Guatemala Cardamom Report
In
Guatemala, cardamom is known as Green Gold of Guatemala as they are the
world's largest exporter and producer of cardamom in the world. Since
2008 to 2019, Guatemala produced cardamom on average of 32,000 Mt
annually. Furthermore, Cardamom is the fourth largest agricultural
product to be exported out of Guatemala by value. The national producers
of cardamom in Guatemala are distributed to several departments
(regions) as follow: Alta Verapaz Department (68%), Quiché Department
(14%), Huehuetenango Department (8%), Izabal Department (4%), Baja
Verapaz Department (2%) and the other departments of the Republic add up
to (4%) (Chart 1). Furthermore, a total of 84% of the harvested area is
concentrated in 2 Departments: Alta Verapaz Department (68%) and Quiché
Department (16%).
Harvesting and processing
Cardamom
plants normally start bearing two years after planting. In most of the
areas in Guatemala, the seedtime for cardamom performs during the rain
and summer season which occurred in May-September. The high peak period
of harvest also occurred during the rain and summer season around
July-October (Table 1).
Postharvest
treatments for cardamom in Guatemala consist of washing, curing
(drying), cleaning, polishing, sorting, grading and packing. There are
several ways of drying the fruit (capsules recently harvested) to reduce
moisture content which include sun-drying, solar drying and wood -
fired drying.
Furthermore,
cardamom in Guatemala must be harvested by hand, when ready, it can be
easily detached from the stem and the colour is bright green. The
following definitions refer to common Guatemalan cardamom grades:
· Jumbo Green - extra-large green small cardamom pods
· Imperial Best Green - large green pods
· Fancy Green Extra - extra green pods
· Fancy Green - medium sized green pods
· Imperial Mixed Green - large pale green pods
· Mixed Green - pods of assorted colours
· Mixed Green Split - medium sized open green pods
· Yellow Mixed - medium/large closed yellow pods
· Mixed Yellow Quality (MYQ) -medium sized light brown cardamom for grinding
· Seeds - cardamom with the husks removed
The
output of cardamom is greatly influenced by climatic conditions. The
cardamom plant requires a continuous rain interspersed with periods of
good sunshine. Over the past two decades, the cardamom cultivation areas
in Guatemala had faced severe ecological degradation due to diminishing
forest cover which was caused by the weather disturbance of El Niño and
La Niña climate phenomenon. The phenomenon had adversely affected
Guatemala's 2010 production, causing the quality of cardamom to
deteriorate. The plant is now abnormally susceptible from attacks by
pests and diseases.
Area Plantation of Cardamom in Guatemala
Cultivation
of cardamom was introduced to Guatemala before World War I by Oscar
Majus Kloeffer; today Guatemala is the world's biggest producer and
exporter, followed by India and Sri Lanka. Over 60% of the world's
cardamom is grown in Guatemala, the crops contributes to between 0.8%
and 1.5% of country's GDP.
During
2008-2015 the area under cardamom cultivation in Guatemala had shown an
increasing trend, recording an increase of 19% when comparing 2008 and
2015. As from 2015, the area of cardamom cultivation in Guatemala had
decreased to 2017. In 2017, Guatemala planted Cardamom on 72,593 Ha of
area, recording a 2% decrease when compared to 2015. In 2018, the area
under cardamom cultivation was reported with an increase of 4% as
opposed to 2017 to an area of 75,399 Ha. In addition, the area of
cardamom cultivation for 2019 was estimated to increase by 2% to 76,761
Ha. (Table 2). The increase of the area under cardamom cultivation could
be contributed to the Guatemala government's along with the Cardamom
Exporters' Association (ADECAR), the Guatemalan association of Exporters
(AGEXPORT) and the Cardamom Producers Association of Guatemala
(CARDEGUA) implementation strategies to improve the quality of cardamom
and the economic condition of the farmers involved in the production.
These strate gies were implemented through demonstration plots as well
as training on how to implement good agricultural practises (GAP).
Cardamom
production of Guatemala had fluctuated since 2008 with a rather
positive trend. Cardamom production of Guatemala was reported to have
recorded an increase of 78% in the past 11 years as it recorded to have
produced a total of 38,163 Mt in 2018. The highest production of
Guatemalan Cardamom in the past 11 years was reported in 2014 with
38,465 Mt whilst the lowest occurred in 2008 with only 21,414 Mt.
In
addition, the production of Guatemalan Cardamom for 2019 was estimated
to experience an 8% increase when compared to 2018 at 41,172 Mt as
result of implementation strategies by Guatemala government to improve
the quality of cardamom and the economic condition of the farmers
involved in the production in the Department of Alta Verapaz which was
the main cardamom producer in Guatemala.
Cardamom Productivity in Guatemala
Cardamom
productivity in Guatemala for the past 11 years fluctuated with a
positive trend (Chart 2). In the past 11 years cardamom productivity in
Guatemala was reported to have increased by 47% to 506 Kg per Ha in 2018
and by 2019 the cardamom productivity was estimated at 536 Kg per Ha.
Thus, recording an increase of 6% when compared with 2018. The highest
cardamom productivity in Guatemala was reported in 2013 with 553 Kg per
Ha whilst the lowest occurred in 2008 with only 344 Kg per Ha.
Average Export Price of Cardamom in Guatemala
During
2017-2019, the average export price both whole and ground cardamom on
Guatemala saw an increasing trend. In 2017, the average exports price of
cardamom by Guatemala was reported at USD 10,350 per Mt for whole
cardamom and USD 9,709 per Mt for ground cardamom. The highest average
exports price of whole cardamom from Guatemala in 2017 occurred in May
with USD 11,271 per Mt whilst the lowest price was reported in January
with USD 9,202 per Mt. Furthermore, the highest average exports price of
ground cardamom from Guatemala in 2017 was reported in June with USD
18,537 per Mt whilst the lowest price was reported in February with only
USD 2,947 per Mt.
In
2018, the average exports price both whole and ground cardamom by
Guatemala saw an increasing trend averaging at USD 11,784 per Mt for
whole cardamom and USD 12,559 per Mt for ground cardamom. Thus,
recording an increase of 14% and 29% respectively as compared with 2017.
The highest average exports price of whole cardamom from Guatemala in
2018 occurred in December with USD 12,587 per Mt whilst the lowest price
was reported in January with USD 10,163 per Mt. Furthermore, the
highest average exports price of ground cardamom from Guatemala in 2018
occurred in April with USD 15,071 per Mt whilst the lowest price was
reported in June with USD 9,668 per Mt.
The
average exports price both whole and ground cardamom by Guatemala in
2019 continued the increasing trend with an increase of 47% and 15%
respectively as compared to the previous year averaging at USD 17,370
per Mt for whole cardamom and USD 14,481 per Mt for ground cardamom. The
highest average exports price of whole cardamom from Guatemala in 2019
occurred in December with USD 23,060 per Mt whilst the lowest price was
reported in January with USD 13,595 per Mt (Table 3). Furthermore, the
highest average exports price of ground cardamom from Guatemala in 2019
occurred in May with USD 27,159 per Mt whilst the lowest price was
reported in December with only USD 1,437 per Mt (Table 4).
Export of Cardamom by Guatemala
As
the top producers of cardamom in the world, Guatemala in the past 3
years actively exported cardamom to various countries with the major
destination to Middle East countries. In 2017, Guatemala was reported to
have exported a total of 35,814 Mt of cardamom from which 99.7% or
35,695 Mt of it comprised of whole cardamom and 0.3% or 119 Mt of it
ground cardamom. Guatemala on average exported a total of 2,985 Mt per
month in 2017 which peaked in December with 5,038 Mt. The total revenue
of Guatemala's export of cardamom in 2017 was reported to be as high as
USD 366.9 Million.
Year
2018 saw an increasing trend in term of quantity of cardamom exported
by Guatemala. Guatemala was reported to have exported a total of 36,815
Mt of which 99.7% or 36,702 Mt of it comprised of whole cardamom and
0.3% or 113 Mt of it ground cardamom, recording an increase of 3% when
compared with 2017. The average export of cardamom by Guatemala in 2018
was reported at 3,068 Mt per month which peaked in November with 5,220
Mt. In accordance with the increase of quantity, Guatemala's revenue
from cardamom export was reported to have increased by 18% as compared
to the previous year to a total of USD 433.7 Million.
2019
was reported with a decreasing trend in term of quantity of cardamom
exported by Guatemala. Guatemala was reported to have exported a total
of 36,323 Mt of which 99.7% or 36,209 Mt of it comprised of whole
cardamom and 0.3% or 114 Mt of it ground cardamom, recording a slight
decrease of 1% when compared with 2019. The average export of cardamom
by Guatemala in 2019 was reported at 3,027 Mt per month which peaked in
December with 5,816 Mt. Although decreasing in terms of quantity,
Guatemala's revenue from cardamom export was reported to have increased
by 49% as compared to the previous year to a total of USD 647.2 Million.
Cardamom
from Guatemala are widely traded in Asia, Africa, Europe and America
Countries (Table 7). In 2019, Guatemala's top 10 Country of destinations
for its cardamom were reported to be Saudi Arabia with 10,107 Mt (an
increase of 6% as compared with 2018), United Arab Emirates with 7,981
Mt (an increase of 10%), Bangladesh with 2,851 Mt (a decrease of 19%),
Pakistan with 2,308 Mt (a decrease of 15%), Egypt with 1,386 Mt (a
decrease of 0.3%), Jordan with 1,245 Mt (an increase of 1%), Netherlands
with 1,127 Mt (an increase of 28%), Singapore 1,025 Mt (a decrease of
6%), Syrian Arab Republic with 958 Mt (a decrease of 29%) and Kuwait
with 885 Mt (a decrease of 11%).
Source:
· Ministerio de Agricultura Ganaderia y Alimentacion Guatemala (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Guatemala) - MAGA
· International Trade Centre (ITC) - Geneva
· Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
· US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)
Note:
Some of the data in this publication are from the IPC database. The
data are obtained from official reports and correspondence between the
IPC and relevant partiesand have been processed based on statistical
norms that can be accounted for.
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