Governance and strategies to address constraints for the revival of the Indian small cardamom sector

Abstract

A field survey was conducted from March 2021 to October 2021 to identify major constraints in the Indian small cardamom sector.  A micro-macro approach was followed in the study using both primary and secondary data. The primary data from random sample farmers and market intermediaries were collected from Kerala and Tamil Nadu producing areas. In total, 180 farmers, 12 auctioneers, 50 dealers (30 village traders and 20 dealers), and five exporters were interviewed; thus, the primary data were collected. The secondary data on arrivals, prices, and cardamom trade were collected from different national and international sources. Several important constraints related to production, marketing and auction, market price, international trade, cardamom value chain, pesticide residue, climate change, degradation of forests, and market deregulation have emerged from our analysis. All the constraints were thoroughly studied in depth, and appropriate interventions and policies were suggested to revive the small cardamom sector in India.