Okra Farming in the Philippines
Okra (Hibiscus esculentus L.) is tall growing, warm season and annual vegetable crop. It is a popular and profitable vegetable in the country. The young and tender fruits can be prepared as a salad, boiled, broiled, or fried, and can be mixed in many meat and fish dishes. It is also an important vegetable mix of the famous Ilocano dish, pinakbet. Okra is rich in vitamins A, C, and B complex, protein, calcium, fats, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and carbohydrates.
Aside from its nutritional value, okra is used as traditional medicine for the treatment of stomach ulcers, inflammation of the lungs, diabetes, asthma, colitis, sore throat, and constipation. Nearly half of the fruit is soluble fiber in the form of gums and pectins. Soluble fiber helps lower serum cholesterol and reduces the ri...