The Philippines began exporting fresh okra to South Korea, with an initial batch of 1,200 kilograms over the weekend.
Philippine Okra Producers and Exporters Association (POPEA), chaired by Roberto Amores, made the initial export.
Philippine Airlines cargo flight carried the okras from Manila to Incheon on Sunday, June 6, 2021. It is expected to arrive in Korea within 36 hours to maintain quality and freshness.
“The opportunity to sell fresh okra is almost the same for both Korea and Japan due to their similar weather pattern and off-season period, where Philippine origin is in good timing for the production schedule,” Amores said in a statement released by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said, “It took 10 years before this first commercial shipment is done.”
“This will strengthen our efforts to support high-value crops not only for consumption but for export,” the DA chief added.
The DA and the Department of Trade and Industry hope that the Philippines will be able to send more high-value crops to other countries as additional income for farmers.
In October 2020, the Philippines reportedly started exporting okra or ladyfingers to Japan.
Philippines begins exporting okra to South Korea
The DA said that about 300 farmers are involved in producing export-grade ladyfingers products harvested in various plantations in 14 barangays in Tarlac.
Dar and agripreneurs Jeffrey Fernandez and Rap Pelayo of Jelfarm Fresh Produce Enterprise led the initial shipment of two tons of ladyfingers to the Pair-pags Center in Pasay City.
“This is an indication that in spite of Covid-19, we are upping the game. Kagaya nitong okra export to Japan, this is a significant development,” Dar said.
The cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, and Nagoya are said to be the leading markets for ladyfingers from the Philippines.
According to Fernandez, his father was looking for another source of livelihood for farmers in Tarlac due to the unstable income from rice prices.
“Ang okra kasi, you can start harvesting within 55–65 days upon seeding, and you can harvest it every day for 75 days straight,” he explained. “It’s a fast turnaround crop, high-yielding crop, and a good source of income for the farmers.”
On one hectare of land, the farmer can harvest 500 kilograms to a ton of okra in 75 days and earn P80,000 to P120,000.
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