Manufacturing plant to produce malunggay products

MANILA - A moringa (malunggay) manufacturing plant is being put up in Lanao del Sur province and it is expected to give additional livelihood means to residents there, a statement from Biolife News Service said Thursday. The statement said the project is a joint venture between the FDC Lanao Moringa Farmers Association and SECURA International. In preparation for the project, the Department of Agriculture-Biotechnology Program Office (DA-BPO) led a series of trainings and technology demonstrations in the province where it, together with representatives from the Bureau of Plant and Industry (BPI), taught farmers the household processing of malunggay and conducted trainings on malunggay farming. The trainings were held at the BUAD Agricultural School in Marawi City. At least 136 agricultural technicians, instructors, teachers, students and agricultural personnel from the FDC Lanao Moringa Farmers Association, Mindanao State University, BUAD Agricultural School, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist participated in the event. “Mostly rural women took part in the household processing of malunggay products. BPI believes this can help them get extra income from planting and growing malunggay," the statement said. DA-BPO highlighted malunggay's potential as a staple vegetable, accessible natural medicine and additional source of livelihood for women in rural areas. Cooking demonstrations of simple malunggay-based recipes with hands-on experience were also conducted. Participants learned how to make malunggay delicacies such as malunggay polvoron, tea, cupcake, noodles and bulanglang. They also learned how simple it is to make malunggay capsules. Participants for their part found the trainings informative and helpful in their daily lives. The Mindanao State University-High School Department stated their enthusiasm to develop more malunggay-based recipes to be taught to their students. Others, particularly housewives, were encouraged to add malunggay in their daily feast so as to make their food intake healthful. The lecture on malunggay farming was based on the technology research and development conducted by the DA Biotech Program in collaboration with the Bureau of Plant Industry, DA Regional Field Unit III and National Agribusiness Corporation at the Central Luzon Integrated Agriculture Research Center in Tarlac. Hands-on farming experience, which initially established the malunggay techno-demo and seed farm located at the BUAD Agricultural School were also given to participants. The BUAD Agricultural School will maintain and continue the techno-demo and seed farm processes for malunggay. - GMANews.TV