Group expands nipa palm sugar project
Taking off from the initial success of an earlier project in Lanuza, Surigao del Sur, the production of nipa palm sugar has expanded to reach Butuan City.
Funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research, the project aims to provide a viable source of sustainable livelihood to selected coastal communities in Lanuza, Surigao del Sur and nearby municipalities.
With the assistance of the Foundation for Rural Enterprise and Ecology Deveopment of Mindanao (FREEDOM Inc.), the municipality of Lanuza secured a P33 million grant from the state-run Peoples Survival Fund.The project has been expanded to Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro and Butuan City, Agusan del Norte to cater the need for expansion in other areas that are significantly closer to urban markets.
A nipa palm sap facility was established in Brgy. Babag and it was made possible through a memorandum of agreement between FREEDOM and the Barangay Council of Babag. A nipa palm processing facility that can accommodate bigger volume of nipa sugar production was also constructed.
A mechanical dryer with a built in thermometer was also acquired. This helped reduce the moisture content from 10 to two percent and has resulted to a better taste.
The nipa Palm produced is also of lighter color and has better texture compared to coco sugar.
The processing facility is the first of its kind in the country that can produce nipa palm sugar in commercial quantities.
FREEDOM is currently waiting for the arrival of the product certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a prerequisite of their prospective buyers in Korea, Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain, Middle East, and the US. It is also working to comply with the product certification requirements from the Biodiversity Management Bureau and Mindanao Halal Authority.
Nipa palm sugar, a natural sweetener with low glycemic index, is produced from the sap of nipa palm commonly used in the Philippines as roofing materials for bahay kubo or processed as vinegar (sukang paombong) or wine (laksoy).
Currently, nipa palm sugar is marketed in selected outlets in Davao City and other urban areas in Mindanao at a smaller scale. It is available in 250 grams stand up pouch for P145 each.