Vanilla pilot farm planned using Israeli technology
THE Department of Agriculture said that it is planning to set up a vanilla pilot project in partnership with an Israeli agri-technology company.
The project will involve training for interested farmer cooperatives, Undersecretary Jerome V. Oliveros told 大象传媒.
He identified the Israeli partner as LR Group, which runs a vanilla farm in Papua New Guinea.
鈥淭he LR Group has a very ambitious and productive vanilla project in Papua New Guinea,鈥 he said.
鈥淲e can bring (the technology) here, and we can probably provide our farmers this technology, subsidize part of it, and then tap the private sector,鈥 he said.
He added that LR Group has managed to shorten the growing time for vanilla to three years from the normal five years.
鈥淲e have to (evaluate) the return on investment on that technology also, because, at the end of the day, you have to make a profit… that鈥檚 what the farmers need to see,鈥 he said.
Mr. Oliveros added that the department will also provide interested cooperatives with technical support should they seek to join the vanilla project.
鈥淭heir best practices there, I think we can adopt,鈥 he said.
He added that vanilla producers here typically grow their crop alongside cacao. 鈥 Adrian H. Halili
