Agriculture Business Week

A big vegetable seedling production facility was launched in San Rafael, Bulacan last July 30, attended by more than 300 farmers from different parts of the country.

This is the one-hectare seedling nursery of East-West Seed Company which can produce 1.5 million ready-to-plant seedlings every month, according to Dr. Mary Ann P. Sayoc, company general manager.

The main purpose of the facility is to produce ready-to-plant high-value crops for the convenience of commercial farmers as well as small-scale hobbyists who may not be proficient or don’t have the time in germinating the seeds. At the East-West Seed nursery, the seeds are grown under sophisticated facilities which ensure the germination and development of healthy seedlings.

The production of ready-to-plant seedlings for sale to interested growers is now a standard practice in Israel, Taiwan and other progressive countries. All that an interested grower has to do is to ask the company to produce the seedlings of a particular vegetable variety for delivery at a given date. Usually, those ordering big numbers can have their orders delivered to their own place with the appropriate delivery cost charged. People who need only a few seedlings can go to the nursery to purchase their requirements.

Ready-to-plant seedlings of vegetables will cost the farmers P3 each. These include the latest varieties of pepper, tomato, ampalaya, patola, upo, kundol, cucumber, watermelon, eggplant, and many others. The company also produces seedlings of Sinta and Red Lady papaya varieties, the two most popular varieties today.

The seedling production facility is supported by a grant from the Dutch government amounting to several million pesos. The grant is matched by an equal amount from East-West.

Fruiting vegetables developed by the company are showcased around the nursery. Among the new varieties shown is a small-fruited cucumber which is highly suitable for use as snack food. The fresh fruits could be eaten raw, just like eating an apple.

The Micro-C cucumber is said to be highly popular in Thailand as snack food office workers bring some to their office for consumption during snack time.

Another new variety released by the company is the Galactica, the hybrid ampalaya which is said to be resistant to the “Namamarako” virus. Another is the Emperor sweet pepper which is an improved version of Majesty. The Emperor has a thicker skin and flesh, hence it has a better shipping quality. Emperor was initially known as Improved Majesty.

Also showcased at the premises of the seedling nursery is Mariposa, a new sitao variety that is highly productive. It produces light green fruits that are about half a meter long. Given proper care and management, Mariposa can produce 48 tons per hectare.