If you search for cardamom price today, you usually want one number: what did small cardamom fetch at the latest e-auction? That number is useful, but it is not a single farm-gate quote. In India, the figure traders and farmers treat as “today’s price” comes from Spices Board e-auctions, mainly at Puttady (Idukki, Kerala) and Bodinayakanur (Theni, Tamil Nadu). SpiceValue publishes those results on the live prices board as soon as the Board pages are in.
This guide explains what “today” actually means on an auction ticket, how to compare centres, and how to use the daily rate without mistaking a thin session for a new market.
What “cardamom price today” really measures
A small-cardamom auction row is a session summary, not a shop rate. The Board typically reports:
The weighted average is the fairest “price today” for most decisions. The maximum tells you what premium quality or a tight lot book could fetch; it is not what a mixed orchard lot should expect. If you only glance at the high, you will over-read the market on days when one or two special lots clear far above the pack.
SpiceValue’s live board shows the latest auction days with those fields side by side so you can see the average and the top print together. For a longer trail, open the auction archive and filter by centre or date.
Puttady vs Bodinayakanur: two prints, one crop belt
Idukki’s Puttady centre and Tamil Nadu’s Bodinayakanur (Bodi) centre sit in the same Western Ghats cardamom belt, but they are not identical prints.
- Puttady is the Kerala reference many exporters and Idukki growers watch first. When people ask for “today cardamom auction price in Idukki,” they usually mean this centre.
- Bodi often trades a similar crop with its own arrivals, auctioneer mix and local demand. A gap between the two centres is common; a sudden gap that widens for several sessions is a signal, not noise.
Read both. If Puttady’s average jumps and Bodi does not, check sold quantity before you assume the whole belt re-priced. A thin sold book at one centre can move the average more than a well-attended session.
How to read today’s board without fooling yourself
Use a short checklist when you open cardamom price today:
- Confirm the auction date. “Today” in search is often yesterday’s evening session, especially if you check before the afternoon window. SpiceValue refreshes from the Board around 3:30 pm, 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm IST.
- Look at sold vs arrived. A high average on low sold quantity is a weak print. A steady average with strong sell-through is a real bid.
- Compare with the previous auction day, not with last month, for a same-week decision. Month-ago charts matter for planning; they do not tell you whether to send a lot tomorrow.
- Separate quality. Bold, green, well-cured capsules do not print at the same average as mixed colour or high moisture. The Board average blends lots.
If you need the full ticket history — every auctioneer, city and date — use Auctions. If you need the shape of the last week or season, use Charts.
Why a single day moves
Small cardamom is a thin, high-value market. Daily averages move because of:
- Arrivals. Heavy offerings after a dry spell, or light offerings during rain, change the book.
- Export and stockist demand. A few large buyers can lift a session without a new “national” story.
- Quality mix. A day of better colour and recovery lifts the average even if the bid for ordinary lots is unchanged.
- Weather in Idukki and Theni. Wet harvests and drying constraints show up in both quantity and grade. SpiceValue’s weather page covers the belt so you can line up rain with arrivals.
None of those are a forecast by themselves. A one-day spike that fades on the next well-attended auction is a session event. A grind higher (or lower) across both centres with healthy sold quantity is a trend. Price charts exist so you can see which one you are in.
A practical 2026 routine for farmers and traders
You do not need a model to use the daily rate well.
- Growers: Check the latest Puttady and Bodi averages, then look at sell-through. If both centres are bid and sold quantity is healthy, it is a better day to offer a ready lot than when averages look high but lots are passing unsold.
- Traders: Watch the centre split. Persistent premium at one centre is information about local tightness; a one-session premium is often quality mix.
- Exporters: Use the weighted average as the market, the max as the ceiling for special lots, and the archive to see whether this week is rich or poor versus the last month.
SpiceValue does not replace the Spices Board record. It is a faster way to read the same public auctions, with history and charts attached. For official settlement questions, always go back to Spices Board India.
Where to check cardamom price today
- Live prices — last auction days, Puttady and Bodi
- Auctions — searchable archive of small-cardamom e-auctions
- Charts — trends, sell-through, turnover and centre analytics
If you are comparing Kerala auction mechanics next, read how Kerala auctions set the Indian print. If you are deciding whether to hold a lot, read cardamom price trends and the best time to sell.
