Coop launches processing facility

A FOOD processing facility of a cooperative in Nueva Vizcaya will help meet the demand for packaged vegetables for cooking «pinakbet» in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) and beyond.

THE Pak Gulay Food Processing Facility of the Kaagapay ng mga Magsasaka Mangangalakal at Eksperto sa Pagpoproseso of Nueva Vizcaya Producers Cooperative (KMMEPNV) was recently inaugurated by the Cagayan Valley Research Center (CVRC) of the Department of Agriculture Region 2 office and the local government unit (LGU) of Aritao in the province.

According to CVRC, the initiative was made possible through the support of the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), which provided funding for the research for development project titled «Market Assessment and Refinement of PakGulay Food Products toward Market Expansion.»

It said this project facilitated the overall improvement and refinement of Pak Gulay, referring to vegetables used for cooking pinakbet, into market-ready food products, including the provision of the vacuum-frier machine required for the production of the food products.

The two Pak Gulay food products are the Vacuum Fried Veggie Crunch, a healthy alternative to junk foods developed to make vegetables more appealing for children, and the Ready to Cook Pinakbet for the urban population looking for a quick and healthy vegetable meal.

KMMEPNV President Rheina de Guzman was an incubatee of the DA-BAR-funded CVRC AgriBusiness and Developed Processed Products Technology Business Incubator (Adept-TBI) Program.

The CVRC said it was through Adept-TBI that de Guzman developed an interest in adopting the processing of vegetables.