RAROTONGA: A new tourist attraction – Vanilla! 

In 2017 Lafala Turepu set up her vanilla plantation, in Matavera, Rarotonga. It takes about two years for vanilla plants to establish before they are productive, however Lafala’s first crop was harvested in 2019 and by the time it was dried the borders were closed. It was a challenging time, but it’s amazing how things turn out. Covid meant Lafala had to find her market elsewhere and she was able to establish an export market to the US in 2020, which still continues today.

Lafala also works in the Economics and Planning Division of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management. It was there that she heard about Business Link Pacific. During Covid, Lafala took up BLP’s offer of subsidised business advice to enable the fledgling Turepu Vanilla adapt to the new economic conditions. That advice was through Iokopeta Williams, a BLP business advisor offering accounting services. Lafala has continued to use Iokopeta after their first connection through BLP– “It’s great to have the back and forth with her and her guidance makes things so much easier. I was running everything myself and it was fantastic to have someone else to share ideas with and get a different perspective.”

Alongside the vanilla plantation, Lafala processes the vanilla and packs it for sale as pods, extract, and more recently vanilla bean paste. She sells her products at the Saturday market and through her mother’s store – Mama Tua’s Vege Shop. She generally sells to tourists and visitors because it is a genuine Cook Island product, but locals also often buy it as a gift for overseas family.

Lafala applied for a Business Support Grant from BLP to establish her own retail outlet, which she envisages will be a tourist destination with a mini shade house so people can see how vanilla grows and how it is dried in the sun. “The market is great, as we get a lot of people come through on a Saturday. This new retail outlet will give tourists somewhere to go during the week.” It will also increase her visibility in the market and increase her turnover.

Again Iokopeta worked with Lafala during the application process, offering guidance on completing the information required. “I found the online application straightforward and easy to use. I liked how it is a ‘one stop shop’ with everything in one place, then you click ‘submit’ and it’s done!”

Every business owner applying for a Business Support Grant – or subsidised business advice – from Business Link Pacific must satisfy at least one of five categories. These categories are Innovation, Growth, Climate, Finance or Inclusion. Turepu Vanilla satisfies both Growth and Innovation. ‘Growth’ because the business can demonstrate a viable plan to increase profit and employment, and expand sales to a new location; and ‘Innovation’ because the plan drives new services and opens a new market.

“I am grateful to BLP for the support they have provided. The advisory service gave me a great opportunity to tap into that support which is especially useful for a small business. Getting advisory support on the business side of things, especially compliance, has made a lot of difference.”

To find out more about the financial support services offered by Business Link Pacific, visit https://about.businesslinkpacific.com/what-are-blps-finance-services-support/.