Department urged to train vanilla growers

Business

By GLENDA AWIKIAK
A vanilla farmer in East Sepik says Department of Agriculture and Livestock officers should train farmers on the cultivation and processing of quality vanilla beans.
Benson Wanginauru said the officers should continue their agriculture extension programmes to train farmers on best practices of farming, cultivating and processing quality vanilla.
“Farmers are doing what they think is right and cultivate, harvest and process as they wish,” he said.
“We are seeing the quality of vanilla beans sold on the streets not as good as it is in other countries.
“If farmers are given proper and enough training, they would do it better and would produce quality beans.
“We would maintain our standard in the world market and not see it drop as it did some 10 years ago.
“There is no quality control because the relevant Government agency, which is the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, is not doing enough to help the people.
“What people are currently enjoying is only short-term and not for a longer period.
“The farmers are not worried about the sustainability of this business.
“They lack the awareness and knowledge, and are just enjoying what they see at present without considering what the future is going to be like.
“There are also no farmer and buyer associations.
Farmers do what they think is best and sell to buyers on the streets, who also are not well versed on quality measures.”