A Japanese company, Kuwanosato Inc., is supporting farmers in Pampanga to rise above poverty by introducing a mulberry tea-production technology through a public-private partnership promotion program of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Kuwanosato started the project with Jica and Pampanga State Agricultural University in 2018. The agencies had previously partnered in the conduct of related feasibility survey in 2017 on the potential of mulberry tea value chain in the province.
Kapampangan farmers have struggled to raise income and productivity, especially since Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991.
Thus, turning to high-value crops, such as mulberries, has potential to help local farmers earn more.
The mulberry teamaker from Japan was originally installed in early 2020, but, hampered by Covid-19 restrictions, it was inaugurated only recently.
The factory can process up to 500-kilograms of raw leaves in eight hours, producing around 100 kilograms of mulberry tea.
At present, the project is piloting mulberry cultivation techniques with three model farms in Pampanga, which supplies the mulberry leaves to be processed into tea in the facility in PSAU.
Kuwanosato and PSAU hope to sustainably commercialize mulberry tea products from Pampanga to cater to both local and export demands, including Japan’s.
Mulberry tea is also expected to contribute to the promotion of good health among consumers due to its high nutritional content.
Mulberry tea is a well-known natural and caffeine-free drink, which is very useful for weight loss, cholesterol reduction and diabetes control.
Other than agriculture, Jica’s partnership with the private sector has also introduced many Japanese innovations with social impact to the Philippines in areas such as disaster management, environment and education.
Jica is the executing agency of Japanese Official Development Assistance, which handles technical cooperation, ODA loans and investment and grant aid, as well as cooperation volunteers and disaster-relief programs.
Jica is the world’s largest bilateral aid agency, with its scale of operations amounting to about JPY 1,536.1 billion for JFY 2021 and a worldwide network of almost 100 overseas offices, including the Philippines.