Power to the flower

Nabard traces the emergence of vanilla as a lucrative intercrop, and elaborates on the efforts made by several organisations for spreading the good word

Agrowing preference for natural food products has created a huge demand for vanilla extract in the domestic as well as the global market. In fact, vanilla, also known as‘green gold’, is the second most expensive spice after saffron. Realising its potential and its commercial importance, the Karnataka Regional Office of Nabard, in consultation with the Spices Board, Department of Horticulture, and some of the progressive farmers, prepared an Area Development Project (ADP) for vanilla cultivation and processing, in the districts of Dakshin Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu and Uttara Kannada.
The ADP has been prepared for a period of two years, starting from 2002-04, and covers an area of 550 acres.
Among the four districts covered, the progress of implementation of the programme in Uttara Kannada is so commendable that it can truly be recounted as a success story. Uttara Kannada is characterised by three different geomorphologic and climatic conditions, namely, coastal areas, hilly regions and plains. Of the 11 taluks in the area, five are in the coastal area, four are hilly regions, and two are in the plains.
The hilly regions, known as the upghat areas, consist of Sirsi, Siddapur, Yellapur and Joida taluks. The hilly regions except Joida enjoyed economic prosperity during the last two decades, thanks to good prices fetched by the areca nut crop.
However, the prices of the crop crashed from over Rs 12,000 per quintal to Rs 2,500-3,000 per quintal in the last one and a half year, resulting in huge losses for farmers. The entire economy of the three taluks which revolved around areca nut was in doldrums. As a result, vanilla cultivation, which had gained popularity in Kerala, Shimoga and Chikamagalur, served as an alternative that could mitigate the problems of areca nut farmers to a great extent.
Accordingly, initiatives were taken in the district by Nabard to introduce vanilla cultivation in areca nut plantations as an intercrop. This was done by organising a series of extension programmes through the Vikas Volunteer Vahini Clubs. A favourable response to these programmes led to the launch of an ADP on vanilla cultivation and processing in the Uttara Kannada district.
Accordingly, an ADP was prepared and launched through a two-year phasing-in operation, covering approximately 75 acres each under the vanilla crop during 2002-03 and 2003-04, and with a financial allocation of Rs 47.25 lakh for each year.
For the successful implementation of this programme, all the banks in the region were taken into confidence for the purpose financing and encouraging vanilla cultivation. Initially, farmers refused to shift from cultivating traditional crops like cardamom and black pepper. To encourage areca nut farmers to shift to vanilla as an intercrop, a series of ‘meet and match’ programmes were organised. Scientists and experts from the Spices...

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