Production and marketing of small cardamom in Tamil Nadu and Kerala

Small cardamom is a perennial crop which is cultivated predominantly along the Western Ghats of South India. Though the cardamom is a high-value export-oriented spice crop, the production and productivity are volatile over the last few years. Hence, an attempt was made to study production and marketing of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This study was conducted in Theni district of Tamil Nadu and Idukki district of Kerala. The results of the study revealed that the average establishment cost of cardamom plantation was Rs. 353881 per hectare and maintenance cost of the plantation was Rs. 308797 per hectare and the net income was Rs. 340846 per hectare. Age of the plantation, application of fertilizer and plant protection had significantly influenced the productivity of cardamom in the study area. Among the marketing Channels, Channel II which included Farmer- Spices Board Auction Centre -Primary Wholesaler-Secondary wholesaler – retailer – Consumer was the most efficient channel in the study area.