By: Joe Sprite

A new heading in the POST last week runs thus: DTI's food processing survey gets to Jagna. We wish them luck. First, they have to survey what to process. Jagna is a fishing town but fish prices here are way far above any town else in Bohol . Only the American frog, which is not a frog and the tangkig, a dwarf anaconda, are the only ones that could be found cheap in the fish market. That is if one could find them there. Even the lowest GG, galonggong cost a hundred pesos per kilo when the moon is full. It seems that the GG and other fishes go lunatic.

Jagna is also an agricultural country, what with Mayana, the highest as the vegetable garden of Bohol . However, Jagna greengrocers import their goods from Cagayan de Oro. Meat products are starting to approximate Manila prices. What then is to process? The demand over strips supply, not even the Congress, which is moving heaven and earth to change the Constitution could be able to repeal the Law of Supply and demand. The Malthusian principle stating that the growth of food supply is inversely proportional to the growth of population is proving to be right.

There was a survey once, that was in line with poverty reduction or something. The question asked was; how many times does one have meat? The answer was: during fiestas. The interviewer was aghast. Surely, one could have chicken once in a while. The answer was: if the chicken gets run over by a truck. The problem is; trucks do not pass through coconut trees or rice fields. When asked what is the popular dish hereabouts, the ready answer was ginamus. The popular vegetable? Kamunggay. In effect, few Jagnaanons do not grow what they eat. They buy, that is if they have the money.

Ah, excuse. We got the terms processing and preservation mixed up. There are food processing projects in Jagna. First, there is calamay making. The calamay is finding its way into international markets. Jagna expats appreciate gifts of calamay from returning relatives and friends. However, the shelf life of such product is short and it needs technology to make it edible longer. Besides, it needs help in packaging. The traditional coconut shell containers do not allow longer shelf life since it is porous. Besides, the creosote like material in the shell, the one that enhances its combustion, should be eliminated. Then there is cookies making. Those cookies are favorites of Jagna expats in California . Some of them make it a point to bring them home from vacation in Jagna. Since this is handier than the calamay, they can be shipped in bigger numbers. This could be made competitive like the Cebu utap or the Ilonggo piyaya. Unlike the calamay, the Jagna cookies need bigger exposure in local markets. Perhaps this is where the DTI could help.

Then, another processing industry in Jagna that needs help is the tableya or raw chocolate industry. Those are roasted cacao seeds ground fine to be used as chocolate flavoring or chocolate drink. The problem with this industry is the supply of raw material. Cacao seeds come from northeastern Mindanao . This passes too many hands that the cost of acquisition is already high before it comes to grinding. unless this can be solved. Like inducing local planters to raise cacao, the production price cannot be lowered to make the product competitive. There may be other areas in processing, which will need help. However, the idea must come from the people. Unless they think if it the project may not be acceptable to them. Entrepreneurial skills are lacking nut some strategy might be resorted to so they may venture into some processing project, whatever that may be.