Small Cardamom

Component

Objective  & Scale of assistance

Planting material production

Availability of good quality planting materials of improved varieties/ cultivars for replanting/rejuvenation is the key to improve the productivity of cardamom. High yielding and disease free planting materials are to be made available to facilitate replanting. Subsidy @ Rs. 2/- per sucker  sucker and seedling for a maximum 10,000 suckers in Karnataka and Rs.2.50 per sucker in Kerala & Tamil Nadu is offered to the growers. 

Replantation

Presence of old and senile plantations is the prime reason for low productivity in cardamom. The programme is aimed at rejuvenating the old, diseased and uneconomic plantations.

For 0-8 Ha :  Rs 70000/- per Ha is given as subsidy in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and Rs.50,000/- per Ha. in Karnataka  towards 33.33% of the cost of the replanting and mainteneance during gestation period.The subsidy is paid in two equal annual instalments after inspection.

Improved Cardamom Curing Devices

Since traditional curing results in low quality produce, Board is popularising   curing machines using  fuels, viz., Diesel, LP Gas and energy from biomass which gives cardamom better colour and cost effective drying, also fetches premium price.  33.33% of the actual cost subject to a maximum of Rs.1,00,000/- per device is offered as susbidy.

Irrigation and Land Development Programme

 Severe drought during the summer months i.e., from February extending up to May will affect the formation of panicle and thereby the productivity. This programme helps to provide the needy irrigation during the summer months & soil conservation in cardamom plantations

Subsidy : 25- 50% of cost  based on activity component as below:

Supply of GAP Kits

Cardamom needs intensive care and constant attention to prevent occurrence of pests and diseases. Indiscriminate use of pesticides, due to lack of awareness has resulted in pesticide residues in the end product. The Board therefore  to supply bio-agents o farmers to take up prophylactic/control measures in cardamom.  50% cost of bioagents  subject to a maximum of Rs.2500/- per  ha is provided as subsidy.

Supply of Bee-keeping boxes

Honeybees play an important role in pollination of cardamom flowers. By promoting bee keeping in cardamom plantations, productivity can be increased and also this will give an additional income to farmers. It is proposed to supply five bee boxes per hectare at 50% subsidy subject to a maximum of  Rs.1880/- per box .

Mechanisation

 About 68% of the cost of cultivation incurred per hectare in cardamom is accounted for the labour. Timely unavailability of labour cripples the cardamom sector leading to both plant loss as well as crop loss.The best initiative by which the labour cost and thereby the total production cost can be brought down is by introducing mechanization wherever possible. Mechanization of cultural practices like pit making, weeding, plant protection etc.  requires timely labour. Cleaning of the harvested produce, its grading and polishing fetches a premium price for the farmer.

In order to assist the farmers to help them to take up timely cultural operations and to reduce the production cost, it is proposed to supply pit makers, weed cutters, plant plant protection equipments, washing equipments, graders/sieves and polishers at 50% susbidy  as below: