PH to start exporting okra to South Korea

THE Philippines will soon export okra, or lady’s fingers, to South Korea for the first time this year after complying with the agreed requirements set by both countries, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

“After the resumption of okra exports to Japan last year, we are opening yet another market access for our okra, this time with the huge Korean food market.”

“The Philippine government has been requesting market access of okra to Korea since 2014 and finally, it was granted. This is a milestone for us considering we are still in the midst of the global pandemic,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a statement.

The government of Korea announced the completion of the ruling process for the Philippine okra market access to Korea through an official notification from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Mafra) last May 6.

The exports of fresh, green okra pods for the 2021-2022 season will be sourced initially from Tarlac province, where the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) accredited farms and packing houses are located.

There are four Philippine okra exporters — Jelfarm Fresh Produce Enterprise, Greenstar Produce Philippines Inc., AAMC Foods Corp. and Hi-Las Marketing Corp. — all of which are members of the Philippine Okra Producers and Exporters Association.

In a report to Dar, DA Agriculture Attachè Aleli Maghirang said the current pandemic-related travel restrictions pushed Korea’s Mafra Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency to request the DA-BPI to conduct on their behalf appropriate investigations and provide inspection report in lieu of the required Korean on-site survey of the okra farms in Tarlac.
Once the requirements are complied with, Philippine okra exports to Korea may commence, she added.

Filipino farmers plant okra as it is a high-yielding crop and provides a good source of income. Its green pods can be harvested as early as 55 to 65 days upon seeding. Surveys show that farmers can harvest 500 kilograms up to 1 ton of okra pods per hectare.