BREEDING OF OKRA FOR A $100M JAPAN MARKET EYED BY IPB, PCCI

THE PHILIPPINE CHAMBER of Commerce and Industries (PCCI) is teaming up with the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB) on a technical assistance (TA) program that may include the breeding of okra, for which there is a projected market worth US$ 100 million in Japan. The planned breeding of high value crops— particularly okra and soybean vegetables for the popular side dish “edamame” for the Japan market—may be the top priority of the IPB-PCCI partnership, according to PCCI Agriculture Committee Chief Roberto C. Amores.

An initial discussion on the TA program was conducted last June 2 at the IPB-University of the Philippines Los Banos.

“For me the breeding of okra and soybean for the Japan market should be a priority for this partnership with IPB,” said Amores. “Genetic improvement in our fresh vegetables for Japan will be the key to increasing productivity of farmers.”

PCCI and Filipino agribusiness exporting firm Hi Las Marketing Corp., which Amores heads, may look for funding for the research.

IPB’s research on the disease resistant Bt eggplant was financed through a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant and a counterpart fund from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The PCCI-IPB program will also involve a comprehensive collaboration aimed at providing easier, faster access for small farmers to financing; marketing of farmers’ produce direct to markets including hotels and restaurants; and development of contract growing business models.

“PCCI knows how important agriculture is. We want to have a national consultation for agriculture. We’re pushing for government’s financing of agriculture especially for the small ones,” said PCCI president George T. Barcelon. “For infrastructure, there should be irrigation, power facilities, and roads. There should be information on prices of agricultural supplies like fertilizers.”

IPB co-founder Dr. Emil Q. Javier said IPB’s collaboration with PCCI must zero in on enabling farmers to be part of the value chain. This way, Filipino farmers do not just become suppliers of cheap raw materials to big manufacturers or retailers, they also become partners for agri-businesses.

Glenn N. Baticados, UPLB Technology Transfer director, said IPB-UPLB may also partner with the private sector through the commercialization of its technologies.

“Jollibee is interested in getting 11 technologies that we developed,” said Baticados.