Alona partylist Rep. Anna Villaraza-Suarez (2nd from left, in pink) and provincial agriculturist Roberto Gajo (in green) look at how tu...
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Alona partylist Rep. Anna Villaraza-Suarez (2nd from left, in pink) and provincial agriculturist Roberto Gajo (in green) look at how turmeric is being processed into a marketable product at the QFHPC in Bgy. Talipan, Pagbilao, Quezon. (JOHN BELLO)
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by John A. Bello
PAGBILAO, Quezon -- Quezon farmer-producers are expected soon to become entrepreneurs and help facilitate the progress of the agricultural sector in the whole Quezon province with the establishment of Quezon Food and Herbal Processing Center (QFHPC) in Bgy. Talipan here.
ALONA partylist Rep. Anna Villaraza-Suarez who led the inauguration of QFHPC on Friday (June 1) at the Provincial Agricultural Complex here said the establishment of the processing center proves the fulfilment of the dream of the provincial government to give opportunity to Quezon farmers to become entrepreneurs.
“Katuparan ito ng ating layunin na unti-unting baguhin ang kanilang kaisipan at pananaw sa buhay, na mula sa pagiging simpleng producers, sila ay maging processors at manufacturers din at magkaroon ng kakayahang maibenta ang kanilang produkto sa presyong sila ang nasusunod at hindi ang malalaking traders,” Villaraza-Suarez, wife of Gov. David ‘Jayjay’ Suarez, told the participants of the short program at the inauguration and blessing attended by provincial agriculturist Roberto Gajo, Dept. of Science and Technology and Dept. of Trade and Industry provincial heads Girlie Jawili and Juliet Tadiosa, Phil. Coconut Authority Region 4-A regional manager Erlene Manohar, municipal agriculturists and nutrition action officers, and various representatives of non-government groups and other stakeholders of the agricultural sector of the province.
The QFHPC will cater to the production of complementary foods for the supplemental feeding of some 86,000 underweight children aged 6 - 59 months of the thru the Quezon provincial nutrition office and for processing and manufacture of the province’ agricultural food and herbal products, said Villaraza-Suarez who went on to mention the various processing centers in different towns such as the instant salabat and peanut brittle of members of the Rural Improvement Club of Pinagdanlayan in Dolores; Kapeng Adarna in Bgy. Masalukot 4 in Candelaria; Ube powder, halaya and ube chips processing in San Andres, the root crops processing center in San Francisco, the uraro production for flour in Mulanay, the establishment of processing training centers for suman in San Antonio, guyabano in Atimonan, herbal plants in Tiaong and cacao and baked products for Polillo which have been allocated P5 million each by Alona partylist to insure their sustainable and succesful operation.
Roberto Atregenio, Quezon herbal program coordinator said the herbal processing center aims for the production of herbs in demand on the market such as lemon grass, turmeric, malunggay, guyabano and banaba. The machines at the center produces semi-processed herbs (dehydrated raw materials), pulverized herbs, powder at tea bags as per specification of the market.
The herbal processing center, Atregenio said, produces calamansi juice processed by Unisan and Sariaya processor groups which will be used in seminars and trainings conducted by Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and other offices in support to the Executive Order issued by Gov. Suarez prohibiting the drinking of soda or sugary drinks within the capitol compound. All raw and packaging materials will come from OPA and soon juice variants with herbal extracts will be produced at the center.
Atregenio described briefly the process of producing turmeric tea as follows:
The turmeric plants are brought to QFHPC in its raw material section, then they go through washing, sorting, steaming, then go to the chipper for slicing before drying using dehydrator machine. After drying, they are put in a pulverizer to become powder then brought to the packaging section for packing in pouch or tea bags then put in a canister, labeled, sealed with plastic then sent for distribution to the market.
Atregenio said the OPA will purchase all raw materials from herbal co-operators of the program to be processed in the facility. All raw materials and packaging are given to the partner groups that facilitate the operation.
A federation of municipal herbal groups in Quezon composed of farmer producers, processors, herbal advocates and stakeholders called Herbal Enthusiasts Responsible for Business and Alternative Livelihood or Herbal Quezon is the sole province-wide group to do processing and marketing of the produce and it is accredited with DOLE and SP and registered with SEC. The provl government and Alona partylist provides start-up capital to the group for raw materials and packaging.
The food processed at the QFHPC complies with the standards set by DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute and the raw materials are purchased from local farmer producers in Quezon.
Chona Bandola, a herbal processor from Pagbilao, recounted at the program how she started as a seller of various local delicacies such as suman, pilipit before she tried turmeric processing. She said she underwent various training conducted by Herbal Quezon, attended trade fairs and got invited by the Dept. of Tourism for exhibit of own products. She said she was earning P3,000 a month when she was selling various kakanin but now she is earning 3 times more and now she is able to export her products to Singapore and Malaysia since Feb. 25.
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