Agriculture Business Week

What can good packaging do for your product?

To the microentrepreneurs of Samar provinces, good packaging not only enhances the market value of their product. It also gives them the opportunity to become competitive as it results in higher product quality and longer shelflife.

This was proven by Norma Dela Cruz who owns and manages NC Dela Cruz Home of Pili Delicacies in Brgy. Kinabranan, Allen, Northern Samar. She is among the processors of delicacies made from pili nut which is claimed to be abundant in Eastern Visayas.

When Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro and regional officials of the Department of Science and Technology visited her production area recently, she proudly showed her products, which were improved through the adoption of mechanized processing equipment and appropriate packaging materials and labeling under the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP).

In January 2005, SETUP enabled Norma to improve her product package by using food-grade packaging material, air-tight seal, and attractive and proper label. She also acquired equipment such as auto gas oven, stainless steel trays, 5-kilogram capacity mixer, kneader, grinder, sealer, and deep oil fryer.

These developments helped increase the productivity of Norma’s business by up to, 20 percent and allowed her to maintain 6 workers which increases up to 30 during peak season.

Her product range has increased also. She now produces hopia de pili, pili tart, mazapan, delicias, polvoron de pill, yema, and rosquillos. All these have a stable shelflife of 1 month except for yema and rrfazapan which last only for 2 weeks. She also makes pili crunch which is best consumed in three months after production date.

With this venture, Norma needs an average of 30 kilos of pill nuts (with shells removed) per month during regular season, and about 45 kilos during peak season when the demand is high.

She sells her product locally but she has been actively participating in trade fairs where she gets the chance to penetrate new markets.

Norma sources pili nut from Allen and nearby towns, She buys fresh pill (with pulp) at P10 per 25 pieces and dried pill nuts (with shell) at P60 per ganta. When local supply runs short, Norma buys pili kernels (with shells already removed) outside at P350 per kilo.

By the way, the local government of Allen is now embarking on the establishment of pill scion grove and nursery to address shortage of supply and boost local production of this valuable crop.

On one hand, Calbayog Fresh Tinapa owner Salvacion Pepito of Brgy. Capoocan, Calbayog City also benefits from the improvement of packaging system implemented through SETUP.

Since tinapa or smoked fish is Calbayog City’s One Town One Product commodity, Salvacion thought that improving product quality through appropriate packaging system could make Calbayog Fresh Tinapa more competitive.

Today, her tinapa comes in vacuum packaging which is more hygienic and prolongs the shelflife of tinapa up to six months from the usual three days to two weeks. She uses hasa-hasa or huraw and substitutes it with bangus when the market price of hasa-hasa is high. A pack of less than half kilo sells at r 100.

Data from DOST show that SETUP increased production volume and sales by 25% as well as employment from 4 to 6 workers.

Salvacion laments that there is a need to reconstruct her production area as this is made from light construction materials. The problem with this is that she has to temporarily stop in her production whenever the weather is bad.

Another thankful technology adoptor is Gina Colinayo of Brgy. Mercado, Villareal, Samar. She owns Gina’s Cakes and Pastries which specializes on traditional pastries and cookies.

Among these traditional pastries is the salvaro, which uses sapal or spent coconut meat. And Gina was able to preserve and repackage it using the mechanized processing equipment and appropriate packaging materials and label techniques through SETUP in 2007. She also has other local pastries that uses rice flour aside from wheat flour.

And just like Norma and Salvacion’s. Gina’s enterprise also increased productivity by 20 percent, increased employment generated from 5 to 7, and improved facility, which, of course translated to increased income.

All these women entrepreneurs say that production is not the only aspect to look at in order to prosper in one’s business. More aggressive marketing strategy is another key, which is what exactly they are doing today.

By Melpha M. Abello