"Rentak Timur Sdn Bhd (RTSB)... specialises in the promotion of vanilla plantations in Malaysia, aims to turn Malaysia as one of the world's top three vanilla producers by 2010, after Madagascar and Indonesia...
managing director, Syed Isa Syed Alwi. "We have been conducting intensive research and development (R&D) for the possibility of commercial cultivation of vanilla in the country the last three years. "... Malaysia's suitable soil and strategic geographical areas... first commercial vanilla cultivation project in Malaysia. The project, would see RTSB taking initiative by offering a vanilla cultivation programme, through its Indonesian partner to local farmers, individuals as well as government and private sector. The programme, among other things, include providing a full-range of management consultancy; supplying the certified and healthy vanilla seedlings as well as fertilizers and pesticides. Syed Isa said RTSB would provide training and related courses to farmers, affiliation with local and overseas' agencies and higher learning institutions, and provide guaranteed buy-back... to the vanilla planters in a move to give zero risk in terms of sales and marketing. "We are now aggressively promoting the cultivation of vanilla... with emphasis on vanilla Planifolia Andrews," he said. "This kind of vanilla plant is the best among its species [!] to yield a high quality and the best of vanillene [!] (extract from the vanilla's plant) where the price now stands at US$400 per kg. "...we are aiming to achieve an estimated 500 hectares of land planted with two million vanilla plants by end of this year," he added. He said, Malaysia could have about 20 million vanilla plants or 5,000 hectares of vanilla plantation by 2010 and able to meet the world's demand effectively. ... Currently, Japan, US and Europe are among the world's top major consumers of vanilla, while Madagascar, Indonesia, India, Jamaica and Papua New Guinea are the major producers of the plant. Syed Isa said the company was also currently in talks with several state governments and other government linked companies to set up Asia Pacific's first complete vanilla processing and extraction plant. He said that the plant... was expected to be ready by end of 2007 and would be capable of processing up to 2,000 tonnes of vanilla per annum." source : http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=180754 ************ regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
