Cardamom farmers on the path of protest

PUTTADY(IDUKKI): The plunging price of cardamom in recent months has brought the growers of the spice on the protest path. The Puttady Spices Park here has become a central place for these protests, alleging that the Spices Board has been a mute spectator that is not taking any action to defuse the current crisis.
On Wednesday, the average cardamom price was quoted at `743 per kg at the auction centre and the highest price at `1,048. The supply this year at the auction was `61,284 kg. This is in contrast to the past year when the average price of the spice was around `1,550 per kg and the supply was only 25,000 kg.