Area and Production of Cardamom in Kerala

Abstract

Cardamom is one of the most ancient and valuable spice crops of India. cardamom is a native of evergreen forests of South India, growing wild in the western Ghats between 2500 and 5000 ft. Small cardamom botanically known as “Elettaria cardamom Maton” is cultivated in India in the hilly tracts of the three southern states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu. Cardamom also occupies a prominent place in the matter of area and production. Kerala accounts for 5 1.76 per cent of the area and 66 per cent of the production of cardamom in the country. Kerala has the largest state in cardamom, as in the case of rubber. Cardamom (small) is grown in the three Southern States of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Presently there are 40,530 growers and the total area under the crop is about 81,000 hectares." Small holdings up to 8 hectares account for 98 per cent of the holdings covering 62 per cent of the area. Kerala accounts for about 52 per cent of the area under small cardamom in India.23 4.12.2 Production Among the plantation crops, cardamom production is greatly influenced by climatic conditions and is also most susceptive to attack by pests and diseases. Kerala accounts for 66 per cent of the country’s total production of cardamom, which is 4,185 tonnes in 1995-'96. Cardamom has showed a marked increase in productivity, i.e., 96 per cent during the same period.