BY JOEL CALAMBA ESCOL, Managing Editor
Have you tested this rare fruit known as Cempedak from Thailand?
Believe it or not, but this fruit is a combination of Durian, Marang and Jackfruit. The fruit is now available and propagated in the municipality of Don Carlos, Bukidnon. It is also found in the Davao region. However, this is not yet known in the country, not even in Mindanao Island.
“This is a rare fruit. Hindi pa nga ito kilala sa buong bansa. Not even in Mindanao,” says Jong Flores, owner of Brua-Flores ecofarm, the propagator of this rare fruit tree.
This variety of Cempedak, Flores says, has 40 percent taste of a Durian, 30 percent of Marang and 30 percent of Jackfruit. Cempedak has been a favorite fruit in Thailand and it has many varieties.
“There are a lot of varieties in Thailand. In fact, one of its varieties tastes more of a Marang, and it’s called Cempejak. Flores says that the other varieties also taste more of Jackfruit,” Flores adds.
MORE PLANS FOR CEMPEDAK
Brua-Flores Ecofarm, according to him, has been propagated in Bukidnon for many years now. In fact, their company is planning to make Bukidnon, the center of the Cempedak business in the country.
“We plan to make Cempedak, among the rare fruits propagated in Don Carlos town and soon it will make Bukidnon proud of this rare but very delicious type of fruit.”
Flores said seedlings are now available in its farm in Don Carlos for those interested in propagating this rare fruit.
He encourages farmers in Bukidnon and anywhere in the country to make Cempedak their alternative source of income. Growing this fruit tree is not difficult and the cost is very minimal.
Beginnings of Brua-Flores ecoFarm
The Brua-Flores ecoFarm, BFF, which started out as a little nursery has explored its choices to further propagate fruit seedlings, practicing the Department of Agriculture’s “Plant, Plant, Plant” or “Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) Laban sa Covid-19” program. As the food basket of Mindanao, Bukidnon is a province known for its numerous farms, plantations and agro-tourism sites that provide bountiful harvests of livestock, grains, vegetables and fruits for local and international consumption, as well as provide employment for thousands of people in Mindanao.
Mr. Isidro M. Flores established BFF on May 1, 2020 in Purok 1, Barangay Bocboc, Don Carlos, Bukidnon. This 10,000 square meters land where BFF Farm now stands used to be a sugarcane plantation. It is strategically located in the accessible area where farm terrain is slightly sloping, used for nursery and as a rare fruit farm, portion has been used by MINDA as a demo farm for upland rice farming.
At present, almost 100 different fruit trees were planted in the farm; most are rare fruits intercropped with plants like magic berries, mulberries, papaya, apple, fig, hass avocado and lemons. “In 3 years’ time or more, it will fulfill its main vision to serve clientele and families “Fruit All You Can” at a very reasonable price, when you visit the ecofarm, Mr. Flores said.
