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Pigeon Pea

How many Filipinos do you think know about pigeon pea? What do you think the total stranger next to you will tell you when you ask him or her about it? "I don't know" and "I don't have any idea" are the answers that you'll probably get. But try to talk to any Puerto Rican and he or she is likely to tell you that rice with green pigeon peas is their favorite dish. And if you happen to be in India, it's possible that you'll see hectares upon hectares of this crop planted in their semi-arid lands. But what exactly are pigeon peas?

Use and benefits
Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is considered both a food and forage crop. It is grown most abundantly in India but can also be found in some regions of Africa, Central America, Australia, and Asia. Because it is a small, round off-white vegetable grown in a pod similar to a pea or bean, it is often used as an alternative to the lima bean. Traditionally, in India and Pakistan, pigeon peas are cracked and made into "dhal", a type of purée that is used as a base for many dishes. The pods and leaves of the pigeon pea are consumed as vegetables. Pigeon pea greens, as well as the peas themselves, are used as feeds to animals. The woody stems of pigeon peas are used as firewood or fence.

Besides its dual purpose, pigeon pea is likewise grown to control erosion which is particularly done in the hilly slopes of Southern China. Pigeon peas are also very drought-resistant and can be grown in areas with very minimal annual rainfall. Moreover, pigeon peas are considered as an important crop for producing green manure to add nutrients and organic matter to the soil. As a medicinal crop, the Hamdard Pulication 'Dehati Mualij' from New Delhi, India says it is useful as remedy to the swelling of internal organs like the stomach, liver, and intestines. Because pigeon pea contains high levels of Vitamin B, protein, and, amino acids such as methionine, lysine, and tryptophan, it makes for a well-balanced human food.

Local adoption
It was through the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) that pigeon pea was introduced in the Philippines not too long ago. In 2006, the Philippine Association of Agriculturists, through Dr. Heraldo Layaoen, a professor and vice-president of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac, Ilocos Norte, embarked on a project funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) on "Pigeon Pea Commercial Production and Utilization Program".

The program, which lasted for over a year, selected two varieties from the six varieties obtained from ICRISAT. The two varieties are ICPL 88039, a short duration variety that is a good crop after rainfed rice; and ICP 7035, a medium maturity variety, which is good in marginal and rolling areas.

The Bungon Seed Producers Multi-purpose Cooperative (BSPMC) was tapped to develop a village-level seed production system. According to Dr. Layaoen, 4087 kg pigeon pea seeds were produced but only 1835 kg of these were accepted as SEEDGRADE. Two private firms, Seed World and Harvest Agribusiness Corporation, were tapped to help in marketing the seeds nationwide.

To familiarize farmers and other stakeholders in the crop's cultural management and pest control, several seminars and trainings were conducted at different locations where collaborating agencies such as the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit (DA-RFU) I, II, III, and CAR; Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) offices in Ilocos Norte, Isabela, and Zambales; MMSU; Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College; Tarlac College of Agriculture; Ramon Magsaysay Technological University; and the local government units (LGUs) in Regions I, II, III, and CAR are located.

Product development, packaging, and commercialization
Pending the establishment of a dahl mill, Dr. Layaoen led the mobilization of the village-level processing of pigeon pea seeds into flour which is used to fortify cookies and biscuits with protein. Housewives and out-of-school youth in Batac, Ilocos Norte were trained to produce these products. The flour made from pigeon pea seeds are also roasted, milled, and used in making beverage similar to coffee. "We are currently developing a blend of sweet sorghum and pigeon pea beverage," said Dr. Layaoen.

Although no formal study was conducted on its market acceptance, Dr. Layaoen said that random visits to vegetable markets in Ilocos Norte reveal that fresh pods are being sold in the market already. "Seeds prepared similar to mungbean or dahl is not yet in the market but given that the sources of fresh produce are many, this is a good sign that people are starting to take interest in this nutritionally important crop," said Dr. Layaoen.

Taking one step further
Dr. Layaoen himself lamented that, at present, pigeon pea is still grown in small patches of land in the Philippines as shown in his study. He said the probable reason is the unavailability of high yielding cultivars for farmers to use and lack of concerted efforts to promote the commercial production and utilization of this crop.

If this crop has been promoted in the scale discussed by Dr. Layaoen's study, it would mean that pigeon pea is probably here to stay. But what can we do to boost the interest of farmers and the other stakeholders to realize the full-blown commercialization of this crop so that it will be widely accepted and sold to the local market?

Perhaps one probable marketing strategy is to promote it as a nutritious delicacy á la Puerto Rican's national dish, Arroz con Gandules, which is basically rice with pigeon peas. In Hawaii, pigeon peas are reportedly canned. A 2006 study by the American Chemical Society used fermented flour as an ingredient to make pasta products that are nutritionally enhanced. Aren't these great ideas to produce value-adding products with long shelf-life and capture a market internationally? Maybe a little more benchmarking and innovativeness will do the trick.