Agriculture Business Week

There’s a promising crop that Cavite farmers can plant to make money besides coffee. There is the dragon fruit, which is not only valued for its fresh fruits but also for other products derived from it.

The Cavite State University in Indang, Cavite, has been pioneering in developing products like puree, jelly, readyto-drink juice, jam, cider vinegar and wine.

Dr. Teddy F. Tepora, director for extension services and the program leader of dragon fruit research and development, said that they aim to make the dragon fruit available throughout the year by processing it into various byproducts with high market value. Besides, the university is also opening a new market for the produce of dragon fruit growers in Cavite by buying a certain portion of their harvest, particularly the fruits that do not pass market standards due to physical damage.

Dr. Tepora recalled that in 2006, dragon fruit farmers went to him complaining about the fruits that were rendered unmarketable due to damage by pest and diseases. Since the fruits’ flesh was still intact and in excellent condition, Dr. Tepora thought that perhaps something could still be done so that these would not be wasted.

Fortunately, the Balik Scientist Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) provided the solution through Dr. Eufemio Barcelon, a Balik Scientist awardee who was instrumental in developing dragon fruit products.

Seeing the potential of dragon fruit for processing, Dr. Barcelon assisted CvSU in developing high-value processed products from dragon fruit during his stint at the university from February 12, 2007 to March 2007. Dr. Barcelon then encouraged the submission of project proposals on the development of dragon fruit products to DOST under the Technical Innovation for Commercialization.

Opportunity came in 2007 when the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) of DOST awarded CvSU a P100,000 grant for product development.

In February 2009, PCIERD gave CvSU P2,156,000 funding for pilot-testing of dragon fruit puree, jelly, ready-to-drink juice, and jam. Another P100,000 was allotted for cider vinegar and wine.

Today, CvSU is processing an average of 40-kilogram dragon fruit flesh per production assembly on a weekly basis, according to Dr. Tepora. And the good news is that these products were highly accepted by the consumers in Cavite since its launching last August.

Dr. Tepora said that one of the challenges in the project is the availability of clragon fruit especially during offseason. In Indang, dragon fruit’s fruiting season is from May to September after which production stops due to the low temperature in the area starting October. “That is why there is a need for us to source from other dragon fruit-producing areas such as Bulacan”, Dr. Tepora said.

Currently, there are around 40 hectares planted to dragon fruit in the entire province of Cavite, says Dr. Tepora. Of these, six farms are into commercial production averaging 3 hectares each farm while the rest are all small-scale and backyard farms. The farmers grow two varieties – Hylocereus undatus (red skin with white flesh) and H. polyrhizus (red skin with red flesh).

By the way, the University has also assisted in the development of dragon fruit-based beauty soaps by a farmer scientist in Indang who is now producing and selling three variants of it under the brand name “Pitaya”. Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) Eddie Silan of Farmer’s Information and Technology Services-CvSU has four hectares of dragon fruit farm which produces both fruits and seedlings for sale.

From the Cavite farmers’ produce, Dr. Tepora estimates that 30 percent goes to processing. Bulk of the farmers’ produce goes to the fruit market due to the increasing demand. Dr. Tepora said that current fartrigate price in Indang stands at P80 per kilo, which is almost double the price five years ago.

Dr. Tepora admits that there are still much to be improved on the quality of their dragon fruit products. They are now working on having a specific packaging for these products so as to enhance marketability.

As CvSU works on the research and technology on dragon fruit production and processing, Dr. Tepora hopes that it won’t take long for an interested private entrepreneur to produce these products on a commercial scale.

By Melpha M. Abello