Unilever eyes tamarind cultivation areas

MANILA, Philippines - Consumer goods manufacturer Unilever Philippines Inc. plans to establish 60 hectares of new tamarind cultivation areas to supply the vegetable requirements of its Knorr sour broth products.

The company is currently in talks with the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the identification of possible sites for a proposed tamarind plantation.

Currently being considered by the DA are sites in Bulacan and Quezon which will still have to be approved  by the company.

Tamarind, which is abundant in the country, needs to be cultivated systematically to satisfy the requirements of instant sour broth makers.

Unilever is also asking the DA for assistance on farm inputs such as seedlings, organic fertilizer, and small irrigation facilities.

DA will also provide training to farmers to optimize the yield in the identified areas.

The DA is promoting the cultivation of fruit-bearing trees like tamarind to strengthen the country’s natural ingredients industry and take advantage of the $400-billion global market for natural ingredients.

Other crops that are being pushed for cultivation by the department are lagundi and tumeric both of which are known for their medicinal properties. 

Manufacturers of instant sour broth mixes in the country still import at least 8,000 metric tons (MT) for their raw material requirements.