Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) organized an exposure visit for Cardamom farmers and project stakeholders of Sandakpur rural municipality (Ilam) to Taplejung District from 13 to 15 June 2026 to observe and learn about cardamom farming practices in the district. This event was carried out under the project "Conservation of Mai Valley Forest Landscape through Sustainable Finance for People and Nature," supported by BirdLife International.

A total of 29 participants took part in the exposure visit, including 24 cardamom farmers from three farmer groups - Maipokhari Wood Snipe Cardamom Farmer Group, Sulubung Wood Snipe Cardamom Farmer Group, and Jamuna Wood Snipe Cardamom Farmer Group - along with staff members from BCN and Mountain Organization Nepal (MOON, Ilam).

On the first day, the observation tour commenced from Ilam and concluded at Phungling, the district headquarters of Taplejung. In the evening, participants attended a brief meeting with Narendra Kumar Bista, an officer from the PMAMP Cardamom Zone, Taplejung, who provided an overview of cardamom farming and the pocket area of Cardamom in the district. He also explained the support provided to farmers through the program and shared information about cardamom production and marketing.

On the second day, the participants visited cardamom farming area in Khejenim, Ward No. 2 of Phaktanglung Rural Municipality. During the visit, Mr. Gopal Bhandari, Agriculture Technician of the Rural Municipality, provided a detailed overview of cardamom cultivation practices and shared insights into the local farming system. The participants also visited one of the oldest and largest cardamom farms in the area, where they observed a well-managed cardamom plantation. They were particularly impressed by the scale and condition of the farm. During the visit, they also interacted with a farmer who cultivates cardamom on 70 ropani of land and produces more than 45 mann (approximately 1,800 kg) of dried cardamom annually. He shared his experiences of cultivating cardamom in the area over many years with the participants. In the evening, a short meeting with Mr. Ramesh Rai, Program Coordinator of Himali Conservation Forum (Nepal Bird Conservation Network member). He provided an overview of the organization's conservation initiatives in the Taplejung area.

During the visit, participants learned about sustainable cardamom farming practices, including disease management without the use of pesticides and the importance of selecting suitable cardamom varieties to achieve higher yields. They also visited Chandan Fiber Udyog, an enterprise led by Maya Gurung, where handicrafts are produced from cardamom fiber, a material that was previously considered waste. The visit provided participants with valuable insights into value addition and the utilization of cardamom by-products beyond the seeds, inspiring them to explore similar opportunities in their own communities. The exposure visit was highly inspiring and motivated the participants to adopt improved cultivation practices, explore value-added products, and further promote sustainable cardamom farming in their respective communities.