Vanilla

Information on current partnerships and research activities with the ginger growers.

Vanilla assessment and industry development

Vanilla extract and vanilla essence are products of the Vanilla orchid of which there are currently three commercial species. These plants produce pods or “beans” which are harvested then cured to extract the vanilla essence. The crop requires hand pollination outside its natural host range of South America and the curing process is labour intensive. Due to the high levels of manual labour required, the majority of the international production occurs in regions with lower wages allowing producers to reduce their overheads. Whilst there are artificial imitations on the market, real vanilla extract and essence demand a price premium. In the Australian domestic market vanilla sells for $70 per 50 g (AusMarket 2020 data). The report “Australian vanilla RD & E plan”, identifies the potential for a niche vanilla crop trading on Australia’s image for high quality produce. The current Australian industry is small, comprising of around 15 growers. NT DAF have limited information on this plant and its performance under our environmental conditions in terms of harvest timing and potential yields.

Funding body

This project is internally funded.

Objectives

  1. To assess the suitability of vanilla in Top End environmental conditions and inform local industry about the viability or otherwise of this emerging crop.
  2. To engage with the current Tropical Exotic Fruit industry in the Northern Territory, building relationships and facilitating information exchange.
  3. To develop basic, local grower information on the agronomy of growing vanilla in the Top End.

Further information

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Useful links

Contact

chelsea.moore@nt.gov.au

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