One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla

Re:One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla by Endama on Friday June 22, 2018 @01:34PM (#17375782)

Wow, that is insane. I wonder if there is some kind of opportunity here for automation and vertical farming to create economies of scale for the mass production of vanilla?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla by sov on Friday June 22, 2018 @01:40PM (#17375838)

The big problem is the manual pollination and harvesting. Growing the vanilla can be done with a suitable climate in many tropical locales, but pollination requires a lot of care--you need to balance getting deep enough to actually pollinate the plant with being gentle enough to not destroy the plant. Most vanilla farmers have special tools they use to cut away parts of the flower and quickly pollinate it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla by samatman on Friday June 22, 2018 @01:48PM (#17375880)

For pollination, a hummingbird-sized drone is not as far-fetched as it might sound.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:One Island Grows 80% of the World’s Vanilla by mt3ck on Friday June 22, 2018 @04:21PM (#17377040)

dont the flowers only show for a 24hr period and if not pollinated wont produce vanilla?

[ Parent | on HN ]