The mulberry tea program of the Pampanga State Agricultural University (PSAU) started the production of processed mulberry tea leaves for international supply expected to achieve bigger yield in the coming years.
Alternative Low-Input Agriculture Systems (ALIAS) assistant head Emmanuel Pangilinan said the 3,000 square meter mulberry farm inside the state university has started producing 300 kilograms of processed mulberry tea leaves every two months.
Currently, the program is able to harvest tea leaves in an interval of two months, with at least six harvest times per year. This means that the farm can produce roughly 1,800 kilograms of processed mulberry tea leaves.
Pangilinan said PSAU is hoping to capitalize on a bigger production area to increase yield. This as fresh mulberry leaves, when processed, only have 20 to 25 percent recovery.
For every one kilo of mulberry leaves, PSAU can only extract some 200 grams.
This is why PSAU has allocated some five hectares of land, 16 times bigger than the current farm area, for the planting of new mulberry trees.
“The land is now undergoing land preparation. Once planted, it would take around six months before we can begin harvesting,” Pangilinan said.
PSAU implemented the mulberry program, in partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Kuwanosato, Inc.
The state university initiated research as early as 2013. By 2017, Kuwanosato, a firm based in the Yamanashi Prefecture, led a three-year trial period in cultivating mulberry in Pampanga.
In July 2023, the first mulberry tea processing plant in the Philippines was opened inside PSAU.
The processing plant can process about 500 kilograms of raw leaves in eight hours.
Pangilinan said that their partners have allocated a quota of 20 tons of processed mulberry leaves for 2025 which current production cannot yet satisfy.
Currently, the processed tea leaves fetch a price of P250 per kilogram.
PSAU said it hopes to cater to more local and export demands, including Japan.
Mulberry is also grown in Japan but due to their winter season. They can only make two harvests every year.
Mulberry tea is marketed as a medicinal tea for its health benefits and high nutritional content.
Artisanal tea from mulberry leaves is a million-dollar industry for countries in Asia, according to a briefer from the Department of Agriculture.
Pangilinan said the mulberry produced in PSAU, particularly the non-fruiting Batac variety, has been found to be of good quality and with high nutrient content, making it ideal for commercial export.
PSAU said it had also begun engaging local farmers in neighboring communities to promote more mulberry production.
Currently, the university has partnerships with Saint Isidore the Farmer in Santa Ana, a private farm, and two other farmer cooperators in Bacolor and Arayat for 1,000 square meter farms each for dedicated mulberry production to increase the production of leaves needed to meet current demand.