Indigenous and endemic tropical vegetables gained more attention in this past decade because of the natural shift from total reliance in western medicines towards natural and even native or indigenous cures. Some of these local vegetables became million dollar industries because it was discovered that they were a safer alternative to the conventional western medicines. Such was the case of ampalaya (Momordica charantia) which became an instant celebrity in the field of herbal medicines.
No other vegetables can match the blood sugar lowering and tonic properties of ampalaya. This previously low key fruit vegetable known for its bitter taste which is hated by children suddenly gained so much attention that its price in the market had gone up and its demand year-round. A 1,000 square meter farm would enable the farmer to make enough money to match the profitability of one (1) hectare of rice farm. Depending on the variety, ampalaya would yield between 20 to 60 metric tons per hectare from the start of fruiting until senility which happens after about three (3) months. Thus, the 1,000 sq. meters would yield between 2 to 6 metric tons which if sold at P12.00 per kilogram would gross between P24,000 to P54,000.00. Still the farmer can plant other crops under the trellises for ampalaya, particularly ginger, turmeric and gabi.
An entrepreneur however should plan for his ampalaya crop. If his purpose is the fresh fruit market, he should look for hybrid varieties which bear large and long fruits profusely because weight is the prime consideration for this type of market. These high yield large fruited hybrids are also attractive to buyers.
But if one's purpose is the specialized market as nutraceutical or as medicinal product, one should look for the prolific but short and bitter-tasting varieties which have also been improved by seed-selling companies. These bitter varieties may be lower yielding but they are higher priced because they are sought after by supplements manufacturers. Some ampalaya consumers also seek these types because they like it cooked together with other vegetables in the favorite medley called pinakbet.
At present, processed forms, particularly capsules, tea bags, and even dehydrated fruits proliferate in the local market. Aside from local producers, the market is also swamped with imported processed products coming from other Asian countries like Viet Nam, Thailand and China. Japan made products however cost more than the imports from other countries, mainly due to the cost of production and the import taxes imputed. Whichever form or origin, charantia products are said to be effective for the purpose of regulating one's blood sugar level.
Balunggay (Moringa Oleifera) gained worldwide attention when research findings indicated that it contained more anti-oxidants and medicinal properties than other popular vegetables. At present, moringa is made into many kinds of products and marketed as a medicinal supplement both for prevention and cure of a variety of maladies. This lowly vegetable which was once called the poor man's broccoli can stand on its own. Health experts say that on a weight for weight basis, it contains more nutrients than any of the greens available in the vegetable market.
Like ampalaya, balunggay can be farmed commercially especially if one is near the city or urban markets where demand for leafy greens is high. The only disadvantage of balunggay is its keeping quality because it easily withers when exposed. But vendors say there are ways to preserve the leaves until the late afternoon so the market year-round for this vegetable is stable.
Like ampalaya, balunggay can become the main crop in an integrated vegetable farm. The trees can be planted as a main crop on spacings of 1 x 1 meter along the rows and with 2 meters row distance to allow the farmer to plant greens like camote, alugbati, lettuce, pechay and leaf onions (shallots). This way the land is maximized. Farmers can also earn as much from a 1,000 sq. meters land area as they would on a hectare of rice, if they have a system and a ready market for all the crops planted.
As in the previous installments of this series on vegetables, indigenous species can be better than the much touted sub-temperate types. It is however the western influence that has prevented us Filipinos, especially us Ilonggos to explore extensively the merits of our native species. As we progress on this series, we will gradually present countless studies where we Asians have contracted many of the lifestyle disease mainly because of our shift from our traditional food systems towards western fat rich and less fiber diets. (To be continued).
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