All about that basil! Get 1 kilo of basil for P210 from Pampanga farmers

MANILA, Philippines – Social enterprise Rural Rising called on interested buyers to support its recent rescue buy of fresh basil sourced from farmers in Mabalacat City in Pampanga. 

On Friday, August 25, the organization’s Facebook page posted its weekly “help list” for harvest options of the week, which included a one-kilo offer of basil for P210. 

“Costs too much store-bought, costs next to nothing if you bought the basil from these farmers,” Rural Rising also wrote on Facebook. They are also offering a “Pesto Pack” which contains one kilo of basil leaves along with a kilo of lemons and a bulb of Itbayat garlic for the price of P210.

“Saving the farmer, savings for the consumer,” they said.

RuRi said that interested buyers are to wait ten days for their order to ensure the best quality of the basil from harvest to pick-up. This is to avoid a repeat of the last basil harvesting season, where “the basil sprouted flowers while vainly waiting for buyers that did not come.” When a basil plant grows flowers, this usually marks the end of its gustatory life and lets its flavor go to waste. 

Rural Rising also shared a brief anecdote behind this particular rescue buy, and how farmers are at times left no other choice but to make do with creating seeds instead of selling their basil. “It was all our poor farmers could do to keep his vast field pruned, buyers or no buyers. With no money to hire help, he had only himself.”

“Every day he would go out to the field and prune his Basil, it’s a task akin to cutting thousands of set fuses before they reach the dynamite and explode,” Rural Rising said. “Wala pang flowers, wala talagang bumibili kahit ang ganda nila.” (There are no flowers yet, we have no buyers even if the basil is of good quality.)

As of writing, there are still over 340 orders left in stock. While the dispatch date has yet to be announced, updates can be viewed on their official Facebook page while orders can be placed on their website. 

Pick-up points include the following locations:

• RURI CENTRAL—G/F Tower 1, Avida Towers Centera, Mandaluyong City
• RURI NORTH — 22 Congressional Avenue, Project 8, Quezon City
• RURI SOUTH—Old Transport Terminal Bldg., Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City

Rural Rising is a social enterprise that supports local farmers through agri-entrepreneurship initiatives while also advocating for environmental sustainability and food security. The group has organized rescue buys to aid corn farmers from Pangasinan, pumpkin farmers from Nueva Ecija, and pineapple farmers from Isabela, to name a few. – Rappler.com