“In collaboration with the Department of Education, we conducted a survey revealing students’ high interest in buying vegetable chips and natural fruit juices as their snacks at schools in Cavite. Two institutional buyers and grocery owners in the province signified willingness to purchase our products as soon as it becomes commercially available,” DA-Cavite Agricultural Research and Experiment Station (CARES) researcher Eva B. Pugay reported during the completion review of projects under the National Organic Agriculture program on 27 April 2023.
In 2021, DA-CARES research team led by Pugay implemented a project to determine the demand and market potential of processed organic fruits and vegetables, and capacitate Yakap at Halik Multi-Purpose Cooperative in fruit and vegetable processing.
Survey showed 179 out of 187 elementary students want vegetable chips and fruit juice products. Among the top two choices are squash and mixed pinakbet for vegetable chips, and guyabano and langka for fruit juice.
“Grocery owners in the province are committed to buying our products even if our production becomes big enough,” Pugay stated.
Through the funding assistance of DA-BAR, the research team cooperated with the said cooperative situated at Castaños Cerca, General Emilio Aguinaldo, Cavite.
The members are engaged in integrated organic farming of various crops, livestock production, organic fertilizer and vermicomposting production, and organic fruits and vegetables production before the implementation of the project.
Aside from promoting a nutritive and safe snack for consumers, Pugay explained that the project shall contribute in sustaining the production of organically grown crops by augmenting the income of organic farming practitioners.
“Some of the produce of our farmers become unprofitable particularly during the lean season,” she mentioned.
“Napatunayan ng aming value chain analysis na malaking tulong na matuto ang aming mga magsasaka na i-proseso ang mga prutas at gulay na kanilang inaani upang ito ay mapakanibanagan at mabawasan ang pagkasayang,” Yakap at Halik Multi-Purpose Cooperative-Cavite Chapter chair Gabriel Arubio said.
Members of the said cooperative were trained in good manufacturing practices and in processing organically grown vegetables and fruits into chips and juice powder through the use of vacuum fryer. Moreover, the members of the cooperative were also assisted to come up with an organizational structure.
“Through the research, we were able to strengthen the capacity and boost the confidence of organic farming practitioners here in General Emilio Aguinaldo, Cavite by confirming the potential demand and institutional buyers of the processed organic vegetable and fruit products,” Pugay added.
To date, the project is to be recommended for its second phase of implementation that will mass produce and commercialize the organic fruit and vegetable products.