KOTA KINABALU: A vanilla planter in Kinarut near here hopes that more Sabahans will venture into the cultivation of the high-yield crop.
Leo Komuji, 53, said there was a huge demand in the Malaysian and international market for items derived from the Vanilla planifolia plant as it is the best of the species.
The surveyor, who learned and conducted his own research on the plant for 14 years, gained big yields and was recently contacted by a South Korean company for bulk purchases of vanilla.
"After getting the samples, a Korean entourage came to my farm in Kinarut here and wanted to buy between 500kg and 2,000kg of dried vanilla per year.
"I could not cater to such a huge volume alone. I need the support of more farmers in Sabah," Leo said, adding that high-grade dried vanilla could fetch up to RM2,000 per kg.
Apart from South Korea, he said companies from Singapore, the United States and Europe have contacted him via Facebook and e-mail, but he has yet to fulfil their demand.
In Malaysia, he has catered to the demand for dried vanilla of different grades in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Johor.
Since 2019, he has trained 40 people in the state to cultivate the species and most of them are seeing lucrative annual returns.
Leo said for the first two or three years, a planter can earn RM25,000 for selling vine cuttings from 500 vanilla trees. In the third or fourth year, their harvest can earn them at least RM30,000. He said after four years, a farmer can earn up to RM55,000 a year for vanilla plants.
In 0.08ha vanilla farm with about 500 trees, he said, a planter spends only two hours to look after the farm.
He added that the crops were watered twice a week and fertilised every three months.
He said his company, Borneo Vanilla, offered plenty of help to farmers.
"Borneo Vanilla does not only train planters on how to cultivate, look after and pollinate flowers, but also gives ideas on how to minimise costs. such as using animal faeces as fertilisers, or methods involving existing trees or nature for planting.
"We are also buying back their vines at RM25 per metre (to replant) and harvest beans at RM80 per kg," he said, urging those with land to get involved in vanilla cultivation.
Recently, Leo was appointed adviser for Ranau-based Tataba cooperative for a vanilla farming pilot project at high-altitude areas to teach locals about the industry.
The cooperative's business development director, Richie Lee, said through human capital training, he hoped to build a competitive vanilla community in Sabah and beyond.
Among its plans was to have Borneo Villa as a training centre for colleges, universities and other educational institutes to learn more about the species.