EGGPLANT

Technical Description
Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is a popular vegetable crop grown in almost all backyards and school gardens throughout the country. It is used as a vegetable and is a basic ingredient in “pinakbet”, a popular vegetable stew in the northern part of the country. It also goes well with meat and egg in preparation of eggplant omelets. Immature fruits are either roasted, fried, stuffed, boiled, pickled or processes while the young fruits are eaten raw.

Among native varieties grown are Negros Purple, Pampanga Purple and Simeda. Two new eggplant varieties are also available, Dingras Long Purple and Dingras Multiple Purple. Foreign varieties include Black Beauty and Golden Gate.

Farm Practices
Eggplant grows in any kind of soil but thrives best in a fertile soil with sufficient moisture. Western Visayas farmers usually devote o.25 to 0.50 hectares to eggplant production. They usually allow eggplant seeds to germinate in a seedbox. Seedlings are transplanted in the field and in some cases in plots. Fertilizers and pesticides application is also practiced, whenever finances of farmers permit.

Harvesting occurs as soon as eggplants attain marketable size and exhibit a bright, glossary appearance some farmers remove or harvest the fruits before they reach full maturity to attain the heavier crop. Harvesting is done by hand-picking the eggplants 3 months after planting.

Specifications
Eggplant sold in the market are fresh, long and purple with rounded tips classified according to length such as:

Primera – 11 to 12 inches

Segunda – 8 to 10 inches

Tercera – 5 to 7 inches

A kilo of primera eggplant may have 6 pieces; segunda – 8 pieces; tercera – 12 piece.

Wholesale buying is by “ginatos” (hundreds). Eggplants are bundled in sacks, “kaings or bulto”. A small “bulto” may contain 1,000 pcs of eggplant, a medium “bulto” 1,800 pcs and a large “bulto” 3,000 pcs. The minimum volume is 100 pieces in wholesale transactions.

Retailers also classify eggplant according to length, as follows:

Large – 11 to 12 inches

Medium – 8 to 10 inches

Small – below 8 inch

Eggplants for retail should be fresh, long and purple. Retail selling is usually per piece but ambulant vendors normally sell by pile or “tumpok”. The minimum transaction volume is 1 piece.

Seasonality
Eggplant is abundant from February to May, and dwindles from June to January.

Price Formation and Differentiation
The supply and demand factors largely underline the price formation process, along with eggplant size. Price differences of P0.30 – P0.50 per piece exist between medium and large eggplants. A slightly higher price difference of P0.35 – P0.55 per piece occurs between small and medium and between small and large eggplants.

When eggplant supply is high and demand is weak prices dip by P1.00 per piece. Conversely, prices increase by P1.00 per piece when low supply exists alongside market demand. This situation is prevalent during lean production months.

Western Visayas 2002 Eggplant Production

Provinces

(MT)

Aklan
Antique
Capiz
Guimaras
Iloilo
Negros Occ.
53.53
61.16
235.26
38.70
5,123.52
1,795.02

Total
7,707.19

The total area harvested is 890 ha with an average yield of 8.21 MT/ha.
Source: Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, Region 6, Iloilo City

Cost and Return Analysis of a One Hectare Eggplant Production

A. Variable Cost

   I. Labor
       a. Land Preparation
            Plowing 2x (8MAD)
            Harrowing (2MAD)
        b. Seed Treatment
        c. Seed and Seedling Preparation (4MD)
        d. Transplanting (16MD)
        e. Replanting (2MD)
        f. Cultivation/Weeding (12MD)
        g. Fertilizer Application (8MD)
        h. Spraying (8MD)
         i. Harvesting & Hauling (16MD)
         j. Pruning (4MD)
                          Sub-total

P 4000.00
     500.00
     500.00
     480.00
   1920.00
     240.00
    1440.00
     960.00
     960.00
    1920.00
     480.00
13,900.00

   II. Fixed Cost
       Seeds (0.100 kg.)
       Fertilizers (T-14) 4 bags
                      (21-0-0) 3 bags
       Pesticides
                          Sub-total

432.00
1,740.00
900.00
5,000.00
8,072.00

B. Fixed Cost

   I. Interest on Capital (14%)
II. Contingency (10%)
                          Sub-total
                          GRAND-total
3,076.08
2,197.20
5,273.28
27,245.28

C. Gross Income ( 8 MT/ha @ P8.00/kg.)
D. NET INCOME
E. Return on Investment (ROI)
64,000.00
36,754.72
134%

Basic Assumptions:
    1. Labor Cost MAD @ P 250.00
                          MAD @ P 1200.00
    2. Planting Distance = 80x60 cm.
        Plant Density = 20,800 / ha
    3. Recommended Rate -60-30-30 kg. of N-P-K/ha

Source: DA-AMAD, RFU 6, I.C.

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Provinces	(MT)
Aklan Antique Capiz Guimaras Iloilo Negros Occ.	53.53 61.16 235.26 38.70 5,123.52 1,795.02
Total	7,707.19

I. Labor a. Land Preparation Plowing 2x (8MAD) Harrowing (2MAD) b. Seed Treatment c. Seed and Seedling Preparation (4MD) d. Transplanting (16MD) e. Replanting (2MD) f. Cultivation/Weeding (12MD) g. Fertilizer Application (8MD) h. Spraying (8MD) i. Harvesting & Hauling (16MD) j. Pruning (4MD) Sub-total	P 4000.00 500.00 500.00 480.00 1920.00 240.00 1440.00 960.00 960.00 1920.00 480.00 13,900.00
II. Fixed Cost Seeds (0.100 kg.) Fertilizers (T-14) 4 bags (21-0-0) 3 bags Pesticides Sub-total	432.00 1,740.00 900.00 5,000.00 8,072.00
B. Fixed Cost
I. Interest on Capital (14%) II. Contingency (10%) Sub-total GRAND-total	3,076.08 2,197.20 5,273.28 27,245.28
C. Gross Income ( 8 MT/ha @ P8.00/kg.) D. NET INCOME E. Return on Investment (ROI)	64,000.00 36,754.72 134%
Basic Assumptions: 1. Labor Cost MAD @ P 250.00 MAD @ P 1200.00 2. Planting Distance = 80x60 cm. Plant Density = 20,800 / ha 3. Recommended Rate -60-30-30 kg. of N-P-K/ha
Source: DA-AMAD, RFU 6, I.C.