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The Mimika Regency Food Crops, Horticulture, and Plantation Service (Distanbun) has allocated 150 hectare (ha) of land for vanilla plantations in Mimika Regency, Central Papua, as the agricultural commodity is considered to have a great potential for export.
Mimika Distanbun Head Alice Wanma in Timika, Thursday, said that until now her party is preparing vanilla plant seeds to be planted on the land.
"Currently we are preparing seeds to be planted, and the 150 ha land that we are opening this year 150 hectares in Wania Distric," she said.
Alice added that vanilla have high economic value, so the cultivation is vanilla is expected to help bolster the local community and improve the livelihood of its farmers.
"The cultivation process is quite complicated for this type of plant, but its high economic value will make its farmers' work worth it," she noted.
Alice explained that vanilla has additional uses besides being a food ingredient, such as for health products.
"The market for this vanilla commodity is very large, including foreign markets, so we are trying to open land and train farmers to cultivate this plant," she said.
Alice further stated that the Mimika Distanbun continues to provide routine training and assistance for farmers so they could run their agricultural ventures well.
"We hope that farmers are also diligent and patient in caring for this type of plant, because it has economic value that will benefit farmers too," she concluded.
