THE vagaries of weather and ongoing strike by cardamom plantation workers for wage increase have dimmed the hopes for a better cardamom crop this year.
The growers estimate the cardamom crop in the previous year to be between 7,000 and 8,000 tonnes. This year it was expected to go to around 9,000 tonnes as the summer rains were good.
But after some early rains, the monsoon weakened dashing the hopes of the growers. To add to the woes, the workers began a strike in cardamom estates demanding higher wages. As a result the harvest of the crop has been hit leading to a dip in arrivals in the auction centres.
"We feel that at least 2,000 tonnes could go waste because of the strike. We are hoping to settle the issue in the next conciliation meeting slated for August 23," says KK Devassia, secretary of Cardamom Growers Association. The present daily wages of the workers come to Rs 100.48.
The demand is to increase it to Rs 139. Mr Devassia argues though the cardamom prices have been ruling above Rs 500 per kg level for the past one year, it cannot be compared to rubber or tea as it is subjected to wide fluctuations in production and price. The owners have agreed for an increased wage of Rs 116.48 per day.
Recently it was decided to raise the daily wages for rubber tappers to Rs 150 with rubber prices shooting up. Similarly an understanding has been reached to increase the daily wages of tea estate workers to Rs 115 from a level of Rs 101 per kg.
Meanwhile, with low arrivals, the cardamom prices in auction centres continue to rule high. It averages around Rs 601 per kg. The arrivals stood around 25 tonnes a day. ``The arrivals are mainly from small growers, who have been harvesting the crop using contract workers as the permanent workers are on strike," says PC Punnoose, general manager of KPMC. The prices are expected to remain on the higher side this year also.
Idukki district in Kerala accounts for around 70% of the total cardamom crop in the country with 33,000 hectares under cultivation and have around 35,000 workers.
The growers estimate the cardamom crop in the previous year to be between 7,000 and 8,000 tonnes. This year it was expected to go to around 9,000 tonnes as the summer rains were good.
But after some early rains, the monsoon weakened dashing the hopes of the growers. To add to the woes, the workers began a strike in cardamom estates demanding higher wages. As a result the harvest of the crop has been hit leading to a dip in arrivals in the auction centres.
"We feel that at least 2,000 tonnes could go waste because of the strike. We are hoping to settle the issue in the next conciliation meeting slated for August 23," says KK Devassia, secretary of Cardamom Growers Association. The present daily wages of the workers come to Rs 100.48.
The demand is to increase it to Rs 139. Mr Devassia argues though the cardamom prices have been ruling above Rs 500 per kg level for the past one year, it cannot be compared to rubber or tea as it is subjected to wide fluctuations in production and price. The owners have agreed for an increased wage of Rs 116.48 per day.
Recently it was decided to raise the daily wages for rubber tappers to Rs 150 with rubber prices shooting up. Similarly an understanding has been reached to increase the daily wages of tea estate workers to Rs 115 from a level of Rs 101 per kg.
Meanwhile, with low arrivals, the cardamom prices in auction centres continue to rule high. It averages around Rs 601 per kg. The arrivals stood around 25 tonnes a day. ``The arrivals are mainly from small growers, who have been harvesting the crop using contract workers as the permanent workers are on strike," says PC Punnoose, general manager of KPMC. The prices are expected to remain on the higher side this year also.
Idukki district in Kerala accounts for around 70% of the total cardamom crop in the country with 33,000 hectares under cultivation and have around 35,000 workers.
Robert Orben - "To err is human - and to blame it on a computer is even more so."
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