SL Agritech chairman and CEO Henry Lim Bon Liong said he produced Jasponica brown rice because "there is a market for it with people becoming more conscious now about the nutritional value of what they eat and how the food can help them become healthy."

Lim plans to market brown rice in leading supermarkets and groceries where Jasponica white rice is now being sold like hot potatoes and he also plans to tap area dealerships (with minimum orders of P10,000 worth of all Jasponica rice).

Jasponica is a cross between the well-loved Thai jasmine rice (which is longgrained, thin, aromatic but not soft in texture) and the round, softtextured and glutinous Japanese rice.

Jasponica brown rice is high in fiber, has no cholesterol and is fit for life. It is packed only in 2 kilo bags priced at P95 to P100 per bag, Lim said.

"The brown rice is basically Jasponica premium grade rice except that after removing the cover, we hardly polish it so it retains all the vital nutritional fibers needed by the body," Lim explained.

Brown rice and mountain rice have become a craze among food gourmets and people who are conscious about health and keeping fit. They are particularly popular to the dieters since the natural fibers are known for their "detoxifying" properties and the ability to rid the body of unwanted free radicals, Lim said.

It requires double amount of water and longer cooking time in the rice cooker since it is virtually raw. "But the difference between Jasponica brown rice with the other brown or mountain rice sold in supermarkets and groceries is that our grain is not harsh and difficult to swallow and we are priced lower than most of the commercial specialty rice," Lim said.

Lim said Jasponica brown rice is healthy to eat because: a) it helps lower the risk of cancer because of insoluble fiber that decreases the chance of acquiring colon, breast and many other types of cancer; b) because of magnesium in brown rice it balances the action of calcium in the body by regulating nerve and muscle tone; c) increased energy because of (88 percent) manganese presence in brown rice that in turn produce energy from protein and carbohydrates to increase metabolism rate; d) lowers bad cholesterol since the fiber and the natural oil in brown rice reduces the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) resulting in healthy cardiovascular system.

A pack of Jasponica brown rice has a moisture content of 14 percent and amylose content of 13.5 percent. It is classified as fancy whole grain rice packed with premium quality fiber and energy, Lim said.

Jasponica rice was "soft launched" in the Philippines over two years ago by SL Agritech Corporation and has since become a favorite of more and more Filipinos, who have become addicted to it.

Jasponica is a premium rice that is patronized by big hotels and restaurants (including a leading Japanese restaurant for use in its sushi bar) although it also has a growing following from consumers in the A, B and C markets.

Most Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese restaurants operating in the country sell Jasponica rice because it has better quality and cheaper than imported Thai jasmine rice and Japanese rice (which sell in the supermarkets for as high as P50 a kilo).