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Cardamom's Tough Harvest: Delicate Crop, Brutal Weather
21 Nov
Summary
- Cardamom is a delicate plant, susceptible to diseases and pests.
- Extreme weather, like heatwaves, significantly damages cardamom crops.
- Poor harvests caused a 70% jump in cardamom prices last year.
Cardamom cultivation presents immense difficulties for farmers, primarily due to the plant's extreme delicacy. It requires constant vigilance against diseases and pest infestations, demanding daily attention to every leaf and flower.
Weather volatility poses another significant threat. A harsh summer last year, for instance, resulted in substantial crop loss for farmers in Kerala, mirroring severe impacts in major producing regions like Guatemala, which lost nearly 60% of its crop.
These adverse conditions directly influence market prices. Following the poor harvests, cardamom prices surged by 70% in the past year. This makes it notoriously expensive, typically ranking as the third costliest spice, underscoring the high risks and labor involved in its production.
