DEBATE continues over the likely final outcome of Guatemala's 2012/13 cardamom crop, with some European dealers still convinced it will end up ahead of that of 2011/12, while others are claiming it will be lower. Harvesting normally runs to March or April each year so a clearer picture could be some months away. In the meantime, the divided opinion on the crop inevitably also means differing views on the likely direction of prices. On Monday, one Rotterdam trader told The Public Ledger that based on his contacts with origin suppliers he remained convinced that the thrips insect in key growing areas of the country had destroyed as much as 20% of the bold green cardamoms from the crop. This meant that there would be larger volumes of the lower grade material than the bold greens, he claimed... Read More