ARAU: Vanilla farming’s high commercial value and suitability for small-scale cultivation could be a new source of income for Perlis farmers and the state government wants to tap this potential.
Perlis Agriculture, Plantation, and Consumerism Committee chairman Razali Saad said the state government will explore the best cultivation methods to support both the farming community and individuals interested in the agricultural sector.
"The state government is committed to strengthening the farming community. We also provide guidance to individuals interested in vanilla cultivation, helping them turn it into a viable source of household income," he told reporters after visiting the Vanilla Cultivation Project in Kampung Kubang Gajah on Wednesday (Feb 12).
He said the vanilla planting project was the first in the state and the state government would offer the necessary support to ensure its success.
Meanwhile, the project operator, Nurul Aimi Syazana Baba, 32, shared that she and her husband, Zainudin Zainul Abidin, 38, developed an interest in vanilla cultivation after attending a seminar organised by the state government last year.
"At the seminar, a farmer named Jaafar Mohamad was invited as a speaker. After the seminar, my husband and I reached out to Jaafar for advice.
"We later met with him, and following our discussion, we decided to build a greenhouse and plant 100 vanilla saplings. The total cost of the greenhouse and saplings was about RM5,000, with each vanilla sapling priced at RM15," she said.
Nurul Aimi Syazana explained that maintaining optimal humidity and temperature is crucial for vanilla plants to thrive.
She said the first harvest is expected in about three years after the plants begin to flower, and once mature, they can be harvested annually.
According to her, each tree is expected to yield between one and five kilogrammes of vanilla. - Bernama
