Story & photo by Ashley Manabat / Correspondent
CLARK FREEPORT—A joint project between a company and Northern Luzon farmers’ cooperatives allowed the Philippines to harvest edamame, or young soybeans from Japan, for the first time.
A 20-hectare farm located in Barrio Talipapa, Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija produced the first edamame beans. The beans are now bound for Japan.
The farm is a joint project of Top Shelf Corp. and a number of Northern Luzon farmers’ cooperatives. Top Shelf Corporation is a company formed by young farmers Raphael Pelayo, Elaine Timbol and Jeff Fernandez.
The goal of Top Shelf is to expand edamame production to 500 to 700 hectares in two years and export to South Korea, Australia and the United States.
According to Pelayo, the farms would be located in Central Luzon, Ilocos in Region 1 as well as in Region 2.
Edamame is Japanese for “beans on a branch” and often found in East Asian cuisine sold both in the pod and hulled. The crop is ready for harvest after only 62 days.
The edamame initiative was in response to Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar’s call for land and farm consolidation and prioritizing agriculture as an industry.
It can be recalled that during the blistering summer last year, farmers were told to plant edamame beans which can withstand the ravages of El Niño.
Former Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo said his group, composed of private individuals, is still looking for farmers with lands that can be planted with edamame beans, which require very little water and are not affected by the prolonged dry spell.
The group secured a $5-million purchase order from Japan for edamame beans. Farmers will serve as contract growers who will get seedlings and capital.
The group will put up a processing plant and will take charge of logistics. After harvest, it will buy the edamame beans of farmers.
Edamame beans planted in the Philippines, he said, are far better in quality than those planted in Taiwan, which means the Philippines is the most suitable area for growing the crop.
Image credits: Ashley Manabat
2 comments
Where can we get seed O would like to try it on our farm in mindoro
I forwarded your query to the Pelayo’s