Women produce, men sale large cardamom

Kathmandu, July 10

Nepal is the world's largest producer and exporter of the large cardamom, thanks to the women home-based workers.

But the same women are largely isolated from the market and lack critical market information.

"They are not involved in the buying of inputs or sale of crop. They struggle to estimate the costs involved and were unsure about the prices," concluded a World Bank (WB) study released on Wednesday.

But men were clear and confident in sharing information on costs and process. Once cardamom is harvested, it is the men that keep track of prices and markets, deal with traders, and transport the product to the selected markets, found the study undertaken in the hills of the eastern district Taplejung.

Similarly, women have a little say on the post-production processes of trading and processing. Even though they do the final processing, they have little control over what they receive as payment and function largely as daily wage labourers.

"Daily wages nowhere commensurate with the value they add to the product," concluded the report 'Understanding the role of women home-based workers in value chains of large cardamom and allo in Nepal'.

It determined that the large cardamom production was a critical source of livelihood generation for a majority of women home-based workers. Support to women-based or women-oriented institution in large cardamom will help build their capacity and ability to negotiate better in the global marketplace.

Speaking at the report launching ceremony, Member of the National Planning Commission Dr. Usha Jha said that Nepal could provide a platform for the neighbouring countries – Bhutan and India (Sikkim) - growing this highly valued spice to enlarge the pie and seek new markets in south-east Asia. She proposed to develop the eastern Himalayan region as a spice corridor.

Nepal is the largest producers of the large cardamom, known as black gold. Bhutan and India are the second and third largest producers. In 2016/17, Nepal produced about 12,500 tons large cardamom, more than the double than in 2014/15 when the production was about 5,500 tons.

The study led by the HomeNet South Asia, a network of home-based worker organisations in the South Asia, also concluded that the income made from the cardamom had made immense contributions to improving the lives of women involved.

Lila Devi Dahal, a farmer from Taplejung, said, "I have put my children through school and college with my earnings from large cardamom. I am now looking to do more and want to get involved in making spices and tea powder."

Since 2015, the price of the product – which is dependent on global market fluctuations - has seen a continuous decline. In Taplejung, women home-based workers admitted that crop disease and lack of water resources have added worries. Additionally, women home-based workers lack access to the market and feasible credit facilities.

 “Putting in place a system of gender-disaggregated and gender-specific data collection; introducing women-friendly technology and tools for production and processing; and supporting women’s institution building for skill enhancement and marketing will go a long way in ensuring effective and appropriate returns to investment in the cardamom industry,” said Faris H. Hadad Zervos, Country Manager of World Bank for Nepal.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 11 July 2019.