Ilocos Norte Province in the northern Philippines accounts for 60 to 65 percent of the country's garlic production. However, nearly 94% of the garlic consumed in the Philippines comes from China, and competition from cheap imports is squeezing local farmers' incomes. So Takara Co., Ltd. of Takko Town, Aomori Prefecture, one of Japan's leading garlic-growing areas, has worked on a project to make and sell high-value "black garlic" in the Philippines.
It began about 10 years ago, when the company was asked for cooperation by Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in the Philippines. The company used JICA's support scheme for small and medium enterprises and carried out repeated surveys and demonstrations. Philippine garlic has very small cloves that are poorly suited to processing, and Japanese varieties did not suit the climate and produced small cloves. But the company obtained seeds of a variety suited to the climate from a Taiwanese team that operates a test field locally, and succeeded in growing larger cloves.
A black garlic production machine was installed at the university, a manual was prepared and processing techniques were passed on, and the effort has progressed as far as tastings at a local exhibition. Market research, however, also revealed a difference from Japan: even high-quality products are hard to sell if they are expensive. JICA's project ended in August 2026, but the company says it will continue cultivation and processing locally, aiming to contribute to the development of regional agriculture and higher incomes for farmers.
Key points
- An attempt to add value through processing to a regional specialty product squeezed by cheap imports
- Combines Japanese cultivation and fertilization management techniques, a Taiwanese team's variety and the cooperation of a local university
- Also confronts challenges specific to working overseas, such as local consumers' emphasis on price
Why this news deserves attention
To raise the incomes of farmers in developing countries, it is not enough to sell crops as they are. A system that adds value through processing and carries through to sales is essential. This initiative is an interesting example of a regional small and medium enterprise taking on the building of such a "value chain."
It is also striking that people from Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan pooled their knowledge, and that what did not go well is candidly discussed. It is a case from which NGOs involved in local agriculture and livelihood improvement can gain hints on technology transfer and building sales channels.
Editor's comment
The story of Aomori's black garlic technology crossing the sea to support farmers in the Philippines made me feel the potential of international cooperation that starts in rural Japan. Struggling with differences in climate and then finding a way forward through a meeting with the Taiwanese team is the very value of cooperation across borders.
The company is also reportedly hoping for exchange in both directions, such as having people hired locally receive training in Aomori. If you are interested in the link between regional industry and international cooperation, please read the JICA Tohoku article for the full story.