Philippines starts exporting okra to Japan amid COVID-19 pandemic

The country has started shipping okra or lady finger to Japan in the process giving additional income to farmers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday

In a statement, the DA said about 300 farmers were involved in the production of the export-grade okra products that were harvested from different farms in 14 barangays in Tarlac.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar and young agripreneurs Jeffrey Fernandez and Rap Pelayo of Jelfarm Fresh Produce Enterprise led the initial shipment of two tons of okra at the Pair-pags Center in Pasay City.

“This is an indication that in spite of Covid-19, we are upping the game. Kagaya nitong okra export to Japan, this is a significant development,” Dar said.

Jelfarm, one of the country’s leading okra exporters, will be shipping about five tons daily as the harvest season begins, the DA said. By peak season, it will increase shipments to an average of 13 to 15 tons daily.

The cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe and Nagoya, where the demand is very high, will be the main markets for the okra.

“We recognize the efforts of Jelfarm for increasing export of okra to Japan. Japan is a key market for our produce and they are fond of eating okra as part of their diet,” Dar said.

“It’s a win-win arrangement because the farmers planting these are getting higher levels of income compared to rice,” he added.

Fernandez, whose parents established the enterprise in 2010, said his father looked for an alternative livelihood for the Tarlac farmers who suffered from unstable palay prices throughout the year.

“Ang okra kasi, you can start harvesting within 55–65 days upon seeding and you can harvest it every day for 75 days straight,” he said. “It’s a fast turnaround crop, high-yielding crop, and a good source of income for the farmers.”

Further, okra farmers can harvest 500 kilograms up to one ton of okra per hectare for 75 days and earn a net income of P80,000 to P120,000.

Jelfarm will also be expanding up to a thousand hectares for the production of export-quality okra in partnership with the DA, Bureau of Plant Industry and farming cooperatives. -NB, GMA News