News Karnataka
Friday, February 07 2025
Mysuru

Cardamom Crop loses Prominence in Kodagu

Photo Credit :

B M Lavakumar

The farmers are showing disinterest in cardamom farming, owing to which it is likely to go extinct in the entire Kodagu district.  It was a key commercial crop in Kodagu in the past and the farmer who owns hectares of cardamom of farmlands was highly respected in the society because he is considered rich. 

However, now the situation has changed wherein the cardamom farming has become a white elephant to sustain.  At this outset, the cardamom farmers are converting their plantations into coffee plantations. 

Perhaps if this goes on unabated, one would not find trace of cardamom plantation in the entire Kodagu if the existing plantations are converted into coffee plantations. 

The situation may come that one had to learn from history books that once upon a time, cardamom crop was grown in farmlands across Kodagu district.  The farmer has no confidence cardamom crop that it would sustain his living.  At the onset of monsoon, the farmhands wee found busy working in cardamom plantation all over Kodagu district. It is indeed natural wealth, if it rains moderately, and no insects menace, that could lead to good harvest and a steady market.

The cardamom is being grown in the taluks of Madikeri, Somavarapete and Virajapete in Kodagu district.  The plants used to sell whenever they are short of funds and maintain the stock at home.  Even if a farmer has a stock of just one kilogram of cardamom, he had a great confidence.

Cardamom plantation is easy, all that one has to do is to plant a few saplings and nurse it and get the yield in a few years.  No pest menace.  As the years passed-by, the insects menace that was first detected in plantations of neighbouring Kerala began to affect the crop across Kodagu. 

The cardamom farmers desperately tried to control the menace by all means, but all those attempts have gone in vain.  The farmers even uprooted the entire cardamom plants affected with pest menace and planted fresh saplings.  However, the menace recurred after a few years.

Amidst this, the coffee trading that was in the grip of state-owned Coffee Board was decentralized owing to the struggles of coffee planters.  Its due to the strict norms of Coffee Board, the planters were disinterest to grow coffee.  Meanwhile, when the coffee was traded in open market its prices hiked.
 
At the same time, the extreme cold weather in Brazil resulted in price hike at both national and international markets.  The more number of farmers began taking interest in coffee plantations who were disgusted with cardamom farming. 

As a result, the huge trees in cardamom plantations were felled and slowly they were replaced with coffee plantation.  Gradually, a few cardamom plantations that remained were pushed to the brink.  A few cardamom planters who persisted in its farming took interest in coffee plantation.  Cardamom prices began to slash causing huge loss to farmers owing to weather condition, insects menace.

It was a major blow to cardamom planters.  In the later years, the prices of cardamom remained constant that further dissuaded the planters to lose interest.  Even now, in a few regions of Kodagu that gets maximum rainfall, once cannot grow other crop except cardamom. 

Due to this situation, the cardamom farmer is struggling with the crop.  In a recent development, the state horticulture department developed a new species of cardamom named Nelyani that has been grown by a few farmers and gotten good yield.  The cardamom fetches Rs 400 per kilogram, while the farmer still finds it difficult to sustain his living.

MANY DROPS MAKE AN OCEAN
Support NewsKarnataka's quality independent journalism with a small contribution.
[ratemypost]
[addtoany]
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.