Dzongu’s Glorious Cardamom Legacy: A Scientific Perspective on a Vanishing Heritage

MAHENDRATAMANG Block Development Officer, Dzongu, North Sikkim

Nestled in the northern reaches of Sikkim, Dzongu stands as a unique and sacred territory, preserved as a special reserve for the indigenous Lepcha community. With its stunning landscapes, rich biodiversity, and deep-rooted traditions, Dzongu also bears a lesser-known yet remarkable legacy it was once the epicentre of large cardamom cultivation in the Eastern Himalayas. The region’s cool climate, deep forest loam, and abundant rainfall made it ideal zone for the cultivation of “Allainchi” (Amomumsubulatum Roxb.), which thrived here for decades.

Historically, the Lepchas practiced subsistence-based shifting cultivation, producing only what was necessary for household consumption. Over time, however, agricultural practices transitioned to settled farming, leading to more intensive and sustainable systems. This shift also brought changes in cropping patterns from food-oriented subsistence crops to high-value cash crops such as cardamom and ginger. Of these, large cardamom emerged as the most prominent, eventually becoming Sikkim’s primary cash crop and playing a pivotal role in the economic upliftment of rural households.

Dzongu’s peak cardamom production years spanned the mid to late twentieth century. Two main varieties were cultivated: Golsai, grown at lower altitudes, and Ramsai, found at higher elevations. Comparatively, Golsai produced larger, round fruits and had longer-lasting bushes but required soil rotation after several years. Ramsai, on the other hand, yielded smaller fruits with a shorter lifespan but could be replanted in the same soil without significant nutrient depletion. Many households in Dzongu were known for producing large quantities of cardamom ranging from 50 to over 300 mounds (with one mound equivalent to 37 kg) generating substantial income that enabled access to education, healthcare, and improved living standards, even in this geographically remote region.

(Cardamom cultivation in Sikkim. A file photo)

Dzongu remains a place of extraordinary significance culturally, environmentally, and historically. It is the only region in Sikkim inhabited solely by the Lepcha community, where their language is actively spoken in every household and traditional customs are vibrantly preserved. Although cardamom farming has witnessed a nosedive decline, the enduring bond between the people, the land, and their cultural heritage continues to shape Dzongu’s identity. With the confluence of traditional knowledge and scientific innovation, Dzongu holds the promise of reclaiming its past glory as a thriving centre of cardamom cultivation.

The accomplished production of large cardamom in Dzongu was significantly supported by the traditional sharecropping system known as “Adhia”. Under this arrangement, landowners and cultivators entered into mutual agreements where profits were shared typically on a 50:50 basis creating a symbiotic relationship that encouraged diligent farming and land stewardship. While the system had both strengths and limitations, it played a vital role in ensuring the equitable distribution of agricultural income and empowering tenants to actively participate in the economy. This model became a cornerstone of Dzongu’s agrarian structure during its most productive decades, fostering rural economic stability, enhancing social cohesion, and promoting efficient land use. As such, the Adhia system was instrumental in shaping the golden era of large cardamom cultivation in the region.

However, by the 1990s and early 2000s, a sharp decline in cardamom production began to affect Sikkim, including Dzongu. This downturn was driven by a combination of factors, including climate change, erratic rainfall patterns, the emergence of diseases such as capsule rot, viral infections, pest outbreaks, and the lack of region-specific scientific interventions. These stressors led to the widespread withering of cardamom plantations, severely affecting household economies and forcing farmers to abandon the crop altogether.

Today, the area under cardamom cultivation in Dzongu has dwindled significantly, now confined to just a few scattered pockets. Native varieties have largely been replaced by non-indigenous varieties with uncertain adaptability. This decline is further compounded by a severe shortage of labour. Despite its vastness, Dzongu remains sparsely populated. As a protected reserve exclusively for the Lepcha community, access by outsiders is restricted and requires official permits, limiting the availability of external labour. Adding to these challenges is the discontinuation of the traditional sharecropping system (Adhia), which once ensured mutual support between landowners and cultivators. With the younger generation increasingly disengaged from agriculture and the aging population unable to meet the intensive labour demands of cardamom farming, revival efforts now face substantial systemic hurdles.

Against this backdrop, the government’s recent initiative “MeroElaichiMeroDhan” emerges as a timely and promising policy. If thoughtfully adapted to address Dzongu’s unique labour and ecological constraints, the scheme holds significant potential to meaningfully revive cardamom cultivation. Institutions such as the Indian Cardamom Research Institute, Spices Board, GB Pant Institute, and the Department of Science and Technology are working collaboratively to promote disease-resistant, climate-resilient varieties, restore traditional agroforestry systems, and introduce sustainable cultivation practices. These coordinated and combined efforts aim not only to recover lost production but also to re-establish cardamom as a cornerstone of the region’s ecological and economic resilience.

Scientific intervention is now essential not only for developing varieties suited to Dzongu’s specific microclimate, but also for piloting scalable cultivation models that reflect the region’s socio-economic and geographic realities. The economic dividends of such an agricultural revival are manifold. With minimal government investment focused on basic infrastructure such as road connectivity, education, and healthcare, Dzongu could move towards self-sufficiency.

In light of this, the Block Administrative Centre (BAC), Passingdang, Dzongu has also taken the initiative to restore large cardamom (Golsai) cultivation. A total of 1,000 saplings have been planted on barren private lands within the BAC premises. This initiative was carried out in collaboration with Mutanchi LomAal Shezum (MLAS), a local NGO, and with technical support from the Spices Board, Sikkim.

Dzongu, once again, may rise as a thriving hub of large cardamom, echoing its former glory and providing a sustainable, dignified livelihood to its people, resilience, and sustainability true to its heritage.