Spices Board to set up electronic auction for cardamom in Sikkim

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

Sikkim accounts for about 90% of the country’s total output of 4,500 tonnes of large cardamom.

Spices Board “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.”

Currently, farmers in Sikkim 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,”

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

Currently, the auction price of large cardamom is commanding a peak of INR1,700 (USD24.98) per kilo. “Farmers will get higher price than this via electronic auction.”

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

It has also held a meeting of the state farmers with leading exporters to promote exports of ginger, turmeric and dalle chillies, among other organic products.