Elderly Konyak man drying locally available cardamom, locally called elachi, in Mon town. The cardamoms scientifically called Amomum (and commonly known as black cardamom) is said to be abundant in Mon district and is found in the forests. The cardamoms once it is sun dried will be exported to buyers from outside the state who use it as cooking spices or as a medicine. Cardamom, called the queen of spices, and is one of the most exotic and high-priced spices in the world. However, in Nagaland it is unclear how well the cultivation of this cash crop is exploited and how much income is generated for the farmers. One thing is for sure though, some of the ‘cultivators’ said that there is no fixed price for the cardamom and there is no large scale cultivation of the crop.
(Morung Photo)
(Morung Photo)
