Papindo issues vanilla warning as price soars

The National Business

Taking vanilla beans across the Indonesian border will not put Papua New Guinea on the global market, according to Papindo, the largest nationally-owned retail chain in the country.
One of the firm’s business arms buys vanilla beans from farmers in Maprik, East Sepik, and parts of West Sepik.
Papindo managing director Sir Soekandar Tjandra said the firm had been supporting vanilla production in Maprik since 2003 when the price dropped from K790 a kilo to K10.
Speaking at the opening of Papindo’s new K23 million shop at Maprik on Monday, Sir Soekandar said the company was keen to promote agriculture in rural areas.
“I’m doing my best to support (vanilla) farmers,” he said.
“We have been supporting vanilla in East Sepik since 2002.
“I told farmers when prices dropped I still buy. The only worry we have is that a lot of beans are taken by street buyers across to the Indonesian border and Indonesia is buying low-quality beans and this is affecting our volume. PNG is expected to export 200 tonnes, but I’m only exporting 120 tonnes, with the remaining 80 tonnes going to the Indonesian border.
“If half the vanilla production in East Sepik goes to Indonesia, they claim the beans and get the name and we (in PNG) remain nobody.
“If we can increase the volume of our vanilla export, we can put PNG on the world market and that is better for us.”
Papindo has a processing plant in Lae where vanilla extracts are produced and sold locally.
Sir Soekandar said if the Government wanted to promote the agricultural sector, then rural farmers should get financing, tax incentives and laws to protect the industry.
“Sepik people are hardworking people,” he said.
“I try to support them even when prices dropped in 2003 and I told them not to cut down their vanilla plants.
“Papindo is paying K950 per kilo and we want to maintain the price for another two years.
“There are about 360,000 agriculture-based farmers in Maprik and the important thing is that they get a good income.”

12 comments

  • Papindo rejects a lot of beans farmers bring in. These beans are the beans that cross over to Batas because at Batas they buy everything. Good, bad, rejects and also at a better price than Papindo.

    • Good night , I have 3o kg bean with me. I need a buyer that I can sell with. Can I have your mobile no?

  • Please help me locate where will I sell my vanilla beans in Law.I am living outside of Lae Town and I am needing you to help me the location and also Lae price for vanilla beans please.
    Thank you for your support and assistance.
    Best regards.

  • Dears,
    We are import company from ISRAEL for food raw materials,
    We are looking for Vanilla beans Gourmet quality, Vanilla extract and vanilla paste,
    If you can please make for me the contacts with producers in your country,
    Thanks & Best Regards
    Mr Haim Gonen
    Haim Gonen LTD
    ISRAEL
    phone: +972-54-7590577
    Email: [email protected]

  • Interest in selling vanilla beans but as my country man Kelong Windy as mentioned is their any buyers in Lae city that we can sell to. If their are none please I ask M.D of Papindo Sir Soekandar Tjandar to allocate one of his branches in Lae to do so which should increase production tones in P.N.G. vanilla farmer

  • can papindo in vanimo buy vanilla beans so we dont sell at batas. we need to put png on the world market so please help us local famers.

  • Papindo vanilla workers,making,big mas with grading,weighing, beans isolation for farmers to view the weight of their produce,,and buying at very low prices

  • Can the government of PNG help promote local company who are taking part in the business of exporting vanilla, this business will put a competition in the local market to encourage the vanilla production in the country.

  • How is market for vanilla with papindo?
    Is it going back to normal?
    Because, we the sellers are waiting to sell our fresh produce (the vanilla beans) and a still look ing for vanilla buyers in Lae to open up and buy our beans..

    Archie Umbini
    Bumayong
    Lae City, M.P

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