Ministry of Commerce And Supplies - Enhanced Integrated ...

N T I S2010The viral diseases chirke and furkey pose a threat to large cardamom production and are seen throughoutthe large cardamom growing tracts of Sikkim and Darjeeling in India where they have caused considerablecrop loss to Nepal’s short-term advantage. These diseases have spread due to changes in the ecosystem,inadequate rain in dry months, and absence of good agricultural practices (GAPs) by farmers. Many cardamomfarmers in those regions failed to plant varieties suitable to their altitude. The threat posed by these diseasesrequires vigorous action on the part of the Government, requiring a combination of the control on imports ofplant material, particularly from affected countries, the introduction of virus-free planting material of suitablecultivars, introduction of GAPs, including the use of indexed plant material, destruction of infected plants, anduse of management techniques to reduce disease transmission. A crucial part of this management strategy isthe control of plant movement across international borders.The development of GAPs and pest management guidelines based on a full pest risk assessment (PRA) forcardamom is urgently required. While India and other importing countries have no plant health issues withcardamom bhatti (smokefree or otherwise), Nepal should be deeply concerned about the virus and virus vectorproblems which have caused great concern in the nearby production areas in Sikkim and Bhutan. The DoAshould have full authority and control over import of plant material--currently not the case as regulations basedon the new Plant Protection Act have not been approved—and any attempt to manage cardamom diseaseswithin Nepal needs to be backed up by controls on international movement of cardamom germplasm.Quality management through GAPs and improved post-harvest techniques (good manufacturing practices[GMPs]), and traceability are essentially the domain of the marketing organizations and should remainmarket-driven. That being said, there is a role for the government in, for example, providing virus indexedplant material. The introduction of grading standards should be encouraged, but again these are essentiallymarket-driven. Encouragement through non-government organizations (NGOs) to develop a Nepali brand forcardamom, via a growers/exporters export council, is recommended as buyers in Siliguri, the world’s largesttrading centre for large cardamom located in eastern India, fully recognize Nepal’s current reputation forhigh quality. Developing new products, market testing, and implementing quality testing are also necessaryactivities.Government plant protection specialists can help devise and implement a certified nursery and replantingscheme. The private sector (marketers and growers), with help from NGOs, can help with quality upgradingand traceability through capacity building in the industry, i.e. developing a proactive attitude and cultureamong participants to continuous improvement, including developing GAPs, traceability and, if justified,organic certification.GingerIntroductionAs noted in Chapter 2, ginger is a crop with reasonable potential for Nepal. Export values doubled from1994 to 2003, almost all of it exported to India. About 75 per cent of production is traded fresh with theremainder dried. Consumers of fresh ginger regard Nepalese ginger as inferior to Indian and Jamaicanginger and to the elite varieties of other countries because of its high fibre content and dirty appearance.Production and trading are handled by small family-owned businesses with limited to non-existent forwardor backward linkages in the supply chain. Nevertheless, there are areas of land that could be brought intoginger cultivation, which, together with improved production techniques, could increase prospect for thiscrop. There is a further potential to diversify Nepal’s ginger production into processed products. Probably,the most attractive markets for Nepalese ginger are Pakistan, Netherlands, Malaysia, the USA, and Singapore,but it should be noted that China, which attained three quarters of the total world market in 2005, is likely tobe a serious competitor in these markets. More distant markets such as the USA may not be realistic optionsfor exporters because of high transport costs.196NEPAL TRADE INTEGRATION STRATEGY 2010BACKGROUND REPORT