Tilak Bahadur Rana Magar of Udayapur, who spent 30 years carrying heavy loads for a living, is now busy cultivating cardamom. Poverty forced him into labor work from the age of 15, but with the expansion of road networks and the arrival of tractors and mules in villages, his profession became obsolete. As traditional load-carrying work disappeared, Tilak Bahadur transitioned to cardamom farming.
He began by converting around 15 ropanis of land—once overgrown with wild plants like banmara and titepati, where not even maize or millet could grow—into a cardamom farm. With no other source of income, he turned to this crop after learning about it from television programs and friends. Today, Magar is a leading cardamom farmer in his area, and his economic transformation stands as a testament to the power of hard work and persistence. He proudly says that he no longer needs to go abroad to fund his children’s education.
Magar is just one example. Across eastern Nepal, many farmers are now cultivating cardamom as their main crop, turning it into a reliable source of income. What began as a means to cover household expenses has evolved into large-scale commercial farming for many.
The Cardamom Development Center, located in Pandam, Suryodaya Municipality-9 of Ilam district, has played a key role in this transformation. Established on 31 Oct 1976, on 345 ropanis of land, the center began the Cardamom Research and Development Program. In 1982, the districts of Ilam, Panchthar, and Terhathum were officially declared Cardamom Development Zones, and both government and private sectors began promoting its cultivation at scale.
Cardamom has become a major export commodity. It is estimated that cardamom accounts for 17 to 25 percent of Nepal’s agricultural export income. Nepal reportedly contributes more than 50 percent to the global large cardamom market. India is the primary export destination, but Nepal also exports cardamom to countries like Singapore, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the UAE. In fact, 98 percent of Nepal’s cardamom is exported, with only two percent consumed domestically. Government figures estimate that annual cardamom exports are worth Rs 4bn to Rs 5bn.
This high export value has significantly benefited Nepal’s agricultural sector, helping to reduce the trade deficit and strengthen the national economy. While the eastern region remains the heart of production, cardamom farming is gradually spreading to western districts as well. Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam, and Sankhuwasabha in Koshi Province are recognized as key production hubs.
The growing demand has led to a steady rise in the area under cardamom cultivation. Initially confined to a few eastern districts, the crop is now grown in around 42 districts, involving some 67,000 farming households. For many, cardamom is the main source of cash income, improving livelihoods through better employment, education, and healthcare.
One hectare of cardamom farmland can yield between 300 and 600 kilograms of dried pods annually, with market prices ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 per kilogram—making it a highly profitable crop even for smallholders.
Cardamom is Nepal’s top agricultural export and a significant contributor to foreign exchange earnings. The value chain—from cultivation to processing, packaging, and export—has created jobs at various levels. Local laborers involved in harvesting and drying can earn over Rs 30,000 per month in wages.
As a high-value cash crop, cardamom has become a beacon of hope for farmers in Nepal’s mid-hills and eastern regions. What once began as a subsistence activity has now matured into a fully commercial enterprise, offering not just economic opportunities but also contributing to rural development and national revenue.
