by Noel T. Provido
His is a farm that never sleeps.
This is how farmer-entrepreneur Benjamin Lao describes his five hectare farm in Brgy. Eman, Bansalan, Davao del Sur. The round-the-clock farming started when he ventured into production of natural food products from coco sap, or toddy.
Coconut sap — popularly known as unfermented “tuba” — is the sweet exudates from the tapped unopened spathe or inflorescence of coconut. Based on the technology developed by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), coconut sap can be processed into high value and nutritious food products.
After learning about the technology, Lao did not hesitate to apply this in his farm and come up with his own brand of coconut sugar, coconut honey, and coconut sap drink.
“I also learned that the demand for these coco products, particularly abroad, is continuously increasing because of its reputation of having low glycemic index (a measurement of blood sugar), thus good for diabetics as well as those having prostate problems. It is also high in glutamic acid, the same ingredient present in viagra,” Lao said.
The promise of the technology did not fail him as his initial investment of only P1,500 (which he used to purchase cooking materials), is now earning millions just after two years of producing coconut sugar and honey.
Essence of time
Lao said the secret to a successful coco sap enterprise lies in finding and having a reliable and skilled tuba gatherer, or mananggete. The mananggete’s role is crucial, not only in overcoming the risks of climbing tall coconut trees, but more importantly in ensuring proper hygiene in its collection.
“It is necessary to clean all coco sap-gathering and cooking materials as contaminated sap cannot be processed. I am glad that I was able to find two mananggetes who were easily trained not only on the proper tapping of spathe but also in gathering the sap,” Lao said.
The timing of harvesting the sap is also very important in order to gather sap at its sweetest. Although the recommended interval for gathering tuba is six hours, Lao observed that four hours is enough, not only for its allowable level of acidity, but also enough supply of sap for processing.
“So, instead of harvesting the sap only twice, we do it four times a day. This requires us to have two shiftings where one mananggete is assigned to gather the sap every 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. while the other one is scheduled to gather the tuba every 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. So, even at dawn, we keep on farming. Thus, I can say we are farming 24/7,” he said.
Since coco sap is highly perishable due to the yeast microflora, Lao stressed that the harvested sap should be immediately processed to prevent the sap from fermentating.
“A sap gatherer should make it a practice to immediately deliver his harvest directly to the processing area, otherwise it will greatly affect production of sugar or honey,” Lao said.
Lao also observed that the Mawa coconut variety is the best source of coconut sap since it can produce at least 70 percent of sap. This is opposite to the native coconut variety which can only produce from 20 to 30 percent of sap.
More orders, more jobs
“At first our farm employed only two mananggetes could produce at least 50 kilos a week. The selling price of coco sugar ranges from P200 to P240 pesos a kilo, giving a weekly gross income of not less than P10, 000.00,” Lao said.
When he opened his outlets in Digos City and Bansalan, both in Davao del Sur, orders started coming in. His participation in trade fairs and exhibits also helped a lot in promoting the health benefits of coconut sugar and honey.
Lao said the demand for his products is getting bigger, especially from the US market which requires at least 10-15 MT of coco sugar per month and 10,000 liters per month for coco honey.
In order to come up with adequate supply, Lao organized other coconut farmers in his community and in turn persuaded them to engage in coco sugar production.
“I shared with them the technology and the knowledge I acquired so that they could also earn additional income from their coconut trees,” Lao said.
From employing only two mananggetes, Lao is now providing steady income for at least 52 of them, notwithstanding the other 24 workers assigned to the processing of his products.
Although Lao Integrated Farm has not been the only one producing coco sugar, the attention given to quality and food safety set his products apart from other brands. He also puts premium on good manufacturing practices (GMP) which he learned from a training sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
“Your product should be consistent in quality. The product you deliver should be as good as the sample you give to your customer. Modesty aside, our coconut sugar and honey are of export quality,” he said.
From coconut sugar and honey, Lao is now expanding their product lines to cater to health conscious consumers, particularly those with diabetes and hypertension. These are sugar-rich delicacies such as banana chips, goat’s milk ice cream, salabat, and instant hot choco drink made out of healthy coconut sugar.
What started as an innovative practice in coconut farming, Lao is happy to note that his coconut sugar production is slowly coping with its huge demand and gaining prominence in the international market.
“Even if coconut sugar production demands adequate time, especially in harvesting and processing the sap, the results are rewarding. You do not only increase your farm income, you also generate jobs,” he said.
