The Hindu : Kerala News : Growers' association to procure vanilla

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 25, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Growers' association to procure vanilla

By Our Staff Reporter

THRISSUR, DEC. 24. In an initiative that may turn out to be a trend-setter in empowering the farmers to fix the prices of their products the All Kerala Vanilla Growers' Association (AKVGA) has decided to procure dry vanilla at Rs. 6,000 per kg.

Addressing a press conference here today, the Association office-bearers said at this price the farmers will be able to fix the prices of raw vanilla beans at Rs. 1,200 per kg.

At present the price of raw vanilla beans in the Indian market is only about Rs. 250 per kg and this meant that the dry beans will fetch only around Rs. 1,250 per kg. Even as the price of vanilla was crashing down, low-quality vanilla from Madagascar was fetching 500 dollars per kg in the global market, the Association president, Benjamin Eswo, and the secretary, Sudhir G. Kollara, said.

They said the Association has already received orders for five tonnes of vanilla from both domestic and international markets. The procurement price will be enhanced as and when the Association gets more orders for vanilla.

Vanilla will be procured from the farmers by the association representatives in all the 14 districts in the State and in Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. The Association has made arrangements for unified and quality processing at its processing centres at Kallar in Idukki district and at Sultan Battery in Wayanad district.

10 gm packets

The Vaga Agro Products India Limited, which is the company started by the Association will continue to sell 10 gm vanilla packets in both national and international markets. The Association has been approached by several manufacturers of food items for use of natural vanilla in their products, Mr. Eswo and Mr. Kollara said.

The decision of the Association to procure vanilla was part of the efforts to resist the alleged attempts of the traders to artificially slash prices. By next season it may be possible to realise the `right of farmers to fix the prices of their products' at least in the case of vanilla, they said.

Plans for coffee, pepper

The Association was also planning to procure other crisis-facing crops such as coffee and pepper at higher prices and to sell it in those markets where the prices were favourable, Mr. Eswo and Mr. Kollara said.

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