Cagayan Valley’s Mang Bean products ready to enter mainstream market

Consumers will have more options on the table in the future as more mungbean products are now ready to penetrate the market.

In a recent research on the enhancement and commercialization of mungbean-based products developed by the Department Agriculture-Cagayan Valley Research Center (DA-CVRC), experts suggest that the Mang Bean products have a high market feasibility and are now ready to go large-scale.

Products such as instant ‘ginisang munggo’ (sauteed mungbean), instant mungbean noodles, vacuum fried sprouts, and fresh mungbean sprouts are now one step closer to consumers. 

The research, led by Ms. Vannessa Joy Calderon of DA-CVRC, aims to upscale and diversify  mungbean-based products produced in Cagayan Valley. This research paper was also awarded third place in the Best Development Paper category of the 2022 National Symposium on n Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (NSAARRD) held annually by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology.

Development of Mang Bean product lines

Centered on DA-CVRC’s Mang Bean Product Lines, a Focused Group Discussion (FGD) was conducted to identify qualitative data for improving the technology. Various age groups from generation X and baby boomers, millennials, and generation Z participated and provided insights on the products.

The product then underwent market research in Santiago City, Isabela using the New Product Concept Analysis Survey to evaluate the product's performance and elicit consumers’ perceptions.

Label and packaging materials are important factors in attracting consumers, as the FGD results suggest. Moreover, the participants also highlighted inclusion of nutritional facts and serving suggestions within the packaging, further supporting the growing trend of healthy food consumption among Filipinos.

On the other hand, market research suggests that consumers favor the instant ginisang munggo because of its easy and quick preparation. In general, all three products gathered positive reactions among consumers in terms of texture, aroma, and flavor.

Improving shelf life of Mang Bean

Shelf life and nutritional value are major marketing standpoint among food technologies and products. As part of the research, testing and determining appropriate packaging materials to improve shelf life and preserve the nutritional value of the Mang Beans product lines were done.

In the analysis conducted by the Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) Philippines, shelf-life was increased to up to six months on selected products. 

Similarly, nutritional analysis among the products in comparison to their traditional forms indicates improved nutritional value such as higher dietary fiber, sugar, and protein which are important nutrients needed in the body.

Upscaling production

Through the assistance of the Municipal Agriculture Office of Cabanatuan City, the Farmer Land Owners & Workers of Pariir Agricultural Cooperative was identified as the partner cooperative and technology adopter in processing Mang Bean Food Products,  through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).

As technology partners, the FLOW  of Pariir Agriculture Cooperative was awarded the following interventions for the success of products:

• Capability Building Intervention for Technology Takers;
• Provision of P 500,000-worth of equipment from DA-BAR; and
• Awarding of P 2.5 Million Mungbean Processing Facility certified by the Food and Drugs Authority.

Currently, the cooperative is upscaling production of 6,400 products for the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) in Isabela and 46,389 packs of Instant Ginisang Munggo for the feeding program of the Department of Education, giving the cooperative a total gross income of P1,059,002.

Moving forward to strengthen the mungbean industry, there is a need to attract more investors to adopt the technology. For the Mang Bean product lines, analysis shows investors can expect the return on investment (ROI) within the first 2-3 years of operation, with Enterprise 1 promoting instant ginisang munggo, instant mungbean noodles, and vacuum-fried  munbean sprouts valued at around P5.6 Million Pesos, having the shortest payback period of around 1 year and 10 months.

Below is a computed profitability analysis for the three enterprises of the Mang Bean Product Line.

In line with the results, researchers highly recommend upscaling the commercialization and marketing efforts of Mang Bean products through continuous support from the government and private institutions to technology partners.