Poor climatic conditions hit cardamom

Global warming skims mist off from the hills in Idukki district, the spices capital of the country. Climatic-sensitive crops like cardamom and pepper may wither away with heating up of the earth. The rising temperature has changed the climate over the Western Ghats. Now the area experiences almost torrential rain, which was earlier sprinkled with drizzlings and then it follows long dry spell. The extreme change of climate is detrimental to the cardamom crop. Nearly 20 to 25 percent of the plants had to be replanted in recent years. Vadi Raj, head of Spices Board research station at Pampadumpara, said that the past 30 years temperature chart kept at the station showed an average rise of 0.2 to 0.4 degree Celsius every year. As the temperature has risen, the mist over Udumpanchola amd Santhanpara, where the cardamom yield is the highest , is thinning. Triggering a drastic fall in output, says K K Devasiya, president, Idukki Cardamom Growers Association. Interestingly, the loss of Udumpanchla and Santhanpara has become the gain of chinnakanal and Bisonvalley. Until recently, cardamom did not grow in these high mist areas. But now the climate in the high altitude terrain has become highly conducive for the cardamom crop. The vagaries of nature have cast shadow over the yield. It came down to 700 tonnes in this year from 9000 tonnes last year. Over 70 percent of cardamom crop comes from Idukki. And 90 percent of the country's production is consumed domestically. The same applies to pepper also. Drizzling following a dry spell is the ideal climate for pepper crop.

 
The New Indian Express, 16^th April 2008