Resumption of small cardamom auctions

KOCHI: Spices Board has decided to resume on December 26 the cardamom auctions that were suspended following the row between Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the Mullaperiyar dam issue. A joint meeting of the traders, acutioneers and cardamom growers will be held on Friday at the spices park in Puttady in Idukki district to discuss the issues concerned to resume the auctions both in Bodinayakkanur in Tamil Nadu and in Puttady in Kerala.

This decision was taken at a joint meeting of the traders, auctioneers, farmers and officials of the Spices Board on Tuesday. The cardamom auctions came to a standstill since December 5. The tension between two states affected the movement of cargo. Lots purchased in auctions in Kerala could not be transported to Tamil Nadu and the movement of traders from Tamil Nadu was hit.
Cardamom plucking has been disrupted for want of labourers majority of whom come to Kerala from across the border.

Spices Board vice chairman Roy K Paulose requested all sections of the cardamom fraternity to join hands to resume the trading. Suspension of the cardamom auctions for two weeks has resulted in a loss of Rs 70 to 80 crore for the cardamom trade. The average prices have slid from the level of Rs 450 per kg that ruled at the time when the auctions were stopped.