By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
From time to time, someone asks me about agri-ventures that they could invest in or as a source of livelihood. This includes actual farm production, food processing, and even export of agri-products. I don’t have a lot of answers for the querists. Oftentimes, I refer them to concerned people, institutions, programs, and even to the media.
We are very lucky at this time that there is an abundance of sources of information on what businesses we can consider, especially agri-related ones. We have television shows—a lot of them, radio programs, magazines, newspapers, internet, books, etc.
The state universities and colleges, private higher educational institutions, department of agriculture including its attached agencies, department of trade and industry are rich sources of such information. Even departments such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Dept. of Labor, and Dept of Agrarian Reform could be of help along this line.
If agri-based ventures will flourish in the countryside, am sure fewer people will move into the densely populated cities or provincial capitals to look for work. Therefore, resources in such places will not be subjected to undue pressure. There will also be less social problems in those localities.
A few days ago, I watched a television program presenting the good old lugaw, or goto to some, as a very viable investment. The program knowingly showcased lugaw business owners from various parts of the Philippines, each having their own versions and quite successful. They have built their dream houses, owned cars, send their children to good schools, etc from the profit of their businesses. We used to have only the so-called arroz caldo, but due to the imagination of lugawan owners, we now have a variety of mixtures from vegetables, to fishes, to meat which are in demand to a lot of people, especially those on a shoe string budget. Lugawan does not need much capital, nor a wide place. This is a very good investment consideration. Some lugawan or gotohan are now currently being franchised.
If one is intending to go into actual farming, the TV show, Mag-Agri Tayo, in Channel 2 is a pot of golden opportunities. It covers a wide array of successful farming and farmers from across the country. Sometimes it delves into the basics like that of tissue culture or laboratory activities. Or, it features topics like climate change and what institutions are doing to mitigate it for the benefit primarily of the farmers. It is very instructive, encouraging, and enticing. As you learn, you will also be entertained by its able host, all by his lonesome. The magazine, Agriculture, is a must read if looking to go into actual production. There are at least two other very informative and popular local magazines that tackle agri-business.
Let me tell you some developments from the Bureau of Agricultural Research, an attached agency of the department of agriculture. BAR is funding researches in agriculture from the basic type up to technology for commercialization.
For example, it had breakthrough results of commerciable technologies that it funded on crops like rimas or bread fruit, cacao, mushroom, and soybean among many.
In Bicol, rimas, a crop not given much attention earlier was found to be a good ingredient of ice cream. Rimas ice cream had been well-accepted in the market in terms of taste, aroma, texture, and appearance. It has a distinct flavor which is liked very much by ice cream buffs. Its high fiber content is sure to minimize the effect of bad cholesterol in the body.
To produce 1 kg of ice cream, one needs 10kg of rimas. I think this ice cream had even been test-marketed in Hongkong recently. Rimas can be mixed with camote, cheese and chocolate to make some variants of the delicious product. They are also mixing siling labuyo, taro, and pili nut in the ice cream with good results. The versatility of rimas is demonstrated by the various products developed from it such as pastillas, cheese, cupcakes, chips, caramel, fries, kimchi, ginataan, torones de rimas, pork dumplings, rice balls, custard cake, spring roll, and muffin. Obviously, rimas has a very good business potential.
Cacao is a crop that is now very in demand worldwide. The chocolate producing countries are now in quandary as to where they will source out their cacao raw material. The present production in the world had fallen way below the demand. The Philippines is one of the countries being eyed as possible supplier. This is why BAR funded a cacao research in Region 4A. From that research, they were able to produce cacao wine, tableya, and soap. But where is the chocolate? Low supply! The varieties that they found good are: BR 25, K1, K2, UF18, UIT1, Criollo. Any takers?
Another winner from the funded researches is the mushroom production in Central Luzon. There is also low supply of this commodity produced locally. To think that mushroom is very suitable in most part of the Philippines. Also that it is a very rich food as it contains vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants: Vit B complex, iron, calcium(as much as 3x higher than the usual sources of calcium) and potassium (2x higher than bananas).
From the study done in Tarlac, farmers earned 300-700 pesos daily. The return on investment is a whooping 236-800%!
Aside from the direct use of the mushroom for cooking, they developed mushroom-based products like bola-bola, tocino, ice cream, pasta, sauces, chicharon, patties, embutido, and atsara.
Mushroom growing does not need big space nor require huge capital. It could be done beside the house, or even inside if space warrants. The viability of this is recognized even by our DOLE such that they organized a training on mushroom growing for OFWs in Hongkong last year. Why not go into this very viable production venture?**
