Agriculture Business Week

Agrarian Reform is not only about giving lands to beneficiaries. It is also about extending support services and providing product development training to beneficiaries in the rural communities for them to have alternative source of income.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has been instrumental for some rural developments by providing livelihood opportunities to a number of people and organizations in the rural areas.

One of them is the Kayabang Multipurpose Cooperative in Bayabas, Sablan, Benguet which has found a money-making venture in making ubi wine through the help of DAR-Cordillera Administrative Region. Ube wine was one of the saleable items at the recently concluded Agrilink/Foodlink/ Aqualink trade fair at the World Trade Center because it is organic, local, and healthy alternative to red wine.

According to Alexis D. Lang-ayan, regional marketing assistance officer of the DAR-CAR, the development of ubi wine is influenced by the abundance of ubi in Benguet where this rootcrop grows best. He recalled that since there were so much supply of ubi in the province, they made a proposal to come up with an idea on how to utilize excess ubi into something profitable.

With a funding from the DAR Central Office, the trainees underwent a product development training in 2005 under the auspices of the Department of Science and Technology and the Northern Philippine Rootcrops Research and Training Center. From that training came up the ubi wine which the co-op introduced to the market in June 2005 during the Agraryo Trade Fair.

Made from ubi, sugar, and yeast, the ubi wine packaged in 750 ml bottle priced at P100 was an instant hit at the trade fair and was awarded as the Rookie Product. This has inspired the co-op to continue producing ubi wine. The co-op, however, encountered problems in the specific alcohol content of the product. This was addressed with the help of the DOST by upgrading the co-op’s facility to establish the alcohol content of ubi wine, which now stands at 12 percent.

When it comes to product promotion and packaging, it was the Department of Trade and Industry that helped the co-op’s ubi wine have its much-needed market exposure by participating in local and national trade fairs. DAR also helps market the wine through its Marketing Assistance Program.

Currently, the ubi wine is mostly sold at the tourist areas in Benguet and Baguio City while some are sold at per order basis throughout the Cordilleras.

Another DAR’s beneficiary, the Rural Improvement Club (RIC) of Bakun Agrarian Reform Community in Bakun, Benguet produces carrot wine, which was introduced at the Agrilink trade fair. This product was also developed by utilizing the excess produce of the vegetable farmers in Benguet.

Carrot wine is also claimed as organically produced and only the natural fermenting agent called bubod was used for fermentation. It is available in 375-ml bottle retailed at only P50 each. Like ubi wine, Lang-ayan said that they have been getting positive feedbacks on carrot wine although there are still a lot to be done to further improve its quality.

Back to ubi wine, Lang-ayan said that everything is doing well for the wine to attain its market potential. He said that they are now working for the approval of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) so that ubi wine can reach a wider market not only in the Philippines, but also abroad. They are also receiving a lot of inquiries on the possibility of selling the ubi wine abroad.

So far, the prospects for ubi wine and carrot wine are bright. If this enterprise becomes successful, it will encourage more farmers to plant more ubi and earn income from it. Besides, these wine makers would still prefer to use locally produced carrot which is now losing out to cheaper imported carrot that flood the market these days.