DA project supports packaging of tilapia products

Recognizing the value of packaging in product marketing, the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) has financed the “Commercialization of Value-Added Products from Tilapia through Improved Packaging," a project of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Region 2 (DA-BFAR 2). “Good packaging says a lot about the quality of the products being marketed," said Ritchie Rivera, officer-in-charge of the Inland Fisheries Processing Laboratory, BFAR 2. “The better the presentation, the more consumers it will attract." In the new packaging of tilapia products, nutrition facts were included in the label — an important information for consumers, according to the DA in a statement Thursday. The value-added products from tilapia — longganisa, nuggets (breaded tilapia), tocino, and rolls — are being sold and marketed in supermarkets in Tuguegarao, Cagayan and selected outlets in Metro Manila. “We are also exhibiting our products during technology fora and product exhibits like BAR’s Agri & Fishery Techforum and Agrilink," said Rivera. These products are easy to market because consumers nowadays are health-conscious, he added. “If you sell tilapia in fresh form, you can only earn about P10 to P20 per kilo. Whereas if you put the fish through value-added processing, and give [the processed product] good packaging, the product commands a higher price," Rivera explained. Rivera said that the ultimate goal via the project is to enter the export market. “But before that, we need to undergo certifications and various laboratory analyses to pass the standards of EU, US, Japan and to eventually penetrate the world market," he added. — VS, GMANews.TV