Japan has built a mulberry tea factory in Pampanga to help farmers who suffer from unstable income due to natural disasters and other agricultural problems.
Mulberry Tea Factory (Photo courtesy of Japan Embassy in the Philippines)
A mulberry tea factory was inaugurated last week by the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines.
The factory is located inside the Pampanga State Agriculture University (PSAU) in San Agustin, Magalang, Pampanga.
Japan Embassy's Minister for Economic Affairs Nihei Daisuke said the project "will greatly benefit the local farmers of Pampanga," expressing optimism that the factory would create new opportunities and generate more employment in the province.
He said while the Philippines is considered primarily an agricultural country, farmers often suffer from unstable income due to natural disasters, price fluctuations, low-quality agricultural products, and a lack of an inclusive supply chain, among others.
According to the Embassy, the introduction of high-value products is seen as one of the strategies for promoting income-generating activities for farmers.
Mulberry Tea Factory (Photo courtesy of Japan Embassy in the Philippines)
The factory is a project under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). It was opened on June 8.
In 2016, Kuwanosato, Inc., together with JICA, worked with PSAU to introduce mulberry planting in Pampanga.
In 2020, the JICA Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Business Verification Survey with the private sector provided mulberry tea processing facilities to the PSAU mulberry tea factory.