Adlay grows into alternative food staple

When initiatives on adlay research and development were put in motion by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) in 2011, adlay has since taken the limelight as an alternative food staple commodity that is seen to contribute to the country’s bid of achieving food security.

Six years later, adlay, through its R&D program under the Department of Agriculture’s high value crops development program, continues to thrive as it undergoes various activities to enhance production, promote food utilization, establish market, strengthen commercialization, and conserve seeds for expansion.

To fasttrack these targets and set the direction for the adlay R&D program, BAR conducted a two-day technical working group (TWG) meeting and planning workshop which called for the program to assess physical and financial accomplishments based on the adlay roadmap and value chain, review updates on adlay seed inventory and expansion areas including new directives and priorities, identify project implementation issues and recommend solutions, and review adlay adaptability yield trial data for the seed registration at the National Seed Industry Council.

With the success of adlay in terms of production and development, the Adlay TWG, in partnership with the DA regional offices, targets to further expand adlay production, and to hasten product development and marketing.

Recent data on seed production inventory from October 2016 to May 2017 showed a total of 36,487 kilograms of adlay produced, in which 11,921 kgs were utilized for product development and promotion, and 24,566 kgs were made available for distribution.

BAR director Nicomedes Eleazar, however, said much work still needs to be done to fully respond to DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol’s directives on intensifying adlay.

Eleazar said an expansion of seed production in adlaygrowing areas particularly in regions 2, 4A, 9, and 10 must be carried out. He also cited the need come up with a package of technology ready for dissemination to farmers and interested partners.

Eleazar said the products which are now ready for commercialization must be carefully identified, and must take on improving their packaging and marketing. “We can partner with the Agricultural Training Institute and the Department of Trade and Industry for the promotion and marketing of these adlay products,” he said.

Also, as part of adlay’s product development efforts, a professor from the Institute of Human Nutrition and Food, College of Human Ecology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños Wilma Hurtada was invited to explain the results of the analysis of the nutritional content and value of adlay. This is in agreement with the program’s effort to harness the potentials of adlay for health and wellness.