LEGAZPI CITY—Two large farm owners have joined the growing number of land owners who have realized the advantage of converting their otherwise idle lands into pili plantations.
Lawyer Victor de la Cruz and Nestor Llamas of Barangay Del Socorro, Minalabac, Camarines Sur, decided to devote 4 hectares each of their vast lands for the massive production of pili trees in support to “PILIpinas,” a joint project of the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Field Office 5 and J. Emmanuel Pastries.
Joseph and Lydia Lomibao, J. Emmanuel Pastries owners, have been linking up with interested land owners throughout the region for a pili contract-growing scheme dubbed as “PILIpinas” to ensure the sustainability of the pili production processing industry.
DA Regional Executive Director Abelardo R. Bragas said there is a need to develop the economies of scale for the Bicol’s pili for the product to be more competitive in the global market.
Bragas added that aside from the great potentials of pili as a major export crop, it is also resistant to typhoons and pests and the fruits have long shelf life.
Earlier, the DA 5 high-value crops development program provided 400 grafted pili seedlings each to de la Cruz and Llamas. After the pili plantation, the DA’s next target are providing cacao and siling labuyo seedlings for intercropping.