Supply Chain Map of Lemongrass in Key Areas in the Philippine
External influence, Information flow, Logistics, Payment flow, Product flow,
AuthorAbstractLemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) has gained increasing importance as a highvalue crop in the Philippines because of its expanding use in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and essential oil industries. However, limited information on its supply chain structure and market dynamics has constrained the design of interventions that could strengthen the industry. This study mapped the lemongrass supply chain in the major producing areas of Regions 7 (Central Visayas), 8 (Eastern Visayas), and 10 (Northern Mindanao) using interviews with producers, processors, traders, and key informants, supported by secondary data from government agencies and industry sources. The results showed that Region 10, particularly Bukidnon, is the country's leading production hub, with 15.80 ha under cultivation and an average monthly production of 15,814 kg, while production in Regions 7 and 8 remains small-scale and is largely oriented toward value-added processing. Five supply chain configurations were identified in Region 10, four in Region 7, and two in Region 8, involving farmers, farmer-processors, processors, consolidators, wholesalers, retailers, government agencies, and non-government organizations. Product movement was largely confined within production areas, with limited interregional trade, indicating that the industry remains primarily driven by local production and demand. Marketing channels consisted mainly of nearby processors, wholesalers, retailers, and direct sales through local markets, online platforms, and trade fairs. Transactions were predominantly cash-based, although delayed payments between processors and farmers occurred in some processing-oriented chains. Key challenges included limited technical knowledge, inadequate processing facilities, weak transport and digital infrastructure, rising production and marketing costs, fluctuating prices, and limited market information. Despite these constraints, government and development organizations played an important role in improving production technologies, processing capacity, product development, and market promotion. The findings highlight the strong potential of lemongrass as a profitable rural enterprise and underscore the need to strengthen extension services, farmer organizations, processing infrastructure, logistics, market linkages, and value-added product development to enhance supply chain efficiency, increase farmer incomes, and improve the competitiveness of the Philippine lemongrass industry.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ejprd.org - Published by Riset Publication Services LLC
EJPRD
Copyright ©2026 by Riset Publication Services LLC