MUNGBEAN SPROUT PRODUCTION IN CALABARZON REGION, PHILIPPINES

The mungbean sprout industry plays a significant role in strengthening microenterprise development and in ensuring food and nutritional security in the Philippines. A survey was conducted in order to generate relevant information towards the identification of appropriate initiatives for the advancement of the industry. Twenty-one mungbean sprout producers were identified and interviewed. Results show that majority of the respondents, who have an average age of 51 years, indicate that mungbean sprout production is their primary source of income and they have been in the business for no less than 10 years. Their knowledge on mungbean sprout production was just based on experience. Most of the producers were not able to go beyond secondary education and all have not attended any seminar on sprout production. Aside from family members, most of the producers hire laborers to be involved in the production cycle. The volume of production ranges from 1.5 to 300 kilograms of mungbean seeds per cycle. All of the producers are using the small, yellow mungbean seed variety which is being marketed mostly by the Filipino-Chinese traders. The demand, but not the price, for sprouts is being influenced by the season of the year, increase in the prices of local vegetables, and the customs and traditions of the people. The major problems of the mungbean sprout producers are the high price of imported mungbean seeds, spoilage of sprouts due to poor mungbean seed quality and contamination, and the imminent competition with the Filipino-Chinese traders who also control the supply and prices of imported mungbean seeds. It is recommended that the mungbean sprout producers must be organized and be extended with appropriate trainings and assistance by concerned agencies and entities in order to improve their status and productivity. Likewise, an intensive local production program on high quality mungbean seeds should be initiated to lessen the dependence upon imported varieties.