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AS part
of the campaign to promote malunggay, the lowly
veggie’s products and by-products will be showcased in
three-day exhibit at the
World Trade Center
in Pasay City.
Director
Alicia Ilaga, head of the Department of Agriculture
Biotechnology Program Office (DA-BPO) said malunggay
is not only a nutritional vegetable that can help solve
the prevailing problem of malnutrition in the
countryside, but the hunger and poverty, as well.
She
cited the many agribusiness potential of malunggay,
noting that all its parts, from the green leaves to
pods, flowers, seeds and even roots, have medicinal
values that can treat ailments.
“It’s a
perfect crop to grow whether in the backyard or for
commercial plantation,” she said.
During
the exhibit, she said ordinary pandesal, or the
ordinary snacks such as pulboron, kamote muffins,
fetucchini noodles will be made special, as they will be
fortified with vitamins and nutrients of malunggay.
The
exhibit will run from October 4 to 6 to celebrate the
14th International Agribusiness Exhibition and Seminars
and the 8th International Food Processing and Packaging
Products Exhibition sponsored by AgriLink, AquaLink and
FoodLink in coordination with the Department of
Agriculture.
Other
malunggay by-products, such as body lotion with
essential oil of moringa (seed of malunggay),
hair cream, massage cream, water purifier and
all-purpose oil extracted from moringa through
biotechnology, will also be featured.
Ilaga
said participants will be given free treats such as free
massage, or demonstration of these new amazing malunggay
products.
To add
up spice to the event, a cooking contest dubbed “O! May
Gulay” was hosted by the DA to encourage households in
the urban areas to cook affordable and nutritious food
using local agricultural products. The activity is
designed to develop vegetable recipes that are easy to
prepare, affordable and delicious.
The
contest is open to all public high schools from the
National Capital Region (NCR) represented by two
students from participating schools in Metro Manila.
Cash
prizes and trophies await the winners of the contest.
The DA,
through the BPO headed by Ilaga, has launched a massive
information, education and communication campaign to
promote the lowly malunggay, because of its
agribusiness potential.
Unknown
to many, malunggay is not only a nutritious and
delicious vegetable. It’s seed is rich in oil experts
said can be converted into edible oil and biofuel.
Ilaga
said the lowly malunggay, considered as the “poor
man’s veggie” is making a golden comeback and promises
to be the “next best thing” that can happen to
Philippine agriculture through biotechnology.
After
strategically positioning itself in the production of
planting materials such as moringa seed and stem
cuttings, the DA is now ready for the massive
cultivation of malunggay as part of its campaign
to promote farming for natural ingredients.
Some of
the value-added products of moringa oil makes
used of biotechnology, such as by processing enzyme to
produce pure oil, and produce active pharmaceutical
ingredients such as lutein, zeaxanthin and quercitin. |
