Vegetables galore

TAYUG, Pangasinan — About 430 vegetable varieties belonging to 34 species will be showcased in a field day to be held here on Jan. 29-30.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap will be the guest of honor in the field day organized by the Allied Botanical Corp. (ABC) at its main research station in this town situated 195 kilometers northeast of Manila.

Also invited to attend are about 700 vegetable farmers and growers, Department of Agriculture officials, members of the academe, local government officials, ABC dealers and customers, traders, and members of the national and local media.

Willy U. Co, ABC president and general manager, told The STAR that the field day aims “to evaluate first-hand the performance of the company’s newly bred and developed vegetable varieties.”

Along with the 430 vegetable varieties, new production technologies will also be showcased, Co said.

ABC, the first fully Filipino-owned vegetable breeding company, started as a breeder of hybrid grain sorghum in 1984. It has since ventured into distribution of high-quality vegetable and flower seeds from world-renowned brands, thereby bringing the world’s best in plant breeding and seed technology to Filipino farmers.

Following the establishment of its 23-hectare research farm at Barangay Lichauco in Tayug, ABC entered into the pinakbet range of tropical vegetables with the release of many selections of open-pollinated varieties.

In 2004, it formally introduced new streams of hybrid varieties into the market, namely: the “Bliss” series of shrunken gene sweet corn, Calabasa Jupiter 2008, Ampalaya Trident 352, and Eggplant Spitfire 252.

ABC now carries more than 260 commercial varieties comprising 65 species of vegetables.

The company has been supplying the needs of vegetable farmers nationwide. It has been providing the majority of the seeds that the country’s highland vegetable farmers plant.

“Through our team of very accommodating and well-trained agronomists and development technologists assigned in strategic regions all over the country, we will vigorously search for superior varieties,” Co said.

The ABC official concluded: “Allied Botanical’s team of dedicated and highly competent scientists work tirelessly to develop varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases; thereby minimizing the use of toxic pesticides, making vegetables cleaner and safer for consumption.” — Rudy A. Fernandez