Since the installation of new plantations under shade houses (20 ha including 16 in the Leeward Islands and 4 ha in the Windward Islands) by the EVT and despite the relative decline of traditional culture, the production should increase over the next few years to reach an estimated production of 60 tons of ripe vanilla.
The agricultural value of vanilla in French Polynesia, more precisely the value of marketed vanilla mature beans, has strongly increased since 2000, starting from 65 million Pacific Francs (547,000 euros) in 2000 to 116 million in 2006 (972,100 euros). This agricultural value of ripe vanilla represents 2% of the total Polynesian agricultural value.
After a peak in 2004, the average price of a kilogram of ripe vanilla beans drew back to the level originally observed of 4000–5000 FcfP (33–42 euros/43–54 USD). Export prices of a kilogram of cured vanilla hovered around 22,000 FcfP (184 euros/236 USD) (Figure 24.6). This price is much higher than that of other cultivated vanillas, including Bourbon vanilla. This is due to the aromatic quality of the Tahitian vanilla, which is very rich in flavor and thus has become a top-of-the-range product, in particular, in pastry products and catering.
FIGURE 24.6 Evolution of the mean price of a kilogram of ripe vanilla and of exported cured vanilla beans.
Regulations and Quality Controls of Tahitian Vanilla
Harvesting the beans at the stage of maturity is necessary to obtain excellent quality of cured beans and long shelf-life preservation. In order to guarantee the quality of vanilla to the professionals and buyers in the vanilla sector, regulations have been in place for several years. The Polynesian regulation precisely defines the harvesting and sale of ripe vanilla (deliberation no. 77-119 of 10/11/1977 on regulation of the harvesting, curing, packaging, and exporting of vanilla produced in French Polynesia; decree no. 1198 CM of 03/11/1992 on the production and the marketing of the vanilla produced in French Polynesia). The beginning and end of the harvest season are determined to allow the harvest only when the vanilla beans are at the best stage of maturity. Several public sales are organized during the harvest season. These sales of vanilla are conducted under the control of the “committee of ripe vanilla inspection” designated in each vanilla-producing district. These “committees of ripe vanillas inspection” control the level of ripening of the pods, their appropriate size (more than 14 cm), verify the absence of splitting and defaults (Figure 24.7). If some pods are not in agreement with the regulations, they will be removed from the batch and destroyed. The producer receives a certificate, which enables him to sell his vanilla to a curer or to cure it by himself.
FIGURE 24.7 Control of vanilla beans during a sale of vanilla.
The curing of the vanilla is also regulated (decree no. 1424 C of December 28, 1949). This regulation stipulates that the pods must be cured strictly by natural processes. Moreover, the curing of vanilla is prohibited to nonholders of a curers’ patent (deliberation no. 91-120AT of October 25, 1991 on the establishment of commissions of control of vanilla and regulating access to the curing and the expertise of vanilla). The curers’ patent is issued by the Polynesian Ministry of Agriculture. It depends on the candidate’s technical ability, his theoretical knowledge of vanilla culture and curing, and the ongoing regulations. To date, there are only 10 effective vanilla bean curers.
Three categories of cured vanilla are defined, according to their length and their external aspect and quality.
1. The “Extra” category concerns vanilla of higher quality, healthy, complete, unsplit, flexible, and fleshy vanillas, of uniform dark brown color, presenting an oiled and shining aspect, with a fine and perfect odor of vanilla. These beans must measure at least 16 cm and must present neither defect nor gall. Only a few scars on beans can be accepted.
2. The “First” category is defined by a vanilla of good commercial quality, healthy, complete, unsplit, flexible, and fleshy, of uniform dark brown color, presenting an oiled and shining aspect, with a fine and perfect odor of vanilla. These beans measure less than 16 cm and must present neither defect nor gall. Only a few scars are permitted.
3. There is also a so-called vanilla of second category. These vanilla beans can have different lengths and may present some defects on their surface.
The last quality control of the beans intended for export is carried out by the “ territorial vanilla experts” (deliberation no. 91-120AT of October 25, 1991). These experts are named for two years following an examination testing their general knowledge on vanilla, notably curing, and regulations on vanilla. They are sworn in by the judicial authorities and can implicate antifraud measures. The “vanilla experts” are also involved in the jury which issues the curers’ patent.
Thus, all the stages, from harvesting to curing and exporting of the Tahitian vanilla beans, are regulated and controlled in order to guarantee a high-quality vanilla to the buyers.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank E. Reva, K. Leoce-Mouk-San for productive discussions, L. Panie and J. Serven for invaluable comments on the manuscript.
References
Petard, P. 1986. Plantes utiles de Polynésie française et raau Tahiti. Haere po no tahiti, Papeete, 354pp.
Richard, A., K. Farreyrol, B. Rodier, K. Leoce-Mouk-San, M. Wong, M. Pearson, and M. Grisoni. 2009. Successful control of virus diseases in intensively cultivated vanilla plots of French Polynesia. Crop Protection 28:870–877.
Service du Développement Rural (SDR). 1995. Census of Agriculture. Pirae, Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Wong, C. 1999. La culture de la vanille Tahiti en Polynésie française. Doc. Service du Développement Rural, 2ème secteur agricole.
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants — Industrial Profiles
Individual volumes in this series provide both industry and academia with in-depth coverage of one major genus of industrial importance.
Series Edited by Dr. Roland Hardman
Volume 1
Valerian, edited by Peter J. Houghton
Volume 2
Perilla, edited by He-ci Yu, Kenichi Kosuna and Megumi Haga
Volume 3
Poppy, edited by Jenö Bernáth
Volume 4
Cannabis, edited by David T. Brown
Volume 5
Neem, edited by H.S. Puri
Volume 6
Ergot, edited by Vladimír Křen and Ladislav Cvak
Volume 7
Caraway, edited by Éva Németh
Volume 8
Saffron, edited by Moshe Negbi
Volume 9
Tea Tree, edited by Ian Southwell and Robert Lowe
Volume 10
Basil, edited by Raimo Hiltunen and Yvonne Holm