With an increase in arrivals, cardamom traders foresee a steady market in Puttady auctions on Monday.

The arrivals have slightly improved at 54 tonnes, as the two auctioneers are known for offering better quality in the auctions, traders said, adding that almost all the stakeholders in the trade have ensured their participation.

The quantity offered by the auctioneers, Header Systems, in the morning section was 32 tonnes, while Mas Enterprises in the afternoon was 22 tonnes.

However, traders were of the view that coronavirus alert in the upcountry markets seem to have dampened the sentiments in the market, which witnessed a slow movement. This has impacted even the Holi festival season in North India this week which has registered a subdued demand in sales because of the virus alert.

Last week, poor arrivals have forced auctioneers to cancel two or three trading sessions and traders cited various reasons which included price fluctuations, cash crunch in the market etc.