Peanut is a popular alternative crop in the Philippines. Peanut farming in Cagayan is a thriving agricultural business that is deeply entwined with the culture of the locals.
The town of Enrile in Cagayan earned the moniker ‘Peanut Capital of the Philippines’ not only for its great contribution to the never-ending quest for high production but also for its vital role in sustaining the supply of peanuts for the local and overseas markets.
With over 1,800 metric tons of peanut production annually, the town paved its way to being recognized as the major producer of quality peanuts in the country. According to the Department of Agriculture, most of the peanut varieties that thrive in Enrile town and also in other municipalities are the BPI Pn9, Jones 3-seeded, Asha, and Namnama.
The town has a total agricultural area of 13, 296 hectares, of which 700 hectares are tilled by more than 800 farmers for peanut production alone. The peanut plantation of the town also has a potential expansion area of another 800 hectares, making peanut an economically viable and high-value crop during drought.
Mayor Miguel Decena of Enrile town shows off the abundant peanut harvest of a farmer in his town. (Photo courtesy of DA Region 2 )
Of course, the annual flooding of the area due to the swelling of the Cagayan River contributed much to the enrichment of the soil in Enrile.
Peanut in Filipino cuisine
Why peanut is preferred by farmers?
Peanut is a versatile root crop. It is a vital ingredient in the production of several culinary delicacies and other gastronomic delights. It is also believed to be a major source of nutrients that can boost brain power.
There are many ways to cook and prepare peanuts. The boiled peanut is perfect for coffee in the morning, especially with black coffee. Baked peanuts are also common for commercial as they last longer than boiled ones.
Others also prefer stir-fried, popularly known as ‘adobong mani’ and fried shelled peanuts. Because some locals are fond of eating spicy foods, stir-fried peanuts with red chili peppers are also a choice in commercialized fried peanut products.
Peanut butter is still preferred for sandwiches, and the famous Filipino ‘kare-kare’ dish would not be complete without it. A chocolate-peanut drink locally known as ‘sukalati-mani’ served during special occasions is a tradition in Cagayan. It is paired with sweet delicacies like bibingka and suman.
Enrileños also innovated some dishes and snacks, including rice cake with peanuts, a local version of peanut brittle, cookies with peanuts, peanut bars, peanut cake, peanut bread, and others.
The peanut products of Enrile town displayed in an agri trade fair in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan. (Image by PIA)
Indigenous practice
According to the Department of Agriculture Region 2, Enrile is the only municipality in the Philippines that continuously produces peanuts year-round, contributing eight to 10 percent of the national domestic supply.
The intercropping of corn and peanuts introduced by the agriculturists in the area is already a traditional production practice among farmers in Enrile. The intercropping practices of the farmers have been supportive of the government’s thrust of attain food sufficiency and sustaining agriculture on the domestic front.
To further improve the farmers’ produce and to meet the desired quality for the international market, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has been transferring various farming technologies to peanut farmer-producers in Enrile.
The farmers have embraced various modern technologies, which is why Enrile town is also labeled as the peanut technology demonstration hub in the northern Philippines.
A peanut demo-farm in Enrile, Cagayan. (Photo courtesy of DA-2/One Enrile)
A thriving industry
Mayor Miguel B. Decena Jr. said peanuts produced in Enrile are preferred by high-end hotels, restaurants, and other service sectors, as well as other commercial industries.
In support of the peanut farmers, the LGU celebrates the ‘Peanut Festival’ every August as the highlight of the town’s patronal fiesta.
The local government has also established a peanut council to manage and further develop the local industry. It also collaborated with DA Region 2 for the establishment of an agri-commercial investment complex in Cagayan Valley for peanut products.
Reaching the global market
To help peanut farmers and to boost further the economic viability of the peanut industry in the town and the whole province of Cagayan, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 2 has linked the peanut products with the Growers Food Industries Enterprises Inc. (Growers).
Romeo Panopio, focal person for processed foods and nuts of DTI 2, said Growers is a local Filipino company that is well-known for the Growers brand, which offers a wide range of nut-based snacks that include cashews, almonds, pili nuts, and peanuts.
Panopio said Growers’ products are exported to North America, the Middle East, Europe, and other Asian countries.
DTI Regional Director Leah Pulido Ocampo also said they encouraged peanut farmers from Enrile town and other peanut producer towns in Cagayan to increase their production further to sustain supply to Growers.
Newly harvested peanuts and a product assisted by the Department of Agriculture Region 2. (Photo courtesy of DA 2)
On the part of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 2, Assistant Regional Director Silvia Lacmbra said they enrolled some of the peanut growers in the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program for food processing, product labeling, and packaging.
She also said DOST has extended farm inputs and post-harvest technology facilities, including peanut shellers and other processing equipment, in partnership with Cagayan State University.
With their niche in the agriculture sector, Enrilenos are confident that the boost to the peanut industry in town will eventually provide the much-needed economic boom in a once-considered economically laid-back town.
Who knows? The Enrileños might have served stir-fried or boiled peanuts to then-President Emilio Aguinaldo when he stayed for a few days in a hilly place called Sinupac in Enrile to escape the Americans in 1901 before he finally crossed over the Sierra Madre to stay in Palanan, Isabela, where he was captured eventually. That is a possibility. (OTB/PIA Region 2)
