Vanilla is the second-most expensive spice in the world, next to saffron. Do you know that it grows well in the Philippines? I first saw the vanilla plant in a small café in Ubod, Bali. It is actually an orchid vine.
As the real vanilla extract is expensive and in high demand, the substitute is the much cheaper synthetic vanilla but not with the same health benefits. Vanilla is a popular flavoring in sweet desserts and drinks such as ice cream, smoothies, soups baked goods.• It can be used as a sugar substitute to help curb sugar intake, reduce high blood glucose, and improve a healthy lifestyle.
It is encouraging that inquiries from abroad are already coming through the DA, and we have not even started producing. The target, if one starts planting in January 2023, is that the vanilla vines will start flowering by January 2026 and harvesting nine months after, or October 2026, plus another three to six months of curing and processing into the second or third quarter of 2027.
And the good news is that Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss “is offering to help the Philippines move from traditional subsistence farming to modern smart agriculture based in agronomy, science, technology, economics and sustainability.”