Sustainable farming is the future, and Malaysian company Kairos Agriculture is shifting towards large-scale, sustainable cultivation of vanilla for global as well as domestic trade. Listed as ‘Malaysia’s First and Largest Vanilla Smart Farm’ in the Malaysia Book of Records, Kairos is fast becoming a name to watch in the local agriculture and food supply industry.
Established in 2019, Kairos grows its vanilla on 6 acres of prime farmland in Permatang Pauh Agro-Park & Integrated Eco-Farm (PPAP) in Kubang Semang, Penang.
Its crop comprises two of the most sought-after species of vanilla orchids - Vanilla Planifolia and Vanilla Tahitensis. Both species yield premium, top-grade vanilla, which is ideal for use in F&B, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetic industries.
Known as one of the most difficult crops to grow, vanilla is highly sensitive to environmental factors and requires hand pollination. To overcome these challenges, Kairos conducted research with its partners at Xiamen University Malaysia and Universiti Sains Malaysia. Today, the smart farm operates using a combination of traditional and modern techniques whereby Kairos Agriculture has a patent pending for its agri-tech i4.0 plant growing module. This innovative approach is estimated to garner higher and faster yields.
Kairos is expecting its first harvest at the end of 2023. For now, the team is involved in the trading of premium vanilla pods and related products from Papua New Guinea & Malaysia.
Read more at malaysiakini.com