From Sea To Farm: How A Former Seafarer Became A Vanilla Farmer In Sarangani

It’s no surprise that many seafarers have traded life at sea for a quiet and also lucrative life as a farmer. There is the story of a former seaman who found success as a bee farmer. There’s also another seaman who turned into grape farming. This time, we’ll delve into the successful business story of Melvin Awid, a former maritime officer who left the sea to start a vanilla farm.

From Sea To Farm: How A Former Seafarer Became A Vanilla Farmer In Sarangani
Image by Melvin Awid via Facebook

Melvin had a promising career as a maritime officer traveling the world. But a trip to Madagascar in 2019 made him venture into a different passion: vanilla farming.

In 2019, Melvin started growing his first 25 vanilla plants on his farm n Brgy. Kalaneg, Maitum, Sarangani. He then researched online and joined community groups to learn more about vanilla propagation. Melvin became one of the regional winners of the Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) – a competitive financial grant assistance program under the Department of Agriculture (DA). He received funds from the DA Region 12 worth P150,000 to further enhance his agri-fishery-based enterprise.

In 2021, Melvin closed the chapter of his life as a seaman and started a new one as a full-time vanilla farmer. Today, Melvin has almost 1000 vanilla plants on his farm. He is the pioneering vanilla farmer in Sarangani and he has a vision to make his province the vanilla capital of the Philippines. He wants to create a network of independent farmers who can access the market and benefit from vanilla farming.

“We can make Sarangani the vanilla capital of the Philippines if we work hard to promote it throughout the province and support our farmers. Sarangani will set the industry standard for the vanilla industry in the country,” he said in an article on PIA.

According to Melvin, he has found his new career as a farmer truly fulfilling. He shared in an article in Manila Bulletin, “When I’m able to share my knowledge with other growers, and when I’m able to share my ideas with others and they get hooked, it’s very fulfilling.”

Melvin’s story is an example of how one can find fulfillment and success in agriculture. He gave up a lucrative career at sea to pursue his passion for vanilla farming. He is not only growing a valuable crop, but also growing a community of farmers who share his vision.

Sally Mae

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