Okra breeding for $100-M Japan market

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industries is teaming up with the Institute of Plant Breeding on a technical assistance program that may include breeding of  high value crops such as “Edamame and okra” for the projected $100-million market in Japan.

An initial discussion on the techinical assistance was held on 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  PCCI agriculture committee head Roberto C. 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. This is inasmuch as how IPB’s research on the disease resistant Bt eggplant was financed through a United States Agency for International Development grant and a counterpart fund from UPLB and Department of Agriculture.

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

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

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

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