Local spice firm seeks help to promote vanilla

A local company is seeking government assistance to promote and boost vanilla farming in East Sepik.
The Munul Organic Spices Export Ltd based in Areseli village, in the Drekikir Local Level Government (LLG) area wants to spread its wings into other surrounding areas like Gawanga, Bumbuita/ Muhian and Albiges/Mamblep.
Its main objective is to buy vanilla from local villagers, maintain quality control, provide good advice to growers and ensure fair price. The company says it has attracted interest from international vanilla buyers in Indonesia, Australia and United Kingdom.
Project consultant and business advisor, Balthazaar Kaprangi, was in Port Moresby last month and submitted a request to the PNG Spice Industry Board to obtain a vanilla export licence for exporting of processed organic vanilla beans to overseas markets.
He sais the company was formed by village farmers from eight council wards who were keen vanilla growers.
“The area is perfect with suitable soil and climate and vanilla grows well there,” he said.
Many farmers have up to 10,000 vines and the vanilla beans are renowned for its good quality.
Kaprangi said the company was conducting awareness on vanilla throughout the LLGs and had plans to extend into bigger blocks and improve production.
He said through vanilla production the company hoped to play a role in delivering basic services to rural communities.
“The company is encouraging council wards to become shareholders of the company to partake in social and economic development,” he said.
Kaprangi said the company was using a development model that it believed would become positive and inject wealth and alleviate poverty.
“This model is about encouraging self-help instead of depending on government assistance most of the time,” he said.
PNG Spice Industry Board chief executive Michael Waisime accepted the project document from Kaprangi and assured him that the request for a vanilla licence would be given due consideration.