By Norrasyidah Arshad
SHAH ALAM, Sept 4 — The state government has successfully launched a pilot project for vanilla cultivation in Kalumpang, Hulu Selangor, spanning three acres.
State executive councillor for agriculture and infrastructure Izham Hashim said the project, which will be officially launched soon, is expected to yield results within three years.
“Vanilla has a high commercial value and can potentially contribute to the state’s economy.
“To start, we are only involving a three-acre farm and will evaluate the results before expanding the cultivation further,” he told Media Selangor.
In February, Izham announced the state’s intention to cultivate vanilla plants, noting that it gives good economic return and guarantees profit for the state.
He added that the price of vanilla can exceed RM3,000 per kg.
The plan is being implemented under the Selangor Agricultural Transformation Plan (PeTA), in collaboration with private operators.