Peanut butter producer gets financial aid

THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (Setup), has provided P120,000 financial assistance to upgrade the facility of a food firm producing peanut butter in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Setup, a flagship program of DOST, is a nationwide strategy to encourage and assist micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in implementing technological innovations and improvements in their operations to boost their productivity and competitiveness.

KRAM’s Food Products, a peanut butter processing small and medium enterprise (SME), is the beneficiary of the DOST through Setup, according to Brenda Nazareth-Manzano, Director of DOST Zamboanga Peninsula.

The firm is located at Padre Ramon Extension, Estaka, Dipolog City, the capital of Zamboanga del Norte province.

Manzano said that KRAM's Food Products is set to acquire two units of peanut grinder, two units of stainless steel table, peanut roaster, and a biomass stove through the Setup.

"Low production existing equipment prompted the firm to avail of DOST's support," Manzano said.

He added they will conduct trainings on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Basic Sanitation and Hygiene to the company's workforce.

With DOST's intervention through Setup, Manzano said KRAM's Food Products is expected to produce 30 percent more than the current production, which will result in 1,008 more peanut butter jars a year.

The intervention will also increase sales by 30 percent, generate additional employment, improve quality of products through adherence to GMP, and acquire license to operate from Food and Drug Authority (FDA).

Manzano said KRAM's Food Products currently distributes its products in the cities of Dipolog and Dapitan, as well as in the municipality of Manukan in Zamboanga del Norte.

"As soon as the firm gets FDA license, it plans to expand its market to major grocery stores in the province," she added.

She said KRAM's peanut butter is made from roasted peanuts, grilled and mixed with sugar, salt and butter.

The product is consumed mainly as a sandwich spread and an ingredient in making fresh lumpia and kara-kare, among others. (Bong Garcia)