Spices Board to set up e-platform for cardamom sale in Sikkim

GANGTOK: The Spices Board of India will set up an electronic auction platform in next six months in Sikkim for sale of organic large cardamom to help farmers fetch better price.

Sikkim produces about 90 per cent of the country's total output of 4,500 tonnes of large cardamom.

"There is huge demand for large cardamom. The Board has decided to establish an e-auction platform in the next six months which will help farmers fetch better price," its Chairman A Jayathilak told PTI on the sidelines of an exhibition on organic products here today.

At present, Sikkim farmers are selling the spice on the physical auction platform, set up by the Board in 2010-11.

"In hilly areas, collection and transportation of the produce is a problem. Once the electronic auction (platform) is set up, farmers can check prices on website and accordingly take decision. They need not take their produce to the market," the official said.

This will also help farmers get higher price in view of rising domestic and export demand for the organic spice product, he said.

Currently, the auction price of large cardamom is ruling all time high at Rs 1,700 per kg here. "Farmers will get higher prices than this via electronic auction," he added.

The Board is also planning to send SMS alerts with price details to the farmers registered with the Board as part of the Digital India programme, he said.

It will also hold a meeting of the state farmers with leading exporters tomorrow to promote export of ginger, turmeric and dalle chillies, among other organic products.

India is the world's largest spices producer and exporter. The country's spices exports had touched a record $2.4 billion last fiscal.