.5 mm or more

        - Capsules have a weight of 415 grams

2. Black or Brown Cardamom

• Select or Small:
  

        - Colour of the capsules is black and the diameter size is between 5.5 mm to 6.5 mm

        - Capsules have a weight of 385 grams

        - Decorticated

        - Colour of capsules is black or brown and size more than 8 mm

        - Capsules have the weight of 550 grams to 600 grams

Apart from these broad grades, cardamom is also graded by cultivars and subgrades.

Three cultivars of cardamom graded by India are Malabar, Mysore, and Vazhukka. The Indian grading system for cardamom capsules is as follows:

• Alleppey Green Cardamom
• Coorg Green Cardamom
• Bleached or Half-bleached Cardamom
• Bleached White Cardamom
• Mixed Cardamom

In the above grades, the deeper the green color of the cardamom, the higher the grade is given:

Source: 

Vikaspedia: Cardamom

• The moisture content of not more than 10%
• Oil content between 6.6% to 10%
• Size of the capsules
• Color of the capsules (for green and red, color should be bright and shiny in appearance)
• Aroma and taste of the cardamom capsule (should be fresh in aroma and free of including rancidity and mustiness)
• Free of deformation and infections. Cardamom capsules and seeds shall also be free from visible moulds and insect infestation

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bangladesh, Germany and Egypt are markets with potential.