Exploring Cardamom Cultivation in India

Cardamom – the small green pod that flavours your chai, sweetens your biryani, and freshens your breath – carries a title that no other spice in India holds: the Queen of Spices. Cultivated for centuries in the misty forests of South India, it is one of the most expensive and aromatic spices in the world, surpassed in value only by saffron and vanilla. For India, cardamom is far more than a kitchen ingredient – it is a plantation crop, an export commodity, and a cornerstone of traditional medicine.

What is cardamom and where does it come from? 🔗

Botanically known as Elettaria cardamomum, small cardamom is one of the oldest known spices in the world, with the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats of South India regarded as its centre of origin and natural habitat. It belongs to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) and is commercially grown for its dried seed capsules – the part used in both cooking and medicine. There are two broad types cultivated in India: small or green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), grown mainly in South India, and large cardamom (Amomum subulatum), grown primarily in Sikkim and parts of the Northeast.

Green cardamom has a bright, sweet, slightly piney flavour. Black cardamom, known as Moti Elaichi, has larger pods and a strong, smoky flavour, making it suitable mainly for savoury dishes and spice blends like garam masala. The two varieties differ in taste, aroma, and culinary use, though both carry significant medicinal value.

Cardamom cultivation has a documented history dating back to the Vedic period, around 3000 BCE. It was only in the early nineteenth century that formal cardamom plantations were established – and notably, cardamom was initially interplanted with coffee. This intercropping practice continues in parts of Karnataka and Kerala today, making cardamom cultivation uniquely tied to the coffee plantation system of South India.

India’s cardamom-growing regions 🔗

Cardamom cultivation in India is concentrated in three southern states: Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Kerala dominates with 56.71% of the cultivated area, followed by Karnataka at 35.91% and Tamil Nadu at 7.31%. The crop is grown along the Western Ghats – a biodiversity hotspot – which is why this entire mountain range is also called the Cardamom Hills.

Kerala’s Idukki district: the heart of Indian cardamom 🔗

Within Kerala, the district of Idukki is the undisputed centre of cardamom cultivation. Key talukas like Udumbanchola, Peermede, and Devikulam are particularly important production areas. The region’s high altitude, well-distributed rainfall, and forest loam soils create ideal growing conditions. According to Spices Board of India data for 2021-22, the area under cardamom cultivation in Kerala stood at 39,143 hectares, with an average yield of approximately 543 kg per hectare – the highest output among the three producing states.

The Vazhukka cultivar – a natural hybrid between the Malabar and Mysore types – is the most popular variety grown in Kerala. The Malabar cultivar, with prostrate panicles spreading on the ground, is widely grown in Karnataka, while the Mysore cultivar with erect panicles is cultivated in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu.

Climate and soil requirements 🔗

Cardamom thrives in regions that receive well-distributed annual rainfall of 1500-2500 mm, with mean temperatures between 15°C and 35°C, and at elevations of 600-1200 metres above mean sea level. The crop grows best in forest loam soils that are slightly acidic, with a pH range of 5.5-6.5, and rich in humus. These very specific requirements explain why cardamom cultivation is tightly confined to the Western Ghats corridor.

Cultivation practices in a cardamom plantation 🔗

A cardamom plantation is a managed forest ecosystem. Shade trees are maintained deliberately, since cardamom cannot survive direct, intense sunlight. Farmers typically plant cardamom under the canopy of existing forest trees or alongside coffee plants – a traditional intercropping model that remains economically important across Coorg in Karnataka and Wayanad in Kerala.

Propagation and planting 🔗

Propagation is typically done through vegetative means using suckers – a portion of the rhizome with a developing shoot. This is preferred over seed propagation because seedling-grown plants may not be true to the parent plant. Sucker multiplication is carried out from the first week of June through September, in well-drained nursery sites near a water source. The planting units are subsequently transplanted to the field and begin producing economically viable yields from the third year onward.

Pests, diseases, and challenges 🔗

Cardamom is a highly climate-sensitive and location-specific crop. Pest and disease incidence is very high, and the crop is susceptible to challenges at all stages of growth. Cardamom thrips is among the most destructive and persistent pests, found in almost all growing areas. Climate change adds further pressure: the Spices Board has reported that production declined in 2018-19 and 2019-20 due to unprecedented flooding and prolonged dry spells in major cardamom-growing regions in Kerala and Karnataka.

Beyond pests and weather, scientists at the Cardamom Research Station in Pampadumpara, Kerala, have found that the cultivation of high-yielding varieties has reduced the genetic diversity of the spice itself, while heavy lopping of trees for increased cultivation has significantly altered the forest species composition in the Cardamom Hill Reserve. Sustainable plantation management is now a pressing concern for the sector.

Culinary uses of cardamom 🔗

Cardamom’s role in Indian cuisine is deeply embedded – from a cup of morning chai to a plate of festive biryani. Small or green cardamom is used to flavour a diverse range of vegetable and meat dishes in India, and cardamom-flavoured biscuits, drinks, milk, and cheese are widely marketed. It is an essential component of masala chai, kheer (rice pudding), and a range of sweet and savoury dishes across South Asia and the Middle East.

Its use is not limited to India. In northern Europe and Russia, ground cardamom is a popular ingredient in baked goods. Vikings are believed to have brought cardamom from Constantinople to Scandinavia in the ninth century. Today, it flavours Finnish sweet bread, Scandinavian Christmas bread, and Russian spice cookies. Saudi Arabia and India are among the world’s largest consumers of the spice.

Medicinal and Ayurvedic significance 🔗

Long before cardamom became a culinary staple, it was a medicinal plant. Ancient Greek and Roman physicians, as well as Indian Ayurvedic doctors, used cardamom to treat conditions ranging from bronchitis and asthma to constipation, urinary disorders, and cardiac conditions. This centuries-old knowledge is well supported in contemporary Ayurvedic practice.

Digestive and respiratory health 🔗

In Ayurveda, cardamom is considered an excellent digestive, especially beneficial for reducing bloating and intestinal gas. Modern research supports these traditional claims: cardamom is loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients, and has been found to help manage gut inflammation and support digestive enzyme activity. For the respiratory system, black cardamom in particular is used to ease coughs, colds, and congestion by lubricating the respiratory pathways.

Tridoshic properties in Ayurveda 🔗

According to Ayurveda, cardamom is tridoshic – meaning it is beneficial for balancing all three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. This is an unusual quality in a spice, and it explains why cardamom appears in so many Ayurvedic formulations. Key Ayurvedic medicines containing cardamom include Elakanadi Kashayam, used for chronic respiratory conditions, and Eladi Ghrita, a herbal ghee used for abdominal bloating, anaemia, and diabetes management.

Cardamom oil derived from the seeds also has wide pharmacological application. The oil is valued for its antiseptic, diuretic, expectorant, antispasmodic, carminative, and digestive properties, and is used in both pharmaceutical preparations and aromatherapy.

India’s cardamom production and export 🔗

India holds a significant position in the global cardamom market as the second-largest producer in the world, after Guatemala. During 2020-21, small cardamom was cultivated across 69,190 hectares in India, with an estimated production of 11,235 tonnes. Kerala alone accounts for the lion’s share of this output, consistently producing over half of India’s total cardamom.

Export performance 🔗

India’s cardamom exports reached $236 million in 2024, a sharp recovery from the previous year’s dip, maintaining a growth rate of 12.22%. The primary markets are the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and increasingly, Canada and Japan. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are the major importers of Indian cardamom, with Saudi Arabia historically being the single largest buyer.

The broader spice sector of which cardamom is a part is thriving. India’s total spice exports crossed an all-time high in FY 2024-25 in both volume and value, with 17.99 lakh tonnes exported at a value of Rs. 39,994.48 crore (approximately $4.72 billion). The government’s SPICED scheme (Sustainability in Spice Sector through Progressive, Innovative, and Collaborative Interventions for Export Development), implemented by the Spices Board of India with an outlay of Rs. 422.30 crore, specifically aims to improve cardamom productivity and upgrade post-harvest quality.

E-auction and market access 🔗

Cardamom is one of the few agricultural commodities in India that is sold through an official e-auction system. The Spices Board of India runs e-auctions for both small and large cardamom, supporting farmers with transparent price discovery and market access. The Board also runs replanting schemes, irrigation support, and extension advisory services, and recognises the best cardamom farmers annually with cash awards to encourage high-quality cultivation.

Challenges and the road ahead 🔗

Despite its enduring importance, the cardamom sector faces real pressure. Climate variability – erratic monsoons, floods, and rising temperatures – regularly disrupts harvests. Surface air temperatures in the Cardamom Hills have increased by 0.3°C every ten years since 1978, a shift directly linked to changes in cultivation practices and forest cover. Farmers are beginning to move to newer areas, but experts caution that this is only a short-term solution. The long-term sustainability of India’s cardamom belt will depend on integrating ecological conservation with plantation management – maintaining shade trees, preserving genetic diversity, and reducing dependence on chemical inputs.

For students and practitioners of plantation management, cardamom offers a compelling case study: a high-value crop that is climatically sensitive, ecologically embedded, globally traded, and culturally irreplaceable. Understanding it means understanding the intersection of agronomy, ecology, economics, and tradition.

What do you think? Given the increasing pressure of climate change on India’s Western Ghats, how should cardamom farmers balance productivity with the long-term health of the forest ecosystem? And as global demand for cardamom grows, what role should sustainable certification and traceability play in India’s spice export strategy?

References

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