PAPAR – Vanilla, which is being touted as a high-value cash crop, is a potential money-maker for Sabah, said state Deputy Chief Minister II Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan.
Jeffrey, who is also state Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, said 1kg of gross product from vanilla orchids could go for between to US$300 (RM1,242) to US$600, and the extracted vanilla oil could fetch up to RM80,000 per litre.
An acre of land can house about 1,000 vanilla orchid plants.
“Sabah has suitable soil and weather for the plant, and it has a huge potential in the state. As the agriculture minister, I want to see it as a new industry in Sabah that can be promoted to the world.
“It does not need vast land… Perhaps half an acre is sufficient (to start a farm) with this modern system. We don’t need to worry about the market because the market is big; the product has worldwide demand,” he said when visiting a vanilla orchid farm here today.
Jeffrey said that he is impressed with the farm run by owner Leo Kamuji, who had spent years studying vanilla orchid farming methods before his current success.
Kamuji said the demand for vanilla extract in Sabah are mainly for food production, including for cakes, ice cream and yoghurt.
He also sells lower-grade vanilla at RM800 per kg for the manufacturing of body scrub and beauty products.
Today, Kamuji is a known expert in vanilla orchid farming, and has been invited to head talks for and train other farmers across the nation. –The Vibes, May 21, 2021
