Let’s talk about okra

The Department of Agriculture recently announced that the Philippines has started to ship okra to Japan, resulting in much needed additional income for our farmers especially in the time of a pandemic.

As part of their diet, the Japanese love to eat Philippine produced okra and the best part is, despite a crisis, our country seems to be “upping the game” in the area of agriculture. I never really liked okra growing up. In truth, I literally trained myself to eat it due to its many health benefits. Lady finger, commonly known as okra, is rich in magnesium and other antioxidants that maintain heart health and control blood sugar, not to mention its anti-stress benefits. While strengthening the immune system is everyone’s priority nowadays, okra can do just that due to the good bacteria that is fed to our intestines. Okra is a very healthy and versatile vegetable.

Who would have thought that so many Japanese recipes include okra? It is not only an easy meal to make, it is also highly economical. In the Philippines, many dishes also include okra. Even a simple “sawsawan” such as bagoong, can already spruce up one’s meal matched with okra.

With this latest news from  the agricultural world, Secretary William Dar says that exports of okra is surely a “win-win” position considering that on the side of the farmers, opportunities for higher income are present in planting okra as compared to rice. With JelFarm being one of the leading okra exporters in the Philippines, about five tons of okra will be shipped daily as harvest season begins and, at peak season, we can expect an average of 13-15 tons to be shipped daily. The demand for Philippine okra in Japan is very high and it is important to note that Japan is a key market for this produce. Exciting opportunities indeed are on their way, despite pandemic and crisis.

Kudos to Secretary Dar and the Department of Agriculture for his unwavering support to our farmers and to the groups behind the exportation of okra. Indeed, everybody wins.