Agrikultura

benguet strawberry festival

Posted on April 18th By estrella z gallardo

 

  March 19, the feast day of St. Joseph coincided with the Farmer’s Day of the month long celebration of Benguet Strawberry Festival in the Province of Benguet.

  Starting March 8, Benguet celebrates the Strawberry Festival until March 30. The long time celebration of the Festival in Benguet culminated in 2004, when the largest short cake was baked, weighing 9,000 kilos and was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s largest short strawberry cake.

                Honorable Artemio A. Galwan, municipal mayor of La Trinidad and Vice President of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, Benguet Chapter, said that the demand for fresh and processed strawberry is more than the province could supply, since the harvest is seasonal and the town’s 74 hectares planted to strawberry are not enough to produce the needs for the berries due to crop rotation and other constraints.

                The strawberry short originated from the wild sour berries was later on improved through the importation of Sweet Charlie strawberry variety and the use of tissue culture for planting.

                Presently a new technology for strawberry planting called elevated beds was introduced four months ago to increase production in a limited space for farmers with small planting areas, Mayor Galwan said.

        

        He also said that the One Town, One Product (OTOP) scheme provides a better opportunity for the town people to have a steady product line and supply of the adopted product for the continuous supply in the market.

                Processed strawberry products are preserved and wines. Benguet State University (BSU) of La Trinidad, Benguet produces strawberry jam/preserved, strawberry candy, strawberry cubes, choco- berry, dried strawberry and strawberry wine which are distributed at the BSU Cooperative Store, BSU Marketing Center and other outlets.

                Dr. Jane Avila, project manager of Benguet State University (BSU) Ford Processing Center, says that the ideal variety for strawberry processing is Sweet Charlie.

                Some regard the strawberry a “food of youth” because it can reduce the risks and effects of age-related diseases. It can provide an increased protection against rheumatoid arthritis, it can lower the risk of developing inflammatory polyarthritis with its Vitamin C. It can also prevent the decline of motor and cognitive skills related to Alzeimer’s disease, lower occurrence of gout, stabilize blood glucose, protect against macular degeneration, improve wound healing, reduce wrinkles, alleviate varicose veins, strengthen the gums, and melt gallstone.

                Strawberries contain high level of vitamin C, significant amounts of vitamin B2, B5, B6, and K manganese, iodine, potassium, folic acid, omega 3, fatty acids, manganese, copper and fiber.

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