Initiatives on market research for adlay are now being undertaken.
Following a series of national reviews and planning workshops conducted in view of the Adlay R&D Program that pushes for the commodity’s market development, the program is now focusing on the marketing aspect.
While a lot of research and development efforts on adlay have already been accomplished and produced promising results in terms of production and processing, information on regional market has not yet been established. With this, the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) commissioned the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) to lead the market research on adlay. A private research university in the country, the UA&P is known for having the technical expertise in conducting market research endeavors.
The study aims to come up with a marketing plan for adlay products based on the market research of households and retailers/distributors in the selected sample areas. Such areas include major adlay-producing regions including 2, 4A, 9, and 10 and not-so-familiar areas to adlay including NCR and Region 7. The marketing plan will serve as a guiding tool in pursuing possible commercialization of adlay.
According to the UA&P, a comprehensive analysis of adlay’s marketing environment is important in determining its acceptability in the market. Moreover, it will aid in designing appropriate product development and introduction strategies that will help in realizing marketing-related goals of the Adlay R&D Program.
As far as benefits are concerned, this initiative will pave for the crafting of further research plans for the development of adlay as food staple and processed food product in support to the Food Staples Sufficiency Program of the Department of Agriculture. Furthermore, it will encourage farmers to improve their productivity and income by venturing into value-added processing.
On 27-30 April 2015, a team composed of adlay focals from concerned divisions of BAR and DA-Cagayan Valley Research Center joined the UA&P to observe the fieldwork on product test and price sensitivity among selected households in Dupax and Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya. ### (Anne Camille B. Brion)
