Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCAARRD) and a local university are revitalizing the industry of taro and other indigenous crops in the Bicol region.
PCAARRD and Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) have launched the research project “Boosting the Taro Industry and Indigenous Crops of the Bicol Region”.
Dr. Allan B. Del Rosario, project leader, said the research aims to enhance the production and management technologies of taro and increase the utilization of indigenous crops in the Bicol region through product development.
He said promising taro selections were collected throughout the provinces of Bicol, which will later be evaluated in terms of the quality of their foliage and corm. He said the collected taro selections will be conserved in the germplasm facility of CBSUA for future research and development initiatives.
PCAARRD Director of the Crops Research Division Leilani D. Pelegrina said the research project aims to produce good quality taro and other indigenous crops in the region and boost production.
She said Bicol is known for its distinct cuisines that have been perfected by using indigenous crops available in the region.
Taro leaves are used in many popular dishes such as ‘laing’ and ‘pinangat’. However, the production of taro in Bicol has declined since 2020 due to incidence of pests and diseases, and high postharvest losses.