Imphal, December 09: Of late a highly commercial plant popularly called vanilla, known for its sweet scent, saccharin aroma and pleasant flavour is making its presence in Manipur adorning the backyard of Th.Angoumacha Singh.

Vanilla, a creeper known rather as an appropriate name Vanilla Fragrans, is a large green-stemmed creeping perennial plant of the orchid family.

The vine has a fleshy succulent stem; smooth, thick, oblong-lanceolate bright green leaves; and numerous twining adventitious aerial roots arising opposite each leaf, by which it clings to trees or supports.

But it is the fruit which is a commercially important part of the plant.

The fruit is known as Vanilla bean.

It is popularly used as flavouring substances.

Items like chocolates, ice creams, soft drinks, liquors, eggnogs, candies, baked foods, pudding, cakes, biscuits, cookies are flavoured by Vanilla.

It is also used in scenting tobacco, perfumery and pharmaceuticals.

Angoumacha Singh, who is also an extension officer in the Agriculture department, has successfully nurtured the plant to prove that the soil of Manipur is capable of cultivating the plant commercially.

The bean is known for its high market values which is said to have costs 500 to 2500 rupees a kilogram.

Farmers in parts of India like Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, etc are hitting a pot of gold and scripting success stories after proving a success in the cultivation of the climbers.

Angoumacha, a naturalist, has got to know the art of planting the creeper sometimes back in 2002 when he was sent to Karnataka for agricultural training programme.

On trial basis he grew the plant in 2003 at his garden which turned out to be a success.

After four years, the success brings smiles to Angoumacha.

Proudly displaying his own-produced Vanilla bean of about 4-5 kgs at an exhibition here, he said that, "Since the plant have a huge market value, growing this plant may be a way out for poor farmers of our land".

"Planting such highly economical plant will be another advantages for the state," Th.Angoumacha told NNN during a chat at the exhibition site.

There is no dearth of admiration from visitors at the flower exhibition of International Plants and Growers' Association which underwent here.

He also said that if the state government as well as the farmers has keen interest in the promotion and growing of the plant, there are many agencies engage in buying and exporting Vanilla bean.

The only criteria a farmer has to fulfil in growing the plant is sincere commitment as the plant needs care and hand pollination for yielding its bean.

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