The real makapuno

Finding pure, unadulterated preserved makapuno could be tough in the midst of thousands of manufacturers who all claim to use nothing but pure makapuno. But purists can always make the distinction.

"The truth is that only a few have the capacity to come up with the real thing. The rest or the regular stuff found in supermarket or grocery shelves are makapuno strands mixed with regular coconut meat strands," says Bernardo "Jojo" Mitra, whose company Puro Makapuno Inc. (MPI) is producing what he says is real makapuno.

Makapuno is the fruit of a special and unique variety of the coconut palm. Its soft white jelly-like glutinous soft meat when cooked in sugar syrup makes for a delightful dessert and is commonly used as flavoring for ice cream and sherbets, or toppings and fillings for cakes, pies and pastries.

MPI sells its product under the brand name Puro Makapuno and is distinguished by its superior quality: Each makapuno strand is longer than the regular makapuno-coconut strand. It is softer while retaining the nutty taste. It is also more expensive, almost double the price of the more established manufacturers.

Mitra’s partners were initially worried that Puro Makapuno’s price would alienate buyers. But he was unfazed, believing that there is a market for his kind of product. He was right.

"Don’t be surprised that you will rarely find our product in supermarket shelves. Because our production capacity is still small, our entire production is already cornered by selected institutional clients. They don’t mind paying a bit more because they know we have a quality product," stresses Mitra.

Dead-sure Puro Makapuno will have a niche in the local market, Mitra is already exploring the overseas market such as the United States, Canada and European Union members like France and Italy.

"The feedback so far has been very, very positive. We have shipped samples and potential buyers are enthusiastic. Some have advised us to position it as a high-end product the way Jamaica packaged its Blue Mountain Coffee and Russia’s caviar. Our target is to distribute this in limited volumes in specialty stores and delis, but more than that, we want this pure makapuno to be known as a world-class Filipino product and for the Philippines to remain as the biggest supplier of quality makapuno," says Mitra.

Outside of the Philippines, Thailand grows makapuno trees but the meat does not quite capture the quality of makapuno produced in the country, notes Mitra.

To meet what he foresees as a steadily growing market , the forward-looking Mitra formed a sister company, Phil-Hybrid Inc. which will ensure that there is a reliable source of raw material.

Formed just this year, Phil-Hybrid Inc. is engaged in the production and marketing of makapuno plants. Mitra said there is a dearth of embryo cultured makapuno planting materials which is why buyers have to make reservations months ahead.

The domestic market alone requires about four million kilograms annually, but only three percent of that demand is being met. That’s because growing makapuno is unlike growing ordinary coconut trees. Its embryo germinates abnormally, accounting for the soft endosperm which is the main feature of makapuno. This abnormality is due to a single recessive gene that controls the makapuno endosperm. It takes three to five years for the tree to be fruit-bearing.

Makapuno palms that could give potentially 100-percent makapuno nuts was developed by Dr. Emerita de Guzman in the 1960s through embryo culture which Phil-Hybrid applies in its embryo culture laboratory it is renting from the University of the Philippines Los Banos Science and Technology Park.

Once these are ready for transplanting after 18 months, the seedlings are brought to the company’s eight-hectare farm in Barangay Sta. Teresita, Santo Tomas, Batangas where 645 makapuno trees are guaranteed to yield 90 percent makapuno nuts.

"Integrating our operations is essential if we are to control the quality of our Puro Makapuno," stresses Mitra, adding that his ambition of penetrating the world market is but an extension of his father’s own vision, a farmer gentleman who became Agriculture Secretary and later Speaker of the House of Representatives, the late Ramon V. Mitra.

"My father left this farm to us and I know that achieving what he set out to do would be a fitting tribute to him. He had the concept of making the Philippines the premiere makapuno supplier and the company we formed seeks to expand production by making embryo-cultured makapuno more accessible to even the small growers," says Mitra.

The company offers a complete business package that includes the purchase of embryo-cultured makapuno seedlings for a minimum one-hectare land, technical assistance in the culture and management of the plantation, marketing assistance for processed or semi-processed makapuno and assistance in the setting up of a makapuno embryo-culture laboraratory.

To encourage farmers to venture into makapuno palm planting, the company, says Mitra, is offering a buy-back scheme wherein farmers’ produce could be sold to Phil-Hybrid.

"We are already providing them with a ready market because there is definitely a demand. So even before they transplant the seedlings into their plantation, they are already assured of a market for as long as they meet our quality standards," say Mitra, adding "we still have a lot of work to do but we’re getting there."