Area under vanilla up 650% in 4 yrs in Karnataka

Area under vanilla in Karnataka has shot up a whopping 650 per cent to touch over 2,000 hectares by 2004-05 from a mere 265 hectares in 2000-01. The yield is presently estimated at 4,070 kgs as against 75 kgs in the state during 2000-01.

Vanilla cultivation in Karnataka, which has normally been around coastal and Malnad regions like Uttara and Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Shimoga, Kodagu, Hassan and Chikmagalur (Western Ghats) has now spread to other areas in Belgaum and Bangalore urban and rural districts.

Traditionally, vanilla has been cultivated as an inter-crop in arecanut, coconut, coffee and rubber plantations. But farmers in non-traditional regions have begun to try their hand at growing vanilla under shade or through artificially created environment. This has been attributed to farmers being lured by the big bucks it fetches in the international market.

Acknowledging the development, Karnataka director of horticulture G K Vasanthakumar, said, "The department has been cautioning the farmers against cultivating it anywhere and everywhere, but farmers are not heeding to our advice."

Seeing this, the department has now taken up initiatives in giving farming tips to maintain quality and market information. For growers to get a better price, the department is making arrangements like popularising organic farming methods and to go in for phyto-sanitary certificates to facilitate the export of produce, he added.

According to Spices Board estimate, 34,239 kgs of vanilla was exported from India from January to July in 2005. Of this, Karnataka exported a majority 22,709 kgs (approximately 51 per cent) through licenced exporters.

With an aim to create good post-harvest infrastructure in vanilla-growing areas like coastal and Malnad regions, Karnataka's horticulture department is facilitating a growers' forum to set up a central vanilla processing centre at Shimoga.

"For this centre, the horticulture department will contribute Rs 20 lakh and the balance is to be raised by the growers of the region," said Vasanthakumar.