MPIC agri unit aims to improve local milk, vegetable production

From Left: Bimsy Mapa, Chief Project Officer, Metro Pacific Agro Ventures, Toby Gatchalian, Chief Commercial Officer, Metro Pacific Agro Ventures, Ilan Weiss, Chairman and Executive Director of Innovative Agriculture Industry Private Limited, Jovy Hernandez, President and CEO, Metro Pacific Agro Ventures, Manny V. Pangilinan, Chairman, President and CEO of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, H.E. Ambassador Ilan Fluss, Israel Ambassador, Chaye Cabal - Revilla, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. Executive Vice President, Chief Finance, Risk, and Sustainability Officer, Stanley Yang Executive Director Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Mayor Cholo Violago, Mayor San Rafael, Bulacan and Reggie Gripal, Chief Finance Officer, Metro Pacific Agro Ventures. Photo courtesy of MPAV —CONTRIBUTED

The agri-food business of tycoon Manuel Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) has set its expansion in motion by constructing more satellite greenhouse facilities nationwide and completing a dairy facility in May.

MPIC subsidiary Metro Pacific Agro Ventures Inc. (MPAV) unveiled its P800-million vegetable greenhouse facility in San Rafael town in Bulacan province, designed to cultivate vegetables.

The first phase of Metro Pacific Fresh Farms (MPFF) facility spanning 3.5 hectares is expected to produce up to 500 metric tons of fresh produce annually.

According to MPAV, the greenhouse facility can yield around 60,000 lettuce heads per month and 144 metric tons a year of leafy greens alone.

The Bulacan greenhouse is equipped with state-of-the-art technology developed by Israeli agribusiness company LR Group.

The Israeli firm uses modern techniques, such as nutrient film technique for leafy greens and drip irrigation systems for other vegetable types, to grow fresh produce efficiently at a lower cost.

“With yields up to five times higher than traditional farms, MPFF ensures a stable, year-round supply—addressing key challenges in the country’s agricultural sector,” it said.

In an interview, MPAV president and CEO Jovy Hernandez said the entity intended to construct 10 satellite greenhouses for growing vegetables in different parts of the Philippines in the next five years.

“The target is to at least bring two more [satellite greenhouse facilities] every year,” Hernandez said. “If we can do more before that, [it’s] better.”

MPAV chief commercial officer Toby Gatchalian said the development of the first satellite greenhouse facility in the archipelago was underway, slated for operation next year.

“Beyond Bulacan, we’re also looking up north because we’re looking into strawberries as well. In this facility, we’re also looking into melons,” Gatchalian said.

The size of each satellite greenhouse facility, pegged as the smaller version of the San Rafael facility, is about one hectare.

“We’re actually looking at different localities [that] have a concentration of hotels, restaurants and resorts. We are in discussions already with several entities for beach estate locations, but not limited to just tourist spots,” he told reporters.

Gatchalian said MPAV was in talks with supermarkets to sell MPFF vegetable produce directly to consumers within this month.

6M liters of milk a year

Meanwhile, MPAV’s planned dairy facility in Bay town in Laguna province is slated for completion in two months’ time. A partnership with LR Group, it is designed to produce six million liters of milk annually.

Hernandez said 220 pregnant cows imported from Australia were expected to arrive in May.

He explained that the Laguna dairy farm was expected to produce milk for the company by September at the earliest, adding that cows were expected to give birth by August and begin producing milk the following month.

“So our target [is] by 2027, we should be delivering 10 million liters annually,” added Hernandez.