Tongan farmers celebrate bumper vanilla harvest

Vanilla growers in Vava’u, Tonga are celebrating the harvest of the vanilla beans.

This year’s harvest was successful, after suffering from the impacts of climate change since 2016.

A local vanilla grower from Tu’anuku, Vava’u Maliu Mafuataimi says, they sold more than 90 kilos of vanilla beans to a local company and earned 20 thousand pa’anga.

He adds, they faced many problems in the previous years and today, they are very happy with the outcome and its very rewarding.

Radio Tonga reports the average price for one kilo of vanilla beans in the local market is 150 pa’anga per kilo but today Mafuataimi sold one kilo for 200 pa’anga.

The Head of the Agricultural Division in Vava’u Leoti Vainikolo says this year’s vanilla harvest is really great, after the first vanilla inspection.

There are more than 200 vanilla growers in the island of Vava’u.