2026 Guide: Madagascar Vanilla Price per Kilo
Guide updated in August 2026, based on prices observed in the first half of 2026 and on our own harvests in the SAVA region of Madagascar.
A kilo of Madagascar vanilla can cost 65 euros or 700 euros. Between the price leaving Madagascar, the wholesale price in Europe and the price per bean in a grocery shop, the gaps are so wide that most professional buyers no longer know what a "normal" price is. This guide gives the real 2026 market ranges, grade by grade, explains what sets the price of a kilo of beans, and why an offer that is too cheap almost always hides a problem. We finish with our own price list, published in full transparency: at Vanille Désiré, the price shown is the price paid.
The price of Madagascar vanilla per kilo in 2026: the real ranges
The 2026 market is a buyer's market. After the peaks of 2018-2019, when the Malagasy bean traded for up to 600 dollars a kilo, Madagascar is going through a phase of overproduction: unsold stocks represent close to a full year's harvest, and prices leaving Madagascar are at a historic low. Here are the ranges observed in the first half of 2026:
| Quality | Ex-Madagascar (FOB, container) | Wholesale delivered Europe (10 to 100 kg) | Retail France (1 to 2 kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gourmet Grade A (14-16 cm, unsplit) | 65 to 95 €/kg | 100 to 200 €/kg | 150 to 280 €/kg |
| TK (split red) | 45 to 75 €/kg | 80 to 140 €/kg | 120 to 200 €/kg |
| Red US / EUR | 40 to 70 €/kg | 70 to 120 €/kg | 100 to 180 €/kg |
| Extraction cuts (pieces) | 15 to 40 €/kg | 30 to 70 €/kg | rarely sold at retail |
By comparison, a bean sold as a single unit in a grocery shop or supermarket costs 1.50 to 3 € each, the equivalent of 400 to 800 € a kilo. That is the whole point of buying vanilla by the kilo, in bulk, as a professional: for equal quality, the price per gram is cut by two to four from the very first kilo.
These ranges are wide, and that is normal: between an uncontrolled FOB lot from Toamasina and a sorted, analysed Gourmet kilo delivered within 48 hours from a stock held in France, it is simply not the same product or the same service. Let's look at what explains these gaps.
What sets the price of a kilo of vanilla
1. Size
The length of the bean is the first sorting criterion in Madagascar. A bean of 16 to 18 cm, plump and supple, goes to fine dining and premium pastry; a bean of 12 to 13 cm, lighter, trades 20 to 40% cheaper per kilo. Be careful with the reverse reasoning: a smaller size is not a worse vanilla, it is a less spectacular one. For infusing, home extraction or food production, 13-14 cm is often the best value for aroma.
2. Moisture content
This is the least understood and the most important factor. A Gourmet vanilla holds 30 to 38% water; a Red vanilla drops below 30%, an extraction-grade vanilla below 25%. And you are buying by weight: the moister the bean, the more water you are paying for. High moisture is legitimate for the Gourmet bean, it is what gives its suppleness and easy scraping, but it must be disclosed, measured and stabilised. An overly moist bean that is poorly packed ferments or moulds under vacuum; an overly dry bean has lost weight, but also usable value. The international ISO 5565 standard, which governs vanilla grading, largely rests on this criterion: always ask for the moisture level before comparing two prices per kilo.
3. Vanillin content and grade
Natural vanillin is measured in a laboratory (HPLC analysis) and expressed as a percentage of dry weight. A fine Madagascar vanilla runs between 1.4 and 3%; an extraction-grade vanilla between 0.8 and 1.8%. The grade sums it all up: a Gourmet Grade A is black, supple, unsplit, rich in vanillin; a TK is partly split, a little drier, ideal for artisan extraction and heavy pastry use; a Red is drier still, meant for industry; Cuts are sized pieces for industrial extraction. Each grade has its fair price; the problem starts when one is sold to you at the price of another.
4. Harvest and market conditions
Vanilla is a cyclical crop. A cyclone in the SAVA, a harvest picked too early under price pressure, a political decision on export price floors: every season reshuffles the deck. After years of soaring prices, 2025 and 2026 are years of overproduction and low prices. That is a real opportunity for buyers, but it has a downside: at these price levels, part of the supply chain cuts corners on curing quality. Sorting, several months of curing in trunks, and moisture control all cost labour that some exporters can no longer afford.
5. The number of middlemen
Between a plantation in the SAVA and your lab, a bean classically passes through a collector, a curer, an exporter, an importer, a wholesaler, sometimes a reseller. Each link adds its margin, often 15 to 30%. Direct channels change the equation: when the grower sells directly, all these links disappear and the same Gourmet Grade A leaves at a semi-wholesale price. That is our case. Our family has grown its vanilla in the SAVA for three generations, cures it ourselves and sells it direct: between our plantation and your lab, there is nobody in between.
6. Documents and compliance
A kilo of vanilla entering the European Union legally travels with a phytosanitary certificate, a customs declaration and, for serious buyers, a lab analysis report (moisture, vanillin, contaminants). These documents have a cost, but their absence costs far more: held up at customs, the goods destroyed, unable to resell to a professional client who requires traceability. Some of the "great deals" visible online are simply explained by skipping these steps.
Why a price that is too low almost always hides a problem
At 65-95 €/kg FOB for Gourmet in 2026, an offer of 40 or 50 €/kg delivered to France, cleared through customs, with the seller's margin, is mathematically impossible for genuine Grade A. In practice, an abnormally low price means one of these realities:
- A dressed-up grade: Red or TK sold as "Gourmet", sometimes rehydrated or oiled to look plump.
- Water billed at the price of vanilla: undeclared excess moisture, with a high risk of mould under vacuum in the following weeks.
- An immature harvest: beans picked too early, low in vanillin; they look fine, but the aroma is missing. Without HPLC analysis, there is no way to see it before use.
- An import with no documents: no phytosanitary certificate, no traceability, a customs and health risk passed on to the buyer.
- A supply chain under pressure: when the grower is not paid, curing quality drops and thefts of green vanilla on the vine rise. Today's low price is paid for in tomorrow's reliability.
Our advice as a buyer: never compare two prices per kilo without comparing four figures, size, moisture content, vanillin content and exact grade. And always ask for a sample before any volume order: a serious house always agrees to it.
Buying vanilla wholesale by the kilo: our 2026 list, published in full transparency
At Vanille Désiré, the grower and the seller are the same house: we publish our full price list, from the first kilo to the half-container. Here are the 2026 rates for our Bourbon Gourmet Grade A vanilla (14-16 cm, unsplit, vanillin 1.4 to 3%, moisture 30 to 38%), shipped from our stock in France within 48 hours for up to 100 kg:
| Quantity | Price per kilo | Total price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kg | 179 € | 179 € |
| 2 kg | 174.50 € | 349 € |
| 5 kg | 169 € | 845 € |
| 10 kg | 159 € | 1,590 € |
| 20 kg | 147.50 € | 2,950 € |
| 50 kg | 133 € | 6,650 € |
| 100 kg | 119 € | 11,900 € |
| 200 kg | 99.50 € | 19,900 € |
| 500 kg | 89 € | 44,500 € |
See the full listing for Bourbon Gourmet Grade A vanilla in bulk, TK Grade A vanilla, Red US/EUR vanilla and extraction Cuts. For volumes under a kilo, our beans sold by weight in 100, 250 and 500 g.
Beyond 100 kg, shipping leaves directly from Madagascar, with lead times that vary by season. We also offer TK and Red US/EUR from 5 kg, and extraction Cuts in 25 kg bags, under the same public price list. Every shipment from our stock in France comes with its invoice at 5.5% VAT, its phytosanitary certificate and, on request, an HPLC analysis report. Direct departures from Madagascar are on export terms. Samples are available before any volume order, and private label is possible from 100 kg.
This price list sits deliberately in the heart of the market: neither the rock-bottom price that signals a letdown, nor the margin of luxury vanilla. We are the grower: three generations in the SAVA, and one simple promise, the price shown is the price paid.
Visit the professionals area and order by the kilo
Frequently asked questions about the price of vanilla per kilo
What is the price of a kilo of Madagascar vanilla in 2026?
On the French market, expect 150 to 280 € per kilo bought as single beans. With us, the first kilo is 179 € and the price drops to 89 € a kilo from 500 kg upward. Leaving Madagascar by container, prices sit between 65 and 95 €/kg. TK, Red and extraction qualities are respectively 30 to 80% cheaper.
How many beans are there in a kilo?
For a 14-16 cm size in Gourmet quality, a kilo holds roughly 280 to 330 beans of 3 to 3.5 g each. The smaller the size or the drier the bean, the more beans per kilo: a kilo of Red can hold over 400 beans.
Gourmet, TK, Red, Cuts: which quality to choose?
Gourmet Grade A for any use where the bean is visible or scraped: pastry, ice cream, restaurants, resale. TK for artisan extraction, infusions and flavoured rums. Red for volume food production. Cuts for industrial extraction. There is no point paying for Gourmet to make an extract; it would be a shame to make an exceptional ice cream with Red.
Why are some offers under 60 € a kilo delivered suspicious?
Because at that price, once shipping, customs clearance and margin are deducted, there is nothing left to pay for genuine Gourmet, or even a good documented TK. It is almost always a lower grade resold under another label, excess moisture, an immature harvest, or an import with no certificate.
Where to buy Madagascar vanilla wholesale in France?
Three paths exist for a professional buyer: a spice wholesaler, an importer, or the grower directly. The first costs the most, since it adds up every margin in the chain. The last is ours: the vanilla leaves our own plots in the SAVA and ships in bulk from our stock in France, with a public price list from 179 to 89 € a kilo and the matching documents. This is the 2026 vanilla price per kilo you can compare line by line with any wholesaler's offer.
Will vanilla prices go back up?
The vanilla market is historically cyclical: the kilo went from under 50 dollars in 2013 to 600 dollars in 2018, before falling back. Current overproduction is keeping prices low, but a cyclone in the SAVA or an adjustment in planted area could reverse the trend within a single season. For a professional, 2026 is a good year to lock in a supply contract for several months.
How do I order vanilla by the kilo from Vanille Désiré?
Directly online through our professionals area, from the first kilo to a full container: full price list, secure card payment at every tier, bank transfer available on request, a reply to any quote request within 24 to 48 business hours. You can also try our quality with a shop-sized lot from our Bourbon vanilla collection before moving to bulk.
Let's talk about your supply
Are you a pastry chef, ice cream maker, roaster, distiller, grocer or manufacturer? We ship our own harvest by the kilo from our stock in France, with full analyses and documents. Samples on request, quotes within 24 to 48 business hours.