Growing the world's third most expensive spice, Vietnam exports more than 1,600 tons

According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), cardamom is one of the oldest spices in the world and the third most expensive spice after saffron and vanilla. Vietnam is one of the countries with potential in producing and exporting this precious spice.

According to data from the Vietnam Pepper and Spice Association (VPSA), in the first 6 months of this year, Vietnam's cardamom and nutmeg exports continued to increase with the quantity reaching 1,684 tons, up 8.4% over the same period in 2024. Export turnover reached 15.3 million USD, up 21.6%.

In the first half of the year, there were 31 markets importing this item from Vietnam, of which the Netherlands, the US and the UK continued to be the three largest markets with 532 tons, 352 tons and 256 tons respectively. Currently, there are nearly 30 enterprises exporting this item. Nedspice Vietnam Spice Processing Company Limited and Olam Vietnam Company Limited are the two largest exporting enterprises with 1,152 tons and 361 tons.

Previously, in 2024, Vietnam exported 3,402 tons of cardamom - nutmeg with a total turnover of 27.6 million USD. The Netherlands, the US and Germany were the 3 main importing countries with 950 tons, 518 tons and 369 tons respectively.

In the world, cardamom is grown in many places such as Guatemala, India, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania... In addition, this plant also grows wild and is cultivated in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, China...

In Guatemala - the world's largest cardamom growing country, accounting for more than 50% of the global market share with an output of about 35,000-40,000 tons per year, according to Jagran Josh.

In India, cardamom production is expected to reach 22,868 tonnes in 2023-24, according to The New Indian Express. However, production in 2024-25 is expected to decline by 30-40% due to unfavorable climatic conditions. In February, the spice was sold at around Rs 2,800-3,200 per kg, the highest price since 2019.

According to a survey on some e-commerce sites in Vietnam, the retail price of cardamom from India is 1.5-1.9 million VND/kg. Meanwhile, some foreign e-commerce sites sell this Vietnamese spice for more than 1.5 million VND/kg.

In Vietnam, cardamom grows naturally and is mainly grown in mountainous areas with cool climates such as Cao Bang , Lao Cai... This plant is about 2-3m tall and lives for many years. The roots grow creepingly and the leaves grow in 2 rows.

Nutmeg is a member of the same family as cardamom. It is native to the Maluku Islands (Indonesia) and is widely grown in tropical countries such as Cambodia, India and Malaysia. In our country, the tree is commonly grown in the southern provinces.

Vietnam is one of the major exporters of many popular spices such as pepper, cinnamon, star anise... By March 2023, our country will have 500,000 hectares of spice crops, with hundreds of thousands of small-scale farming households and about 400 businesses in the industry.

Vietnam has been the world leader in pepper production and export for over 20 years. Vietnam's cinnamon exports have also been the world's leading since 2022 and the world's third-largest star anise exporter. Vietnam's pepper and spices are now exported to more than 125 countries, ranking third in global spice exports and dominating many important markets.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/trong-duoc-loai-gia-vi-dat-thu-3-the-gioi-viet-nam-xuat-khau-hon-1600-tan-20250827152941402.htm