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G.K. Nair

Kochi , Oct. 8

WIDESPREAD theft of vanilla vines and beans is being witnessed in the growing regions following a sharp rise its prices.

The price of vanilla green beans has shot up to Rs 2,800 a kg and, as a consequence, the price of the planting material has also increased to Rs 30 to 40 per one-meter vine. Two bunches of green bean from a good plantation would fetch the thief an easy money of around Rs 2,000.

From a new vanilla plantation of the Synthite Industrial Chemicals near Chalakkudy in Thrissur district, 150 vines were stolen on Tuesday. Two members of the gang were caught and handed over to the police, Mr C.V. Jacob, Managing Director of the company, told Business Line. His company has established a vanilla plantation in Chalakudy in 100 acres of land taken on lease from the Government. The rise in prices has resulted in more farmers taking up vanilla cultivation in Kerala and Karnataka, he added. It would take at least ten years for the production of vanilla beans to match the demand in the world market, he pointed out. According to Mr Jacob, Rs 600 per kg of green beans is a reasonable price.

There is a shortage in the world market following increased use of natural vanillin by the food industry in developed countries, especially the US, he said.

In the US markets, it has become a statutory requirement that Category 1 ice cream should contain only natural vanillin. Such requirements in other markets would raise the demand for natural cured vanilla beans.

Among the food flavours, vanilla has a prime position. Vanilla essence is largely used in the preparation of ice creams, chocolates, bakery products, puddings, pharmaceuticals, liquors and perfumes. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice traded on the world market next only to saffron.

The total area of vanilla cultivation in the world during the year 2001 was 40,846 hectares and production was 5,583 tonnes. There has been no appreciable increase in area under vanilla cultivation in the traditional vanilla growing countries, according to an FAO report.

Major vanilla-producing countries are Madagascar, Comoro, Indonesia, Mexico and the Reunion. Among these countries, Madagascar holds prominent position having a cultivated area of 25,550 hectares under vanilla. Of late, Indonesia has started to produce more with a production of 2,102 tonnes from 9,700 hectares.

Major consumers of vanilla beans at present are the developed countries with the US, France and Germany absorbing about 80 per cent of the world imports. In India, mostly synthetic substitutes of vanilla flavour are consumed.

The import of vanillin and ethyl vanillin together into the country during 2000-01 was 404 tonnes. Even if only 10 per cent of import of these synthetic substitutes were replaced with natural product, the requirement of vanilla beans would be 2,020 tonnes at the rate of 2 per cent vanillin content. This is almost one half of the entire global production of vanilla beans. As against this, the country's production is far below 100 tonnes at present. This indicates the great potential for vanilla development in the country, industry sources said.

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