Vanilla Planifolia Farming in Kenya

Vanilla Planifolia is a widely recognized natural flavor used in many fields. In the food sector, it serves as a flavoring agent in various products and beverages. In the fragrance and pharmaceutical industries, vanilla is also a key ingredient. Additionally, vanilla has antimicrobial properties that can help prevent mold and acts as an antioxidant in foods that contain high levels of unsaturated components.

Flowering Vanilla Pods

Vanilla ranks among the most costly and widely traded spices globally. Despite this, many smallholder farmers in Kenya who cultivate vanilla face food shortages and lack enough income to support themselves and their families throughout the year.

Kilifi, a coastal area in Kenya, is experiencing increased interest in vanilla farming because of its ideal climate and soil. Vanilla comes from the orchids of the Vanilla genus and is one of the most labor-intensive crops. It requires specific conditions and careful attention to thrive successfully.

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Types of Vanilla

The two types of vanilla are Vanilla Planifolia, also known as Vanilla Fragrans and Vanilla Pompona Schiede. A third type, Vanilla Tahitensis, is thought to have been created in a laboratory in Manila, Philippines by crossing Vanilla Planifolia and Vanilla Pompona in the 1700s.

Planting

Propagation

Vanilla vines are mainly propagated via cuttings. After planting the first set, after about two and a half years right when the vanilla is about to flower, cut off their stem tops. This gives you another vine and also spurs flowering. Cuttings are made from highly productive and vigorous individuals that have never produced fruits. The cutting itself should not be a flowering shoot and should have at least three nodes with viable axillary buds for producing new shoots from which the plant will grow.

Transplanting

First planting can be done in a nursery or directly to the field. The young, vulnerable vines need to be planted in a controlled area where they can be monitored. The area also needs to have been added manure when tilling and shaded. Transplanting is done once the vine starts showing signs of new growth.

Vanilla trees typically take two and a half to 3 years to grow, flower, and produce seeds.

Well Trellised Vanilla Vines

Trellising

These vines are similar to passion fruit; that is both require shade and support for optimal growth. They can be planted alongside trees or posts. When vanilla vines climb trees, they grow faster because they draw nutrients from the tree's bark. The shade from trees is beneficial, but it should not be too dense since vanilla does not thrive in cold conditions.

In a high-density farming setup using posts, you can cultivate up to 2,500 vanilla vines on one acre. It is important to space the vines about one and a half meters apart in all directions to ensure they have enough room to grow and for ease of access during maintenance.

Vanilla Pods

Vines should be allowed to climb to a height that remains reachable for manual pollination. If a vine becomes too tall, it can be looped into the mulch while keeping the tip exposed enabling it to regenerate and continue climbing.

They can be manually pollinated using a toothpick to separate the male and female parts. Vanilla flowers bloom for one day opening just before sunrise and wilting by night. If not pollinated within this short period, they fall off resulting in a loss of a seed which won't be available again until the next flowering season.

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Climate

Warm humid climates with temperatures ranging from 21 to 32 degrees Celsius are ideal; however vanilla can tolerate extreme temperatures. Areas such as the Mount Kenya or Limuru where the temperatures can fall to extremely low, vanilla cannot do well as its growth would be markedly inhibited.

Soil

Vanilla does well in a variety of soils as long as they are well-drained and rich.

Pests and Diseases

Pests

The sap within the leaves of vanilla can irritate soft skin and repel most bugs. Regular cultural practices such as grass and weed clearing help prevent most pests. The use neem water treatment as a proactive measure to ward off any potential pests is recommended. The international market demands vanilla be organically grown to fetch the best prices.    

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Diseases

These include Stem Rot, Stem Blight, Bean Rot, Black Crust, Bean Yellowing, Leaf Rot, Root Rot.

Disease Management in Vanilla

• Avoid excess organic manure, heavy mulch and excess irrigation.
• Cut and remove disease affected plant parts and burn off.
• Spray vines with recommended herbicide.
• Repeat this at one month intervals.
• Do not transport shot cuttings or planting materials from diseased areas.
• Viral disease affected vines should be uprooted and burnt off or deep burying.
• Do not take planting materials from mosaic affected vines.
• Do not touch a mosaic affected plant with hand or knife and again to a healthy vine without washing.
• Avoid close planting and overcrowding of plants.
• Avoid excess shade.
• Regularly visit vanilla gardens to find out disease outbreak and take immediate control measures.

Harvesting

Vanilla is harvested only twice a year with a vanilla tree bearing up to 80 beans. Since the crop takes too long to mature despite the country possessing the right conditions for its cultivation ready market locally and export, most farmers shy away from growing vanilla. A freshly harvested vanilla bean has no scent and can sell for Ksh. 250 straight from the farm. After it undergoes curing and grading, its value may rise to Sh1000.

Curing

The process of harvesting includes taking the ripe pods, and converts them into gourmet beans through a process of bourbon-killing, sweating, drying and conditioning. Process techniques that make for quality and high grade vanilla end products.

Curing takes about 2-3 months. During this time, the beans need 2-3 hours of sunlight each day and should be kept in a well-ventilated room to remove moisture. A Grade A vanilla bean measures between 22 and 18 cm and is considered the highest quality. Grade B measures between 18 and 12 cm or 13cm, while Grade C measures less than 12 cm and is the lowest quality.

Vanilla Processing

Vanilla paste is processed for use in ice cream, pastries and confectionery industry.

Challenges in Vanilla Farming

1. Farmers frequently struggle to find the means to enhance their production. Vanilla farmers often pick their vanilla beans too early or process them too quickly. Their urgent need for income and fear of theft lead to these poor practices, which ultimately harm the quality of their crops.

2. The vanilla market in the Kenyan region is informal. Most of the farmers trade vanilla at the local market or sell it at their homes or plots to brokers. Almost none has formal sales contracts with collectors. As a result, it is very difficult to trace vanilla back to a specific farmer.

3. Vanilla is among the most labor-intensive crops globally. This makes it more suitable for small-scale farming rather than large plantations in Kenya. Growing and producing vanilla in Kenya is challenging and requires considerable manual effort, especially for pollination, harvesting, and curing.

4. Prices paid to the farmers vary greatly. However, a large proportion of the profits are unevenly distributed, often benefiting the more powerful players in the value chain. The market in Kenya is not well organized. There is little transparency and most deals are done on the local market.

5. Farmers receive significantly lower payments compared to other parties involved in the value chain. They often feel taken advantage of by collectors and intermediaries because they cannot market their products independently or influence pricing. Farmers also lack access to crucial price information and have little power in negotiations. Prior to the harvest, exporters set prices, which affects decisions made by the vanilla platform.

6. Farmers generally distrust and avoid joining associations or cooperatives. This stems from several factors. First, many groups lack proper governance and a clear vision. Often, these organizations are created by exporters which mean farmers do not see any benefits. Additionally, intermediaries and exporters work to weaken associations that would support farmers, leading to feelings of hopelessness among them.

• Plants per acre: 2500 vines per acre
• Spacing: 1.5m by 1.5m 
• Market price: Varies depending on the grading.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How much is vanilla per kg in Kenya?
• What are ecological requirements for vanilla farming?
• How long does it take for a vanilla plant to grow?
• How profitable is a vanilla farm?
• What are the challenges facing vanilla farmers?
• Where do I sell vanilla in Kenya?
• What are common diseases affecting vanilla growing?