BiotechJp Corp. (BTJP), manufacturer of packed rice using low-protein rice technology, has established a new factory in the Philippines in Tarlac Province.
The factory has a daily production capacity of 20,000 rice packs and will help BTJP meet the demand of a growing market for packed rice.
“For markets like Japan, the pandemic prompted an increase for packed rice products which is also fueled by consumers resorting to online platforms for convenience and safety,” said Egawa Kiyosada, president of BTJP.
Under its partnership with the Private Sector scheme, Japan International Cooperation Agency supported BTJP in introducing low-protein rice technology in the Philippines to address the growing cases of chronic kidney diseases (CKDs) in the country. The low-protein rice technology helps delay progression of CKD and consequently reduces the costs of medical treatments of patients.
The technology is also able to bring benefits to Filipino farmers by adding value to their rice products, according to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
Apart from the low-protein rice, BTJP has also introduced other variants such as ready-to-eat packed rice with a one-year shelf life that makes it ideal for emergency situations.
BTJP said demand for ready-to-eat and pre-cooked rice will likely grow because of the changes in people’s lifestyle brought by the new coronavirus 2019 disease pandemic and frequent natural disasters.
