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By Zac B. Sarian
A big vegetable seedling production facility was launched in San
Rafael, Bulacan last Wednesday, 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, the 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 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 R3
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 productkon 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. |
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