Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) is putting up a greenhouse facility in San Rafael, Batangas, marking the group’s foray into the vegetable producing business.
Manuel Pangilinan, MPIC chairman, said the group is pouring into the business “close to a billion” pesos that by next year will produce an estimated 1.6 million tons of “high quality” tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and lettuce, among others, annually.
The venture is being pursued in partnership with Israel’s LR Group, which is also MPIC’s partner for its dairy farm in Laguna.
MPIC is converting a 22-hectare property formerly eyed for the group’s logistics business into the vegetable farm that will be managed by unit Metro Pacific Fresh Farms (MPFF).
“This will be the biggest vegetable greenhouse facility in the country that will produce high quality vegetables all year round,” MPIC said in a statement.
“The vision behind these investments is an agriculturally independent Philippines,” Pangilinan also said.
The facility will make use of nutrient film technic hydroponics and drip irrigation system, requiring 90 percent less water, land, fertilizer and pesticide, to ensure a year-round production.
Pangilinan said MPIC is also looking at a similar facility in Gen. Trias, Cavite, a 20-hectare land originally planned for the logistics business.
Jovy Hernandez, president at MPIC unit Metro Pacific Agro Ventures Inc. (MPAV), said the company is looking at integrating the marketing of MPFF’s produce with that of the group’s dairy business, Carmen’s Best, which has a ready platform for direct to home delivery of goods.
Eric Ebro, MPAV chief finance officer, said MPFF is also looking at an on-site sales platform.
