DILIMAN, Quezon City—As the demand for herbs and spices grows, farmers continue to maximize the income-generating opportunities that this industry has to offer.

“Planting herbs and spices is a good business enterprise. You can be competitive if you have your own farm but the size doesn’t matter since you can also do vertical or containerized farming,” Luis Bausa, owner and president of Bausa Integrated Farm in Bulacan, said.

Bausa served as one of the resource persons during the free seminar on herbs and spices held by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI). He talked about basic concepts for its production and management.

“You can buy the initial seedlings and grow these in your farm. In time, you can sell these for a much higher price,” he shared.

Concepcion Carillo, president of Kryz Vocational and Technical School in Iloilo, also gave tips in processing and preserving herbs and spices. According to her, the main purpose of processing is to retain the plant’s color and flavor.

To avoid the build-up of moisture, Carillo stressed the importance of drying. Air, sun, and microwave drying can be done to achieve the desired product.

“With knowledge in processing, we can do a lot of things to preserve food and make it more appealing and expensive,” she further stated.

Carillo also showed the participants how to enhance an ordinary drink by using ice cubes infused with blue ternate and other herbs. She also brought some herb-infused bread to show that herbs and spices can add value to pastry products.

Lastly, Carillo reminded those who want to venture into the herbs business to study the needs and preferences of the clients to be able to serve them better and be more profitable.

This free seminar was conducted last October 25, 2019 at the ATI Rural Development and Education Center in Diliman, Quezon City.