Cardamom processing in Nepal to begin from November

At a time when Nepal has been exporting huge quantities of its cardamom production, the post-harvest processing of the spice is likely to begin in the country.

Nepal’s cardamom would partly be processed in the country from the coming November. A processing industry has been already set up at Arjundhara of Jhapa at the cost of Rs 30 million.

The center is planning to purchase four categories of cardamom – large, middle, small, and general for commercial processing, shared its proprietor Nirmal Bhattarai.

Till this date cardamom was being exported to international markets in a sack without packaging. This trend has created trouble from international export to price fluctuation.

Entrepreneurs involved in cardamom trade in Nepal have believed that such problems would be reduced following the setup of the processing industry within the country.

“Our capacity is not enough to process all cardamom produce in Nepal at once and this is not possible through an industry”, Bhattarai said, adding, “We are planning to establish a model industry”.

Mainly Nepal’s cardamom is being exported to India, Pakistan, UAE, European countries, and the United States through its big market in Nepal in itself.

“Our industry has obtained a certificate. It would level up the standards of foreign countries in processing”, Bhattarai shared.

He claimed that the industry could process only 15 percent of the country’s total production of cardamom.

He also expressed his belief that almost all the processed quantity of cardamom would be supplied within the country.