The fragrance which had lost its allure due to a variety of reasons, besides a slump in the procurement price, is slowly regaining lost ground.

Kochi :

The fragrance which had lost its allure due to a variety of reasons, besides a slump in the procurement price, is slowly regaining lost ground. Vanilla is indeed making a comeback, albeit on a smaller scale!  The reason, according to market experts, is the yawning demand- supply gap.

Currently, a kilo of green beans commands around Rs 5,000. According to Thomas T V, senior manager, Vanilco, another factor which might have worked in the vanilla farmers’ favour is the havoc wrought on vanilla farms in Madagascar by hurricanes.

Till 2016, Vanilco, a company promoted by Indian vanilla farmers to protect their  interests in the longer run , procured around one tonne of vanilla in the state. But with prices going down due to poor demand for the beans grown in India in the European countries, the farmers began ditching their crops.

Another factor which led to the price slump  is the extensive farming. As a result, a kilo of green beans that used to command around Rs 3,000 began selling at around Rs 1,500. The farmers, especially those who had gone in for large-scale cultivation, didn’t find it viable due to huge expenses they incurred,” said Thomas.

“Vanilla is a labour intensive crop and takes a long time to flower. Besides, the crop suffers from various diseases,” he said.

According to Manmadan, a vanilla farmer, the ups and downs in the market not only of vanilla but also other crops happens due to Malayalees’ penchant to go in for thing that’s trending during that period of time. “People didn’t even bother to cultivate good quality plants. So, not only was the price impacted due to the surplus yield, but  the poor quality beans made us a pariah on the international market,” he said. Now though, vanilla is making a comeback, he said.

“The price being cited is Rs 5,000 for green beans and Rs 10,000 for dried ones,” he said.  According to Thomas, good quality vines plus smaller holdings are the mantras to become a successful vanilla farmer.  “Vanilco too is planning to help revive vanilla cultivation. We are planning to distribute quality vines to the farmers interested in growing vanilla on a small scale. The company will give them all the help needed to cultivate the crop and will also procure at the market price,” he said. Thomas said, “The proposal is at a planning stage and will be implemented soon. The company requires at least 500 kg of green beans for its processing unit. Presently, we get only around one to two kg.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Anu Kuruvilla / Express News Service / November 20th, 2018