Madagascar, renowned for its high quality vanilla, is the world’s leading exporter of the spice, accounting for half of global production. Cyclone ENAWO struck the island on March 7, 2017, wiping out a significant portion of Madagascar’s vanilla crop. The cyclone made a direct strike on Antalaha and Sambava, the two largest vanilla producing areas.
Demand and prices for pure vanilla have been increasing in the past few years as food manufacturers including Nestle SA and Hershey Co. shifted from artificial flavoring.
“There will simply not be enough vanilla to meet the world demand,” said Josephine Lochhead, president at Cook Flavoring Co., a century-old buyer in Paso Robles, California. “Vanilla is literally gold.” Reported by Bloomberg Markets.
At Harmony Valley Creamery we never compromise on the quality of our products or the ingredients that we use. We use pure vanilla, and in particular Madagascar vanilla extensively, in our craft ice creams. Bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar are superior. Rich, dark and creamy with an overwhelming sweet, buttery aroma. As a small producer we are already seeing the impact of vanilla price increases. We will continue monitoring prices, and may need to adjust our prices in order to maintain the superior quality of our craft ice cream that customers have come to love.
Read the full report by Cook’s Flavoring Co. on their blog here.