By Editor If you’re Indian, there is no way you haven’t tasted Cardamom yet, and it could very well be one of your favorite spices. Here, we use it literally from Chai/tea to spicy dishes as well. Pretty much every household has it and uses it on a regular basis; that’s what we’re certain of. After all it is not out of luck that India is the 2nd largest cardamom producer in the world right now. But within the borders, where does all this cardamom grow? That’s what we’re trying to figure out with this list of the Top 5 Cardamom Producing States in India 2025. So let’s just get to it right away.
1. Kerala
You must have heard it somewhere that in a lot of spice production right here in India, Kerala plays a big part in contributing to the total national production of these spices, year after year, right? Well, that’s pretty much true when we specifically talk about cardamom. Precisely for that reason, it is the one that is ranked first in our list. With a somewhat mind-boggling 22.87 thousand tonnes of output in 2023-24, just Kerala is responsible for almost 65% of the entire Indian cardamom yield. And it could be that you’re wondering why that is the case, well, straight up, the reason is that the ideal combination of temperate climate, thick green cover, and regular monsoon rains, particularly in districts like Idukki.
2. Sikkim
Oh, and just so you know, the number 2 spot goes to Sikkim, a state which is maybe tiny in area but still cannot be beaten in the cardamom production. Since we’re already talking numbers here, so here t is: In the year 2023-24, Sikkim’s output was close to 5.63 thousand tonnes, thus it holds a solid 16% share of the total production in the country. But apart from that, did you know that Sikkim is not top-ranked in small cardamom production, but it is the biggest supplier of large cardamom in India? Its cold Himalayan atmosphere and the organically shaded hill farms are what make it a perfect place for that particular variety.
3. Arunachal Pradesh
We get it, from the first spot to the third, there is a huge drop in the production numbers, but for the sake of keeping it about the top cardamom producers, we intend to keep on going, and that’s precisely why Arunachal Pradesh is a must-talk-about state in this regard. Production amount in total? Well, that was around 2.54 thousand tonnes as of 2023-24. How much is it really? Oh, that’s nearly 7% of the total output of the country. And you must have heard that “Land of Dawn-Lit Mountains” is the name given to this place that has plenty of cool and high-altitude areas that are ideal for the natural growth of large cardamom.
4. Nagaland
Not really far from the production amount of Arunachal, Nagaland is actually the 4th largest cardamom producer in India right now, but it is a real possibility that these states can easily surpass one another in the coming few years or so. Data will surely confirm that as it comes. Anyways, how much cardamom production are we talking here? Oh, in the case of Nagaland, it is still holding its position at number four with a production of 2.30 thousand tonnes, contributing almost 6.5% of the total cardamom production in India. The state’s temperate climate and rugged terrain provide a natural advantage to the farmers, and thus, while the majority of the villages which were depending on the shifting cultivation have now converted their ways of farming to cardamom cultivation.
5. Tamil Nadu
And here we are finally, we can find Tamil Nadu at 5th place with 0.78 thousand tonnes, which is a little more than 2% of the total output of the country. That’s pretty much it. Though the majority of the state is warm and flat, the areas that are situated along the Western Ghats have cooler weather and receive enough rainfall to support small pockets of cardamom cultivation.
Conclusion
It is hard not to be a chai lover in India, and if you are, there is no way you hate cardamom, and now you know, with this post finally summing up, where all that cardamom comes from, right? Since there is already so a high demand for this spice in the Indian market, no doubt, the production amount of these states has a huge impact on the price.