Rs12 lakh a year from 1 bigha: Assam teacher’s organic vanilla success

As a teacher in a school in Goalpara, Assam, Camerina Rabha would have free time on hand after 3 pm. In 2020, during the lockdown, her free hours grew, and she wanted to utilise them productively. At that time, her husband came across an article on vanilla, the world’s second-costliest spice after saffron.

“He researched online and found that vanilla was a high-paying crop, with dry sticks fetching Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per kg. It interested me, and we procured 30 vanilla cuttings from a nursery in Meghalaya at Rs 350 per piece,” Camerina tells 30Stades.

Why vanilla farming is profitable

Vanilla is the world’s most popular flavour, and its extract is used in ice cream, chocolates, cigarettes, liqueurs, and other food items. Madagascar is the largest vanilla producer in the world. In India, Karnataka tops vanilla cultivation, followed by Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and other states.

The global vanilla market was valued at 291.67 billion dollars in 2023 and is expected to reach 436.54 billion dollars by 2031, as per Data Bridge Market Research.

“We planted the cuttings near our house. Since it started growing well, we brought more cuttings in 2021 and 2022,” says Camerina, who has a Master's in Education (M Ed). 

She learned to prepare cuttings and expanded her cultivation to one bigha, where she has 1200 plants now. “Of these, 200 were yielding vanilla till last year, and 300 plants will give beans this year. After three years of plantation, vanilla starts flowering in March-end. The first harvest is ready by December. We harvested the first crop in 2022 from just 30 plants,” Camerina says.

Also Read: How this Goa spice farmer makes Rs 15 lakh/acre from organic vanilla farming

From 2023, she began harvesting vanilla from 200 plants. “Last year, each plant yielded only about a kg of vanilla due to high temperatures. We have put shade nets and expect to harvest at least 2kg per plant this year,” she explains. 

Vanilla orchid can thrive well in temperatures of 21 to 33 degrees Celsius. Higher temperatures cause dropping of flowers. Camerina says a well-maintained vanilla orchard can give a yield for 25 to 30 years without high maintenance costs. She plants vines closely to maximise the use of space.

About 5 kg of fresh vanilla beans yield 1 kg of dry, cured vanilla beans, which sell at Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per kg. In 2024, Camerina sold 50kg of dried vanilla beans at Rs 10,000 per kg, earning Rs 5 lakh from her small farm. She also sold vanilla cuttings at Rs 250 per piece, earning Rs 12 lakh.

“This year, I have prepared 10,000 cuttings for sale at Rs 150 per piece. I have reduced the prices so that more people can buy it,” she says, adding that there is no separate area for the nursery. 

“I prepare the saplings and put them in the narrow space between the vanilla vines. All this work can be done from just one bigha of land,” Camerina says. 

As more vines enter the flowering stage, her annual income will increase from Rs12 lakh.

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How organic vanilla farming is done

As a climbing vine, vanilla needs support like a tree, a trellis or a pole to climb and wrap. Camerina uses coir moss poles to support the vines. 

Practising organic farming, she applies only cow dung manure and goat dung to the plants.  “I apply manure twice a year. Nothing else is needed,” she adds.

Vanilla can grow only in shade – either natural or greenhouse. “So I have put shade nets. They can also be intercropped with taller trees, which can provide shade and support the vines,” Camerina says.

Vanilla, according to her, does not require much time or money after the vine is fully established. “We don’t need to work daily. I come back from school at 2.15 and see them once. The only time you work is during pollination and harvesting,” Camerina points out.

The Melipona bee that kept vanilla in existence for years is now feared to be extinct, making manual pollination necessary. This essential manual process also makes vanilla expensive. “My family and neighbours help in pollination,” the woman farmer says.

“After flowering starts in March-end, we manually pollinate vanilla bean orchids by pressing the stamen and stigma delicately. It is done in April and takes 5 to 7 seconds to pollinate one flower,” she explains. 

“We pollinate only 65 to 70 percent of the flowers to get good quality pods. It reduces the burden on the plant and improves the yield quality,” Camerina adds. 

The pods start forming in May and are harvested in December.

“One plant can give an average of around three kg of pods per season. After harvest, the sticks are dried for two months,” she says.

They are spread on sheets and exposed to the sun for many days for at least three hours a day. “Drying must be slowed down to prevent the pods from drying out too quickly,” she adds.

The beans are placed on racks in a shaded and ventilated room for over a month. The chemical and enzymatic reactions continue during this slow drying process, leading to a strong aroma. 

The teacher has also trained local farmers in vanilla cultivation and guides everyone for free. “I don’t charge for consultation. It is good that more farmers are realising the potential of vanilla, which can change their fortunes,” she adds.

(Rashmi Pratap is a Mumbai-based journalist specialising in financial, business and socio-economic reporting) 

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