Malunggay - The Miracle Tree

farmeric August 20th, 2010

Malunggay,according to former Agriculture Secretary Arthuro Yap, has many agri-busi- ness potential, explaining why there is a need for farmers to venture into malunggay farming. He gave credit to the DA-BPO led by Director Alicia Ilaga for aggressively promoting the backyard as well as commercial planting or cultivation of the nutritious vegetable tree crop, making it malunggay one of the country’s chief vegetables.

YAP cited the DA’s Malunggay Agri-Biotechnology Program as the model of the research, development and extension component the DA’s program.

“If coconut is the tree of life, the malunggay is the miracle tree,” he said. Yap said malunggay has many agri- business potentials which can help fight hunger and poverty and increase farmers’ income, as well.

Powdered malunggay can be used to fortify noodles, soup or bread with vitamins and minerals of the nutritious vegetable while its seeds, which can produce all-purpose oil, can be used by industries for products like soap, shampoo, lotion and other personal health-care products.

It can also be an alternative source of biofuel.

The leaf and cake of the malunggay fruit or sepal can also be used as animal feed stock for goat, pig, cattle, chicken and ducks.

True enough, DA-BPO is commissioning a clinical trial on malunggay, to establish scientific facts about the nutri- tious vegetable tree. Aside from its leaves, which are now being powderized and used for food fortification, scientists also found out that the seeds are rich in oil. Through biotechnology, the seeds of malunggay can produce all-purpose oil, which can also be converted or used as biofuel.

In fact, the DA in the CARAGA region has adopted the lowly malunggay as the chief vegetable crop for its “one house, one vegetable program” as the government steps up effort to fight hunger and poverty and the widespread malnutrition suffered by women and children in the region.