Cardamom Exports Surge While Tea Shipments Continue to Decline

Nepal’s black cardamom exports through the Mechi Customs Office surged by 109.20 percent in the first four months of the current fiscal year (FY 2025/26), while tea exports—a key cash crop from the eastern hills—registered a sharp decline, the state-run national news agency RSS reported.

Black cardamom is grown in 42 districts across Nepal, but cultivation is concentrated in Koshi Province—including Panchthar, Taplejung, Ilam, Sankhuwasabha, Khotang, Bhojpur, and Tehrathum—where more than 7,500 hectares of farmland are under production. This concentration makes Mechi Customs the country’s primary gateway for cardamom trade.

According to Mechi Customs, Nepal exported 1,823.90 metric tonnes of black cardamom worth Rs 3.97 billion during the review period. This is a significant rise compared to the same period in the last fiscal year, when cardamom exports stood at Rs 1.90 billion.

In contrast, tea exports continued their downward trajectory. Tea shipments dropped 37.70 percent in the four-month period, with exports totalling Rs 1.37 billion, down sharply from Rs 2.20 billion in the same period last fiscal year.

The customs office’s data also reveal mixed trends among other major export items. Veneer sheet exports rose by 134.80 percent; hardened cheese (chhurpi) by 33 percent; ginger by 3.20 percent; cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage by 36.10 percent; and lentil exports surged by 481 percent. By contrast, exports of plywood fell by 52.70 percent, broom grass (amriso) dropped 23.90 percent, and metal sheet exports declined by 97.30 percent.

Overall, goods worth Rs 7.96 billion were exported through Mechi Customs in the first four months of the current fiscal year.  – With inputs from RSS