KOCHI: A petty squabble between two spice traders which finally ended up in the High Court made the public realise that most of the cardamom available in the market is highly toxic and not fit for consumption. The High Court restrained the Travancore Devaswom Board from selling ‘aravana prasadam’ made using the cardamom supplied by the respondent (Sunil) with tests revealing the presence of 14 pesticides found to be exceeding the MRL (Minimum Residual Limit) as specified under Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins, and Residues) Regulation, 2011.
The judgement was in response to a writ filed by Prakash S of Ayyapa Spices seeking to conduct a test of the cardamom purchased from Sunil for the Mandala-Makaravilakku festival season of (2022-23).Prakash was the supplier of cardamom during the previous festival season and he also wanted the court to cancel the present contract as the tendering was done without competition and news paper advertisement.
The special interest of the complainant in getting the cardamom tested by the court is amusing, but has helped in raising awareness about the use of pesticides in cardamom farming. Interestingly, scientists and some environmentalists have been warning about the high pesticide usage in cardamom farming for several years. There are plenty of peer-reviewed articles in the public domain that warn about the accumulation of lead, cadmium, and copper in cardamom capsules grown in India.
Cardamom grows mostly in the Udumbunchola, Peermade, and Vandanmedu taluk, which is collectively known as the Cardamom Hill Reserve (CHR).Guatemala accounts for nearly 30,000-35,000 tonnes of small cardamom (green) followed by India with about 15,000-22,000 tonnes.
A K Vijayan, former head of crop protection at the Indian Cardamom Research Institute, said it is a known fact that most planters use 8-15 rounds of chemical pesticides to control the pests in cardamom. Earlier the farmers used to apply pesticides once in every 20 days, but this has come down recently due to lower returns, he added.
Until the 1990s, it was mostly the indigenous variety that was prevalent and it was more resistant to pest attacks and climate change. The use of pesticides was also minimal-one or two rounds at the most.“High-yielding varieties have conquered the cardamom sector resulting in the excessive use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers. Now we are unable to export to countries with strict specifications on MRL. The market value of cardamom is based on size, shape, colour, and smell. There are no takers for organically grown cardamom,” he added.
A peer-reviewed article ‘Understanding the Effects of Cardamom Cultivation on Its Local Environment Using Novel Systems Thinking Approach-the Case of Indian Cardamom Hills’ mentions that planters believe that immersing the cardamom plantation is necessary for pest and disease management.
“Indian cardamom farming has been considered one of the costliest production systems. The reasons are closely associated with the unscrupulous use of pesticides which wiped out the natural enemies of pests and inefficacies of pesticides that led to dose enhancement. Climatic changes along with forest degradation and removal of shade have played a considerable role for increased pesticide consumption,” the report adds.
If this is the case, the queen of spices (cardamom) will rise to the king of pesticide usage, turning the kingdom of spices into a land of poisons, says the article co-authored by the scientists from the Cardamom Research Station-Pampadumpara, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Florida, and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
K K Devassia, former official of the Cardamom Growers Association, told TNIE that farmers use pesticides despite several awareness campaigns and the availability of bio-pesticides.
“Attack of cardamom thrips which disfigure the capsule is the main problem. Big, green and good-looking cardamom capsules fetch good returns. There is no bio-pesticide currently available for repulsing thrips,” he added.
Experts warn that the intensive farming using pesticides has severely degraded the CHR during the past 25 years, reducing its roughness (structure) and species diversity, and it is now unable to fulfil its ecological and environmental roles. According to the M S Swaminathan Commission, which studied the farm crisis in Idukki district, environmental factors have changed dramatically and could threaten the livelihood of millions of farmers.
FACT CHECK
Cardamom grows mostly in the Udumbunchola, Peermade, and Vandan-medu taluk, collectively known as CHR
Planters use 8-15 rounds of pesticides while it was applied once in every 20 days earlier
High-yielding varieties also took over indegenous variety, resulting in the over use of fertilisers
Experts warn that the intensive farming using pesticides has severely degraded the CHR during the past 25 years and it is now unable to fulfil its ecological roles