Agriculture and Aquaculture Industry [Archive] - Page 4

Linguine

November 14th, 2010, 12:33 PM

SMC urged by DA to push prawn and mutton exports
Sunday, 14 November 2010 10:53 Jennifer A. Ng / Reporter

THE government is urging diversified conglomerate San Miguel Foods Inc. (SMFI) to explore the possibility of exporting more prawns to Japan and shipping mutton to Indonesia given the increasing demand from these countries.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) told executives of SMFI in a recent forum that Japan is receptive to the idea of importing more prawns from the Philippines.

“Japan’s Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries told me that Philippine prawns are not banned in their country. It just so happened that demand for prawns slowed,” said Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in a statement.

The DA, however, did not give an estimate as to the possible increase in demand for Philippine prawns in Japan.
At present, there are no meaningful shrimp or prawn exports because the Philippine prawn industry is no longer competitive compared with other exporter-countries. A major factor is the high tariff imposed on shrimp feed as against duty free in major prawn exporters Thailand, Indonesia and India.

The Philippines exports about 600 metric tons (MT) of prawns to Japan per month. This is a miniscule amount compared with the average exports of the three countries at 25,000 MT each.

The Agriculture chief also urged SMFI to export livestock such as sheep to Indonesia. No estimate of the demand for sheep was given by the DA.

SMFI currently ships out yakitori-style processed chicken to Japan. In 2009, the company was able to export 6 million kilograms of this type of processed chicken.

In February, the company projected a 20-percent increase in shipments of yakitori chicken to Japan on the back of stronger demand.

“Chicken [products] from the Philippines is [preferred by Japanese customers] because Philippine chicken has [earned] a reputation of being tastier and more tender.

This is because we use smaller birds,” said Rita Imelda Palabyab, SMFI-Poultry vice president and general manager, in an earlier interview.

SMFI-Poultry is the only company in the Philippines shipping out chicken products to Japan.

[I]http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/companies/3680-smc-urged-by-da-to-push-prawn-and-mutton-exports

Linguine

November 16th, 2010, 04:03 AM

Tesda puts up ‘condominium’ fish farm in Pangasinan
Tuesday, 16 November 2010 00:00
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

BINMALEY, Pangasinan: One among the many fish species that thrive in the waters here, now enjoy the privilege of living in a “condominium.”
Authorities from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-National Integrated Fish Technology Development Center (BFAR-NIFTDC), Pangasinan Technological Institute (PTI) and Technological Education Skills Development Authority (Tesda) have picked the African Catfish to stay in the 14-D Fish Condominium Model, the first of its kind ever installed in the province.

The fish house has been installed at the premises of PTI in this town to serve as a pilot project in justifying the viability of launching vertical fish farming.

BFAR-NIFTDC Director Westly Rosario, PTI Vocational School Administrator Jovencio Ferrer Jr. and Tesda Administrator Francisco Jucar Jr., expressed optimism the technology could be an eye opener for residents in cities and urban areas where space management is imperative.

The technology took shape in a structure composed of 14 drums filled with water that is being changed periodically to provide a healthy environment for growing the catfish.

Each drum is capable of accommodating as much as 300 pieces of the fish or a total equivalent of 4,200 a production cycle of three to four months.

Through a maximized operation, the fish condominium can produce 12,600 pieces of marketable size of the catfish in one year.
Under the program, feeding of the fish can be done two or three times a day.

Remnants of the feeds being given to the fish make the water contain organic matter. After each production cycle, the water can be used as fertilizer for garden plants.

Bong E. Otadoy

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/32175-tesda-puts-up-condominium-fish-farm-in-pangasinan

Linguine

November 17th, 2010, 03:24 PM

Aboitiz, Uygongco to construct P60-b dams

by Othel V. Campos

The Aboitiz group and Iloilo-based food conglomerate La Filipina Uygongco Corp. signed an agreement with the government last week to build a P60-billion water integrated project in Isabela province.

The project, according to an industry source, will involve the construction of three dams aims to irrigate at least 60,000 new hectares of farmland for rice and other crop production.

SN Aboitiz Power, a unit of Aboitiz Power, and La Filipina signed the agreement with the Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources and the Agrarian Reform Departments, Isabela, the National Convergence Initiative, Corn Board and the Philippine Maize Federation.

“The government wanted to attain sufficiency status by 2010. They wanted to arrest the 1.5 million metric tons shortfall in rice production,” the source said.

He added corn farmers would have the opportunity to immediately plant their crop after the rice harvest.

The dams will be situated in the municipalities of San Agustin, San Mariano and Tumauini in Isabela.

The integrated water system is also expected to generate as much as 50 megawatts of power that can be sold to the grid.

“While the dam releases water for irrigation, it will also create electricity that can be exported to other parts of the grid that need additional power,” the source said.

The project aims to create smaller catch basins or watersheds that will gather excess water from the major dam.

“It is a flood control mechanism that we included in the blueprint. So there will be a major dam and another smaller dam to store excess water. This will render the country more prepared on the fast shift from climate invariability to climate change,” said the source.

The scheme is takeoff from the watershed technology developed by the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideBusiness.htm?f=2010/november/17/business2.isx&d=2010/november/17

Juan Pilgrim

November 17th, 2010, 05:00 PM

^^The project, according to an industry source, will involve the
construction of three dams aims to irrigate at least
60,000 new hectares of farmland for rice and other crop production.

This will be great for the province of Isabela and
benefit the entire Philippines in self sufficiency in food production!

Isabela is the second largest province of the Philippines next to Palawan.
Agriculture, mainly rice with a relatively large corn crop, is the biggest industry.
Farming is highly mechanized as most of the agricultural lands are irrigated.

:horse:

NTprime

November 18th, 2010, 06:44 AM

'Yu-yu' to save terraces
By DEXTER SEE
October 30, 2010, 8:42pm

LAGAWE, Ifugao – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is pushing for the mass production of the Japanese loach, known as “yu-yu,” in the rice terraces to save the scenic paddies from deterioration as well as be one major source of livelihood for local folk.

Based on BFAR studies, yu-yu production is considered to be a profitable source of income and serves as an alternative source of livelihood for farmers, especially during the lean season.

Recently, the Hungduan Municipal Council passed a resolution making the highland fish its One-town, One-product (OTOP) and allocated 20 percent the local government’s development fund for the mass propagation of the yu-yu.

Since 2006, the town has been producing the fish by distributing fish fry to thousands of farmers who commit the same volume of fries the following year after growing and reproducing the same.

Experts cited propagation of yuyu gives farmers a chance to propagate other fish species aside from tilapia and carp which is being produced in other parts of the region.

http://www.mb.com.ph/node/285097/yuyu-

Excuse me, are they referring to the Japanese "Dojo" loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus)?

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/loaches/images/DojoLoachWFLO_Ap4A.jpg
Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Ken Childs

These are aquarium fish that burrow into the substrate and grow no more than 6 inches in the tank, and 10 inches in the wild. They are as slender as eels but have barbels like catfish.

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/loaches/DojoLoach.php

Unless the japanese loach are used like small "tractors" to take the place of plow and carabao, and eventually sold as feed after the rainy season, I find this kinda absurd.

Linguine

November 23rd, 2010, 04:00 AM

Alcala in favor of open skies
By Marianne V. Go (The Philippine Star) Updated November 23, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments

MANILA, Philippines - Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala is in favor of an open skies policy to facilitate the export of the country’s agricultural produce.

Alcala said an open skies policy would allow small planes to land in provinces which currently are not able to export their produce.

He said the aquaculture and mariculture industry, particularly would benefit from an open skies policy since they would be able to export live fish to such countries as Hong Kong and China where the demand for live seafood is very high.

President Aquino had earlier expressed support for an open skies policy to develop the local aviation sector and to spur tourism and investments.

In a statement made at the recent Infrastructure Philippines 2010, President Aquino said that a more liberal aviation policy would encourage investors to make long-term investments in the country.

“In the past, we liberalized telecommunications, trade and foreign investments. The change in the country’s investment policies has been a crucial factor in building up confidence in the economic prospects of the country. This is what we will do with aviation.”

An open skies policy is welcomed by foreign carriers operating out of the Clark International Airport in Pampanga. They said an open skies policy, would bring more tourists to the country.

Linguine

November 23rd, 2010, 12:49 PM

DA plans to rehab Upper Chico River irrigation system at a cost of P700M
Tuesday, 23 November 2010 19:23 Jennifer A. Ng / Reporter

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking at the possibility of rehabilitating the Upper Chico River Irrigation System (Ucris) which is estimated to cost around P700 million.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala instructed the office of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in the Cordillera Administrative Region to submit a plan and budget to rehabilitate Ucris.

“The Upper Chico River Irrigation System will optimize the service area [of NIA] by an additional 4,000 hectares,” Alcala said in his speech before local government officials of Kalinga Apayao yesterday.

NIA, an attached agency of the DA, noted that rehabilitation of Ucris will initially involve concreting and upgrading of irrigation canals to minimize the seepage of irrigation water.  

John Socalo, NIA’s regional manager, said that a total of 26 kilometers will be rehabilitated to service the towns of Tabuk and Pinukpuk in Kalinga and Quezon and Mallig in Isabela.  

The DA pointed out that if the rehabilitation of 4,000 hectares of farmland devoted to rice is completed by 2012, it will result in additional palay production of 20,000 metric tons (MT) per cropping, or 40,000 MT per year at 5 MT per hectare yield.

Currently, there are 11,000 hectares of irrigable area by Chico River. Tabuk is the rice granary of Kalinga and the entire Cordillera region. The existing harvest area can produce 110,000 MT of palay every year.

The government is keen on increasing areas serviced by the NIA as one strategy to ensure that the Philippines will become self-sufficient in rice by 2013.

Under the government’s rice self-sufficiency plan (RSSP), the Philippines is targeting to produce 17.4 million metric tons (MMT) of palay by 2011, 19.2 MMT by 2012 and 21.12 MMT by 2013. The palay requirements during these years are pegged at 20.7 MMT, 20.9 MMT and 21.11 MMT.

Earlier, Agriculture officials disclosed that the Philippines would need around 2.4 million hectares of irrigated crop areas to produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

As of 2009, the 209 national irrigation systems (NIS) being managed by NIA nationwide has a total service area of 746,337 hectares. Last year the total irrigated area was 1.137 million hectares, broken down into 531,599 hectares during the dry season of November 2008 to April 2009; and 545,632 hectares during the wet season of May 2009 to October 2009; and 59,472 hectares for the third crop.

Last year the government spent P17.5 billion for the construction of irrigation facilities servicing 18,457 hectares, restoration irrigation systems servicing 101,779 hectares and rehabilitation of irrigation systems covering 174,505 hectares.

For 2011, the DA has proposed to allocate a budget of P13.5 billion for the repair and rehabilitation of irrigation systems.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/life/4105-da-plans-to-rehab-upper-chico-river-irrigation-system-at-a-cost-of-p700m

Linguine

December 2nd, 2010, 09:46 AM

Organic Farmers' Festival

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4326.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4329.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4327.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4339.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4340.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4330.jpg

Linguine

December 2nd, 2010, 09:53 AM

Organic Farmers' Festival

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4331.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4337.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4336.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4334.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4333.jpg
for export

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_4332.jpg
for export

Linguine

December 4th, 2010, 03:04 AM

Organic agriculture to get P900M

By Carla Gomez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:43:00 12/03/2010

Filed Under: Agriculture, Environmental Issues

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—The Department of Agriculture (DA) would allocate P900 million next year to promote organic agriculture, a ranking DA official said on Thursday.

Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat, daughter of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, said the amount was the biggest that would be set aside for organic farming, as required by the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010.

The Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, authored by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala when he was still congressman, required that 2 percent of the DA budget should be allocated for organic agriculture, said Puyat at the opening of an organic farm festival here.

Puyat lauded Negros for leading the way in organic farming and staying with it even before it became a fad.

Other provinces are now copying the organic program of Negros, she said.

Puyat said the DA would continue helping promote Negros Occidental’s organic muscovado sugar in the world market. “We believe in its potential,” she said.

She said the DA has also allocated P200 million to help farmers get certification for their organic products.

Among the concerns of organic farming advocates are how to get products certified and labelled and how to get accreditation as organic growers.

In 2000, organic farming in the Philippines generated P250 million in income—P100 million in domestic sales and P150 million in exports, said Puyat.

“And the market for organic products continues to grow,” she said.

“It is one opportunity we want Filipino food producers, processors and exporters to take advantage of by helping make steady and ready markets available,” she added.

In 2006 alone, the global market for organically grown products was estimated by the UN Food and Agriculture at $40 billion and was projected to reach $70 billion by 2012, she said.

Margarita Araneta-Fores, Negrense restaurateur who was at the organic farmers’ festival, said she has been using a lot of organic products in her restaurants in Manila.

She said the squash that she uses in her soup in Cibo, a restaurant that she owned, is organically grown.

“I am using a lot more organic produce and festivals like this really help increase the awareness level,” she said.

According to Fores, she was happy that this year’s Negros Organic Farmers’ Festival was bigger than last year’s, which indicated that the organic agriculture movement was growing.

Linguine

December 6th, 2010, 12:49 AM

Tourism-land reform issue troubles Guimaras

ILOILO/TACLOBAN -- Agrarian reform also has its downside, particularly on agri-tourism of Guimaras island, according to the province’s tourism official.

Guimaras tourism officer Angeles E. Gabinete said in a recent Visayas agribusiness forum that the comprehensive agrarian reform program (CARP) has divided mango plantations -- a major tourist attraction on the island -- into small lots for agrarian reform beneficiaries.

"Guimaras is a small island and its main product is mangoes, a showcase of the island’s fruit and tourism potentials. Yet, this small endeavor was shaken by the inroads of CARP in productive mango lands," Ms. Gabinete said.

She cited the land of Oro Verde Holdings, once a top mango plantation and mango manufacturing center in the country.

Oro Verde covers more than 237 hectares of mango plantation and became a premier tourist attraction and showcase on the island. Domestic, national and foreign tourists who visit Guimaras visit the plantation and other manufacturing centers inside the complex that produce hundreds of mango-based products for foreign markets.

However, most of the plantation has been awarded to CARP beneficiaries starting in 2006, resulting in the partitioning of the land into small unproductive lots and the withdrawal of equipment and skilled personnel of Oro Verde and Marsman Corp.

Ms. Gabinete cited this as an example of inconsistent, uncoordinated national and local government policies.

She said this could have been avoided had the departments of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, and of Agrarian Reform -- which now form the National Convergence Initiative (NCI) -- discussed this issue.

NCI head Marriz B. Agbon, president of the Philippine Agricultural Development and Commercial Corp., had said she would hold meetings to address Guimaras’s concerns.

Under the NCI, the three departments are supposed to coordinate closely in promoting agribusiness and sustainable ecosystem management, with the ultimate end in view of pushing the development of rural economies. -- F. A. L. Angelo with RLA

http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=22380

Linguine

December 10th, 2010, 10:26 AM

Prospects seen for organics
December 10, 2010, 3:42pm

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – Traders engaged in agricultural products in the province have recommended the production of more organically-grown fruits and vegetables in various parts of South Cotabato and its neighboring areas.

According to Celso Alejo Enriquez, who is engaged in high-value horticulture, local fruit and vegetable farmers are guaranteed of achieving high income should they adopt the recommended organic farming practices.

As this developed, Enriquez said he is now promoting the expansion of organically-grown vegetable and fruit plantation areas in Mindanao as part of the agribusiness development thrust.

“There are high demands for fresh organically-grown vegetables and fruits in developed countries such as China, Korea, and Japan,” he claimed.

Enriquez said Mindanao has the potential to produce crops that have less chemical residues because of the organic farming technologies being promoted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and other concerned agencies.

Aside from the growing export markets, he said, organically-grown fruits and vegetables have vast potentials in the domestic markets due to the increasing preference among consumers for healthier products and the food demands of the country’s growing population. (Nonoy E. Lacson)

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/292061/prospects-seen-organics

jpdm

December 10th, 2010, 02:12 PM

^^^^welcome news!

Linguine

December 13th, 2010, 02:31 PM

Negros Island, a green island

http://www.manilatimes.net/images/stories/lifecolumn/juan.jpg

I was invited to speak at the fifth Negros Organic Farmers Festival on December 4, among other Manila-based “green” people like Mara Pardo de Tavera, her son Akio Brown and chef Gaita Fores. It was wonderful being in the midst of many like-minded people like Aboy Evaristo of Aboy’s restaurant who did a demo on “Cooking with Organic Vegetables.” (Evaristo is also a member of the Slow Food Movement, whose members promote buying local ingredients and using traditional ways of cooking).

Beyond the festival’s activities, I met many interesting people. First of all, I met the organizer par excellence Ramon “Chin” Uy Jr. and his lovely wife Francine. Chin took me to their Fresh Start Organics farm near Silay airport and we compared notes on Natural Farming, or how to use plants like marigold, sunflower and other natural pest controllers. It was also heartwarming to hear Chin talk about “changing traditional ways” in Negros using small steps, such as giving farmers access to seedlings, organic fertilizers and small farm equipment, which he helped design along with his father, Ramon Uy Sr. Ramon Sr. makes shredders and other equipments that help farmers make their own fertilizer.

Negros is one of a kind. I think it is the only province that has successfully passed an ordinance banning GMOs. Because of this positive development, visionaries like Chin have great hope that the natural way of farming will be restored in Negros Island, sooner than expected. To date over 1,000 hectares are organically certified while 5,000 hectares are “in conversion,” or just awaiting organic certification.

The other person I met after my talk is Ruby Cruz of The Daily Apple. Ruby and her husband Philip pioneered the use of Ganoderma Lucidum in teas, which has so many healing properties. The Daily Apple is also into making VCO with turmeric oil and other healthy products.

A chance meeting with Dr. Harry Rajamannan, care of Nicky Matti (my co-chairman in the Philippine Coffee Board), also completed my Negros experience. Dr. Harry is an anti-GMO, anti-chemical fertilizer kind of guy.
He has brought increased production to rice, banana, coffee, and pineapple commercial farmers around the world with the use of Natural Farming techniques. I was so impressed with the numbers Rajamannan gave that I think he should get to talk to more local governments or nongovernment organizations to adopt his ways. Of course, our multinational fertilizer companies are not exactly happy with his presence.
But things are changing, times are changing, and consumers are changing. He is also a perfect fit for Negros Island, which as I mentioned has stopped the entry of GMOs through a province-wide ruling.

I could not believe the convergence of events during that one-day experience I had in Negros. The meetings I had with like-minded natural farmers. The meeting with Rajamannan, and the general atmosphere that pervaded the whole Organic Farmers event, only proves that the world is indeed changing.

And as Rajamannan said, consumers will now force farmers and producers to change their ways, back to how nature intended it to be. Consumers are now looking for organic produce and farmers will be gently persuaded to change their ways.

Young entrepreneurs like Chin have also gone into “waste trading,” something unknown to farmers in the past years. Now, manure producers can trade some of their excess wastes for other kinds of wastes like mud press from sugarcane processing, carbonized rice hull from rice millers, and manure from poultry and piggery operators. These wastes are then combined by people like Chin and his father into organic fertilizers.

Other farmers can learn from the examples being practiced by these Negros entrepreneurs to advocate Natural and Organic farming. Chin is even willing to teach others so they can establish their own organic supply chains.

It may sound technical to the uninitiated, but to a smalltime vegetable farmer like myself, I could so relate to what Negros is doing. Indeed, restaurant owners like myself become co-producers, too, because we persuade farmers to produce what we continue to use in our establishments. If we stop using natural ingredients, the farmers will stop producing them. As consumers, we have to help the movement by asking what goes into the food we eat or order from restaurants. As consumers, we deserve to know what goes into the produce we buy even if we just use it for cooking at home.

Be a locavore. Try to buy only local ingredients or ingredients sourced from within 100 miles, or 160 kilometers from your place of business. These small steps help the whole supply chain become more natural, and eventually, more organic.

The power is within you. Do your share every day. It is not as hard as it seems.

___

Chit Juan is an owner of Le Bistro Vert sustainable foods, ECHOstore sustainable lifestyle, and many other businesses promoting sustainable eating. She often speaks to the youth and corporate audiences on Sustainability, Social Entrepreneurship and the Women Empowerment through Business. E-mail her at puj@echostore.ph This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or follow her on twitter.com/chitjuan.

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/sunday-times/34721-negros-island-a-green-island

jpdm

December 15th, 2010, 02:41 AM

wino

December 17th, 2010, 06:57 PM

^^ @ some of the products
Sana lang improve nila ung packaging nila... pang export quality para mas lumakas benta nila.

Linguine

December 28th, 2010, 12:46 PM

'Kadios' eyed to protect deteriorating watersheds
By DEXTER A. SEE
December 28, 2010, 6:58pm

MANILA, Philippines — The snowballing effort among stakeholders to preserve and protect the rapidly deteriorating watersheds in the different parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) is fast gaining ground even from international research agencies.

This developed after a scientist, Dr. Myer Mula, who is based at the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT), has advocated the planting of pigeon pea or “kardis” in Ilocano or “kadios” in Tagalog in the region’s denuded mountains.

Mula said this will be a profitable venture for thousands of farmers and will also help in the preservation and protection of the environment.

The uphill climb to preserve and protect the region’s rapidly deteriorating forests is being spearheaded by the Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera with the growing support from concerned agencies, local government and the communities.

Based on studies, pigeon pea is a fast growing cash crop with four feet long roots ideal for holding loosened soil and subsequently preventing soil erosion which usually occurs in denuded mountains thereby posing a serious threat to life and limb.

Mula cited that pigeon pea has proven to condition the soil already stripped of minerals due to decades of farming which is the major source of livelihood of most people based in various parts of the region.

Moreover, fallow land can be planted with pigeon pea considering that the same does not need many farm inputs and does not take too long to grow and serve its purpose.

Experts claim that locally grown pigeon pea is commercially viable and nutritious to eat together with other delicacies.

In the Visayas and Mindanao, pigeon pea is an important ingredient for cooking as it can also be processed into “polboron,” bread, and noodles which is a source of energy by the people in engaging hard labor to earn a living for their families.

In the local scene, the Benguet State University’s food processing center has recently partnered with pigeon pea growers region-wide to develop ways to make use of the seeds as an ingredient in baked food and other products.

Aside from being a mitigating factor for soil erosion and a source of livelihood for farmers, pigeon pea’s wood can be harvested as fuel which has a good burning efficiency compared to other firewood.

Furthermore, cost of production is also low as P60 per kilo of pigeon pea seeds that could be planted in at least 1,000 square meters of land.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/295263/kadios-eyed-protect-deteriorating-watersheds

hakz2007

December 30th, 2010, 10:18 AM

Palawan is country's cashew capital
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Dec. 30 (PIA) – Truth be told, the cashew sold in Antipolo are grown and produced in Palawan, the topmost cashew-producing province and the country’s cashew capital.

Cashew, kasuy in Tagalog or balugod in Ilocano, is the leading nut crop in the Philippines and the third most important nut in the world after almond and hazelnut. With 24,345 hectares planted to cashew, Palawan accounts for 90% of the country’s annual total cashew production estimated at 116,900 tons.

As of the latest data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, there are 3.1 million cashew trees planted in 20 municipalities in Palawan. The total hectarage yields approximately 106,256 MT per year. The top three cashew-producing municipalities are Roxas, El Nido, and Dumaran.

In 2006, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan declared cashew as the provincial One Town, One Product or OTOP with 8 towns taking on cashew as its municipal OTOP. The town of Roxas, with its own cashew production village, is the province’s cashew capital and celebrated the Cashew Festival Week every second week of May.

Essentially, the cashew industry in Palawan includes the processing of the nuts into salted, fried, roasted, brittle, caramelized, and recently, chocolate-coated. The cashew apple is also processed into prunes, wine, vinegar and juice – a development pioneered by the Western Philippines University. There are also the cashew tarts, otap and cakes.

The processed nuts sold in the local market are either split-type or whole kernel.

Split nuts are easier to produce or “decorticate” than whole kernel nuts.

Presently, the split-type nuts are sold at P250-P300 per kilo while the whole kernel nuts are sold at P350-P400 per kilo.

Majority of the farmers sell their raw nuts to local traders and processors. Established traders ship the raw nuts to Metro Manila and these are processed in Antipolo for marketing to food manufacturers like Selecta, Nestle, Goldilocks and Red Ribbon.

An very promising by-product is the cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), a brownish, sticky and caustic substance extracted from the dried testa of the seed or nut. The CNSL is an industrial ingredient in the manufacture of “cardolite,” a raw material used in brake linings, resins, paints, varnishes, indelible inks, lubricants and other preservatives. It is also used as germicide, with one Filipino entrepreneur winning an international award using the cashew by-product to remove facial warts.

There are many agencies, both local and national, that identify cashew as a priority crop or product for development. The Department of Agriculture (DA) works on the production and supply side along with the Municipal Agriculture’s Office of the local government. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) meanwhile focuses on the marketing of processed cashew products while the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) assists in the research and development.

For a coordinative and integrated implementation of the cashew development program, the Palawan Cashew Industry Council was organized initially composed of the DA, DTI, DOST, the local government unit, the Palawan Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc., the Palawan Food Processors Association and a farmer sector representative. Although coordinative and oversight in function, the council would avoid duplication of interventions but promote complementation efforts.

This council can study and recommend actions to address the many issues and concerns of the industry. In spite of the status of being the leading producer of cashew in the country, Palawan’s cashew industry is also beset by problems like low level of production, lack of product/marketing development, and lack of financing for post-harvest facilities.

With the enhanced relationship of concerned agencies bringing to fore President Benigno Aquino’s private-public partnership (PPP) program, Palawan will steadily grow into its full potential to become not only as the country’s foremost cashew industry but perhaps, the cashew capital of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=9552

boypad

January 11th, 2011, 05:55 PM

World food price shock feared

DEMAND AND SUPPLY By Boo Chanco
(The Philippine Star) Updated January 12, 2011 12:00 AM

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has raised the alarm on the potential danger of a “food price shock”, specially for the poor people in developing countries. The FAO has announced that its food price index… a basket tracking the wholesale cost of staple commodities like rice, wheat, corn, vegetable oils, dairy products, sugar and meats — jumped to 214.7 points, above the peak of 213.5 set in June 2008.

Abdolreza Abbassian, senior economist at the FAO in Rome told the Financial Times that the prices of agricultural commodities are likely to rise further. “It will be foolish to assume that this is the peak,” he said.

Even before the warning, many countries including China are already struggling with rising food prices. It has become such a political challenge so that in the case of China, taming inflation has become a top priority, even if it means having to move up the value of the yuan against the dollar faster than usual.

“The world faces a food price shock,” the FAO economist told the Financial Times, even as he warned that the spike could lead, “if prolonged several months, to a food crisis.” Food commodity traders are reported to be worried that prices could rise further due to weather conditions.

The La Niña weather phenomenon, now causing drought in key growing areas of Argentina, Brazil and the US may intensify. The same phenomenon causes an abundance of rain in our part of the world as in the extensive flooding now being experienced in Northern Australia and in some areas of the country like Bicol and parts of Mindanao.

According to Businessweek, there is an added pressure on food prices: recovering economies. Ephraim Leibtag, US Agriculture Dept. food price forecaster told BusinessWeek: “Increased global trade coming out of the recession, some increased consumer demand, and higher energy and commodity costs for food production” will boost prices. The USDA expects a rise in oil prices to lift demand for ethanol by 5.1 percent in the U.S., which will affect corn prices. The agency foresees U.S. food inflation of 2 percent to 3 percent, the highest since 2008.

The FAO does not see demand falling. “Consumers may have little choice but to pay higher prices,” it says in its November price outlook. The good news, the FAO official pointed out, is that thus far, we are seeing relatively stable prices for rice, one of the two most important agricultural commodities for global food security. Rice is the staple for more than three billion people in Asia and Africa. It hit an all time high of more than $1,000 per ton in 2008, a situation we have been accused of instigating. But rice is now trading at $535 a ton.

The NFA last week said we have more than 40 days buffer stock of rice or about 10 days more than the required 30 days. We have not yet moved to buy rice from the international market as the agriculture department indicated that we will most likely import less than half of what was imported last year. But with other countries already in the market, there are also fears that we may be left out unless we go to the market soon.

The Financial Times reported that in the case of wheat, the cost is fast rising because of poor harvests last year in Russia, Ukraine and elsewhere. The DTI last week also allowed the price of the Pinoy Tasty sliced bread to go up, citing this continued rise in the price of wheat and also sugar. The prices of corn, used for poultry and livestock feed, are also fast rising and could soon be reflected in the prices of meat and poultry products.

There are so many factors that influence the prices of agricultural food commodities these days. These commodities are affected by currency movements and financial markets as well as agricultural and trade policies of governments.

It isn’t just the developing world that’s worried. French President Nicholas Sarkozy has identified food price volatility as a priority as France assumes the chair of the Group of 20 leading economies this year. World Bank President Robert Zoellick cited food price volatility as a threat to global growth and social stability in an op-ed piece at the Financial Times. This is because, Zoellick wrote, food accounts for a large share of tight family budgets in the poorest countries.

“When prices of staples soar, the poor bear the brunt. Without global action, people in poor countries will be deprived of adequate and nutritious food, with tragic consequences for individuals and for the future prosperity of their countries,” Zoellick warned. The overarching goal, the World Bank President urged the G-20, is to ensure that the most vulnerable people and countries are not denied access to nutritious food.”

Among Zoellick’s suggestions: Increase public access to information on the quality and quantity of grain stocks because better information reassures markets and helps calm panic-induced price spikes. Improve long-range weather forecasting and monitoring… in poor countries where yields depend on rainfall, poor drop projections amplify price swings so that better weather forecasting can help people plan ahead and help anticipate need for assistance.

Agriculture news had never been sexy in local media until crisis situations happen. I guess keeping track of this looming crisis is one area where the local media can help. NFA and DA officials should make themselves totally open to media by way of timely information on the state of our food security.

The Aquino administration should even now move food security matters higher up in its agenda of concerns. No crisis can be as bad as a food crisis. The political implications of food shortages have always been dire. In India today, a shortage of onion is starting to have political repercussions. What more if the shortage is of a staple like rice?

kenken94

January 12th, 2011, 08:04 PM

Rice imports cut sharply
Tuesday, 11 January 2011 21:37 Mia M. Gonzalez / Reporter
E-mail Print PDF

THE Philippines will import this year “roughly a third” of the level of its rice imports in 2010, which may begin by next month at the earliest, the National Food Authority (NFA) said on Tuesday.

NFA Administrator Angelito Banayo told reporters at the Palace Rizal Hall that rice imports in 2011 will be“much, much lower” compared with last year because the government still has stocks left over from 2010, and in order to give the private sector a “bigger role” in terms of importation.

On how much the government would import this year compared with last year, Banayo said: “Oh, much much lower. Probably not even half. Probably one-third. One, we still have a lot of imports from last year. I have not sold all of it.  And secondly, we’re giving the private sector a bigger role in importation so that the resources of government are not always strained by importation of rice.”

He said government  rice imports in 2011 will be “roughly a third” of the 2010 volume and that the “actual numbers” will be determined on Friday.

Asked when the importation would commence, Banayo said it would be done in the first five months of the year, to ensure that the supply arrives before August, the start of the typhoon season.

“Hopefully we can do it by February,” the NFA chief said, adding that the government may either do a tender or a “government-to-government purchase.”

Banayo said the import volume may change depending on several factors, primarily the weather, as a drought or strong typhoons would require a recalculation.

“But generally, all things being equal, we should be importing a third or slightly a little over a third of what they imported last year,” he said. 

Linguine

January 16th, 2011, 10:13 AM

Negros: United and organic
By Nathalie M. Tomada (The Philippine Star) Updated January 16, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/5569/wik4u.jpg

MANILA, Philippines – There has been a rapid rise in popularity for organic farming in recent years, steadily transforming from a niche market to a mainstream agricultural system that is being practiced in almost every country in the world.

In the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is allocating P900 million this year for the promotion of organic agriculture, the biggest budget so far that it has made for such purpose, in accordance with the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010. Authored by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, it requires that two percent of the DA budget must be set aside for organic agriculture.

But long before organic became a trend in the country, Negros – with agriculture as the backbone of its economy – has already been adopting organic farming practices.

Negros is a trailblazer in organic farming in the Philippines and its program is being emulated by other provinces, lauded Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat.

Non-government organizations like Alter Trade Corporation and Broad Initiatives for Negros Development as well as the Buro-buro Vermi Farm in Talisay City were among the pioneers. Other local farmers turned to organic agriculture when the sugar industry of Negros was plunged into crisis in the 1980s.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/9908/wik4b400.jpg

The picturesque Fresh Start Organics farm in Negros is a popular agri-tourism destination. Miss Earth beauties learn about organic farming.

While organic farming is also being widely practiced in the country’s mountain provinces and in the islands of Bohol and Oriental Mindoro, Negros Occidental governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. believes that “our advantage really is how we have organized and consolidated our efforts.”

It was in 2005 when the consolidation of efforts started. During the term of then governor and now congressman George Arnaiz of Negros Oriental and the late Gov. Joseph Marañon of Negros Occidental, a memorandum of agreement was signed to forge a partnership between the twin provinces to harness the island’s potential in organic production, sustainable agriculture, bio-security, and rural development. The ultimate goal is to be the “Organic Food Basket of Asia.”

The Negros Island and Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Development Foundation, Inc. (NISARD) was established to promote and provide support for the implementation of sustainable agriculture and rural development in Negros. The early organic farming practitioners then banded together to form what is now called the Organic Producers and Retailers Association (ONOPRA), which secures and manages marketing outlets for small organic farmers such as the organic market and restaurant at the back of the provincial capitol in Bacolod City.

Marañon adds, “The beauty of this is that it helps small farmers, not the big farmers. This is because organic farming is really for the small farmers. It provides more employment because it is labor-intensive.”

NISARD chair Edgardo Uychiat agrees: “It’s been a good program for poverty alleviation at the same time differentiating the island from the rest of the country. It’s also one way of looking at Negros as one island and not separated by regions.”

NISARD, through its certification arm Negros Island Certification (NICERT), recently certified as organic the operations of over 20 companies, including smallholder groups, covering nearly 1,000 hectares and totaling over 600 farmers.

As of late 2010, 11 more companies and smallholder groups with a total farm size of 761 hectares have applied for certification.

NICERT is a localized yet competitive and independent third party guarantee system equivalent to national and international organic standards and tailored to fit the island’s unique conditions. Apart from the organic certification services, NICERT also does handling, retailing and production of processed products.

“The certification program is really in response to the growing needs of various organic producers in Negros seeking organic certification for both the local and international organic market. This is also to protect consumers against products making false claims that they are organic,” explains NISARD administrator Rommel Ledesma. “[Organic farmers] still make up a very small percentage in the whole agricultural landscape, but it’s growing.”

Another bold step that Negros has taken to reinforce its “go organic” campaign is the banning of genetically modified organisms (GMO), except for some items like medicine with GMOs. Man-made and patented, GMOs are organisms created in a laboratory through genetic engineering. However, there are scientific studies stating that GMOs pose risks to health, property and environment.

Marañon says, “The provincial board has passed the resolution declaring the province as a GMO-free area. The resolution has been in place for four years now. [Its success] has been a matter of monitoring and political will, because how come in Japan, GMO is banned, and in Europe, it’s banned? So, why can’t we do it here?”

Such efforts also owe their success to support from the private sector and the farming innovations being devised by Negrense farmers to prove that organic farming is, indeed, doable and sustainable.

If other destinations in the Philippines have pushed for adventure tourism or eco-tourism as a come-on to visitors, Negros also offers agri-tourism through select working farms, where tourists can enjoy a leisurely and educational taste of authentic farm life, natural rural beauty, plus farm-fresh bounty. In 2010, a reported 924 agri-tours and 1,875 direct bookings were made to agri-tourism destinations and various organic farms and parks in the province.

Noteworthy among these farms is the Peñalosa Farms, the island’s most visited agri-tourist destination in 2010, according to figures from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.

The farms, run by the farmer-scientist Ramon Peñalosa Jr., are located in Manapla and Victorias.

Peñalosa’s farms showcase an integrated farming system that’s environment-friendly, doable and replicable, as well as productive and sustainable since farms are still a business.

Peñalosa says, “We have enough raw materials, researchers and research materials [to make this possible]. No Filipino should go hungry in his native land, there’s no unproductive soil but only a non-productive farmer, and there is money in the countryside.”

Another agri-tourism destination is Fresh Start Organics, which started as an organic fertilizer producer. It has since branched out into organic vegetables and fruits, organic cuisine, essential oils, soaps, lotions, shampoos, among many others, and takes pride in producing the most diverse range of organic products, says owner Ramon “Chin” Uy Jr.

Chin founded the Eco-Agri Foundation with his father, Ramon Uy Sr., current president of ONOPRA and owner of RU Foundry, an agri-support business. The foundation assists farmers in gaining access to seedlings, organic fertilizers and small farm equipment, links farmers to the market, government, funding institutions, and gives technical assistance in the implementation of organic practices.

Chin says, “We do not compete with each other because the market is so big. Before kanya-kanyang lakad. But the first organic festival was the start when we all banded together. That’s how serious Negros is about going organic. The impact is truly bigger if both private sector and government lobby together.”

This year, Negros will continue to intensify its campaign. Two years after NISARD introduced the Negros Island Rainforest Coffee, grown in the forest communities of Sag-ang, La Castellana, Yubo, La Carlota and Canlusong, the provincial government will be purchasing this year 1 million seedlings of Arabica from Bukidnon to be planted in the Mt. Kanlaon range and North Negros Forest Reserve to augment the current coffee production. Other plans this year include extension work for organic rice production.

NICERT is also currently seeking accreditation with the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Products Standards of the DA in compliance with the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, so it can have the license to certify farmers from other islands.

Says Marañon, “We are still in the learning process [on how to expand organic farming in the province]. But our target is that by 2016, 10 percent of agricultural products will be organic.”

Linguine

January 18th, 2011, 06:31 AM

Sugar output drops 31.2% in 2010
By Marianne V. Go (The Philippine Star) Updated January 18, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s raw sugar production nearing the end of 2010 amounted to 560,980.37 metric tons (MT), 31.19 percent lower than the end-2009 output of 815,256.65 MT, according to data obtained from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

Refined sugar production stood at 127,639.26 MT as of Dec. 26, 2010, 55.08 percent lower than 2009’s refined sugar production of 284,166.14 MT.

Fortunately, despite the lower refined sugar production in 2010, withdrawals have also been lower by just over half, or 50.53 percent, resulting in a sugar balance of 101,030.60 MT.

According to Rosemarie Gumera of the policy planning division of the SRA, the lower sugar withdrawals is making the SRA evaluate further a need to import additional sugar this year.

However, the SRA will only be able to see a clearer picture on sugar production by March or April this year once peak milling production is reached.

Gumera explained that because of heavy flooding in Negros, sugarcane harvesting has been delayed which may also delay sugar milling.

Normally, she said, peak sugar milling is by February.

The sugar crop year starts in September of the current year and ends in August of the following year.

Sugar prices, as such, remains at around P64 per kilo in the supermarkets and at P65 per kilo in the wet markets, although monitoring has seen some sugar prices at P70 per kilo.

ipur

January 18th, 2011, 08:56 AM

Not sure if this gonna reach our shores but I would like to inform every of this news from Vietnam.

Cold weather kills 10,000 heads of cattle
Updated : 5:39 PM, 01/17/2011

http://english.vovnews.vn/avatar.aspx?ID=100927&at=0&ts=200&lm=634308828432330000
The Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) announced about huge losses in cattle caused by the long cold spell in recent days.
The department stated the costly deaths occurred despite the best efforts of local authorities and people to save their livestock.

Following statistics at 4pm on January 16, total of 9,248 heads of cattle died in provinces including Lang Son, Yen Bai, Cao Bang, Bac Can, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Son La, Quang Ninh, Hoa Binh, Lao Cai, Bac Giang, Lai Chau, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh.

Cao Bang province suffered the greatest losses, with 1,996 heads of cattle dead, followed by Lang Son (1,380 heads of cattle) and Son La (1,300 heads of cattle).

The Veterinary Department appointed delegations to cities and provinces to coordinate with local animal health departments to fight against hunger and chill for cattle.

Prime Minister requested the chairmen of provincial people’s committees in cities and provinces nationwide send task forces to closely control and actively use the local budget to support materials and expenditure for poor households and farmers.

The Ministry of Finance, in coordination with the MARD and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, was requested to carry out measures to guide, check and assist localities in fighting against cold weather and restoring production of cattle.

http://english.vovnews.vn/Home/Cold-weather-kills-10000-heads-of-cattle/20111/123200.vov

Linguine

January 19th, 2011, 12:51 PM

Firm sees bright future for tobacco in the Philippines
Wednesday, 19 January 2011 19:34 Jonathan Mayuga / Correspondent

PHILIP Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. Inc. (PMFTC), the company put together by leading cigarette manufacturers Philip Morris Philippines Inc. and the Lucio Tan-owned Fortune Tobacco Corp. (FTC), sees bright prospects this year and is working to ensure a stable supply of quality tobacco products from the Philippines.

In an interview at the sidelines of the Fourth Bright Leaf Awards at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel in Pasay City on Tuesday night, PMFTC president Chris Nelson said the company is eyeing to expand areas planted to tobacco in the country’s tobacco-growing provinces, particularly in Isabela, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, Mindoro Oriental and Mindoro Occidental, this year.

As such, he said the PMFTC will pour substantial resources into strengthening tobacco-growing communities in these areas through agronomy training, education and community development to ensure a stable supply of high-quality tobacco products that will match consumer demand for the local and international markets.

The PMFTC, he added, will also be pouring resources to strengthen tobacco communities through disaster risk-reduction programs, anticipating the adverse impacts of unfavorable weather conditions triggered by climate change, such as floods and drought that hamper agricultural production.

“What we are hopeful for is that the crops would be good in terms of quality. Of course, we are always looking at the weather. The crops will come up in March and April. So we have to look forward to it. We are quite optimistic,” he said.

The PMFTC, he added, is also working on the integration of workers into the PMFTC from PMPI and FTC.

“We at PMFTC have lots of things to do in terms of integration. We created PMFTC on the 25th of February last year. We are looking at moving people to PMFTC and we’ll be working on it smoothly in 2011. Hopefully, most of the people are integrated in PMFTC in 2011,” he said.

According to Nelson, while the tobacco industry in the Philippines continues to grow, as far as its agricultural output is concerned, the industry also needs to adapt to development.

“People see the tobacco-growing industry as a sunset industry. Well, it is clearly not. It is an industry which has to adapt. First of all, we try to keep more farmers growing tobacco. You get better tobacco, the more farmers experience tobacco growing. We also try to give a lot to the farmers in terms of agronomy training, good agricultural practices, and also supporting the communities. We have given educational support, environmental support. We want to make sure that tobacco-growing communities remain strong, because they support us,” he said.

“If we take that [growth] as a prognosis, tobacco, the growing side, has a good future. But that future is going to be based on balance, balance that requires only so much frankly on the crop,” he stressed.

He said Philippine tobacco can compete as long as the price and the quality is right, without, however, undermining supply and demand.

“If you plant too much, there’s an impact, equally so when there is shortage,” he said.

For that, he said PMFTC is committed to helping tobacco-growing communities remain strong.

“We want to make the tobacco industry strong, we believe in working with communities. Agriculture in the Philippines, tobacco, is and can be a critical part of the economy,” he said.

“People may look at tobacco growing, which is true, as something that has been going on for hundreds of years. But equally also, it is developing, whether seeds, the fertilizer or the techniques. We need to constantly work with the farmers because it is a commodity with a definite place in the market with the right quality and price. Those two are very important,” Nelson said.

For the tobacco industry in the Philippines to remain strong, Nelson said the government needs to provide support in terms of maintaining a good policy environment, for instance, in terms of positioning on the issues pertaining to the framework convention treaty on tobacco.

While saying the framework convention treaty remains a treaty, he said discussions pertaining to Articles 9 and 10 of the treaty are alarming.

“It is very important because it deals with potential ingredients and probably, to note, American-style cigarettes, which are 90 percent here need those ingredients,” he said.

To ban those ingredients will have direct impact not only on the future of tobacco-growing communities, but the Philippine economy as well, he said, noting that over the last six years, PMPI [Philip Morris before the merger with Fortune] alone was able to contribute substantially in terms of excise payment, and helping farmers and tobacco-growing communities remain strong.

“Tobacco is growing in Isabela. We grow in La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. We also grow in Mindoro. What we are trying to do is link those communities. Expansion is consistent,” he said. He said the company’s expansion programs will also pour in educational support, communities and donations to schools, and training and support for farmers on environmental waste.

[I]http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/life/6361-firm-sees-bright-future-for-tobacco-in-philippines

red_jasper

January 29th, 2011, 05:02 PM

Sagada forms group to assess, grade Cordillera’s coffee varieties
By Desiree Caluza
Inquirer Northern Luzon (http://business.inquirer.net/money/topstories/view/20110129-317345/Sagada-forms-group-to-assess-grade-Cordilleras-coffee-varieties)
First Posted 19:04:00 01/29/2011

Filed Under: Agriculture
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—The mountain resort town of Sagada in Mt. Province, a leading coffee producer in the Cordillera, has started forming a group of professional coffee tasters or “cuppers” to boost the region’s growing coffee industry.

Richard Abellon, member of the Cordillera Regional Arabica Coffee Council, says “coffee cupping,” a technique used in assessing flavor, taste and aroma of coffee, is crucial in promoting coffee varieties produced in the region.

He says the Sagada coffee council would invite professionals from Australia and Canada to train residents and entrepreneurs. The activity is one of the highlights of the town fiesta where Sagada’s first etag (cured meat) festival is set to be staged today, Jan. 30.

“Since the coffee industry is not yet fully developed, we also have to catch up on the skills level. We are more trained in production than service. In other countries such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea, they have their own coffee school because the market requires that there should be training on coffee tasting,” Abellon says in a press forum here.

Twelve coffee varieties produced in different villages in Sagada would be submitted for assessment, he says.

The town sells its coffee beans at P560 to P600 a kilogram.

Elizabeth Wallang, Sagada’s agriculture technologist and a member of the coffee council, says the town’s Arabica could compete with the world’s best varieties.

Wallang validated the market potential of Sagada’s Arabica in her consumer preference study for her thesis in agribusiness at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna, in 2003.

For her study, she served coffee sourced from different provinces to adults, aged between 18 and 27, including elders of Mt. Province.

Wallang says many of her respondents prefer the taste and aroma of the Tipica Arabica coffee grown in Barangay Fidelisan in Sagada.

Abellon says coffee cupping could help raise the level of awareness and appreciation among local producers.

“If we are skilled on cupping, we will be able to develop the flavor of our coffee. Some people prefer it mild, others prefer it strong, while others prefer it earthy. If we develop our tastes, then we can promote our coffee effectively. We have buyers who have a very discriminating tastes, so we should also raise our level of awareness on coffee,” he says.

He says Sagada should devise a way to assess coffee varieties in the absence of fully equipped laboratories.

“We do not have the laboratories which experts use, but we will look for a building which [approximates] the same [environment and] temperature of coffee laboratories. There, all [coffee varieties] would be kept and tested by experts,” he says.

Aside from Sagada, Benguet, Ifugao, Abra and Kalinga also produce Arabica.

Abellon says supply of coffee beans remains a problem especially with the growing demand, that was why they have been encouraging local farmers to sustain the planting of coffee trees.

He says around 50,000 hectares are allotted for new coffee trees in Sagada.

The Regional Development Council says the Department of Agriculture has identified Arabica coffee as one of the top five priority commodities in the region.

A statement from the RDC says the region has 7,781 hectares devoted to coffee plantations and another 3,000 hectares of potential expansion areas.

DA reports show that the Philippines used to be the top producer and exporter of coffee in Asia. Declining harvest and the conversion of coffee plantations resulted in importation starting 1997.

The DA says the country has been importing around 20,000 to 30,000 metric tons of coffee beans worth P70 million, a year.

Earlier, Emmanuel Torrejon, Northern Luzon coordinator of the Philippine Coffee Board, said the country only has about 30,000 coffee farmers, most of them between 60 and 80 years old.

The PCB, Torrejon says, has been urging agriculture schools in the country to offer courses on coffee farming and processing to spark interest among the youth to strengthen the coffee industry.

“These old farmers need to be replaced in the near future by younger, creative farmers to sustain the industry. Our farmers are too old and we are worried about who are going to take over,” he says.

He says the board partly attributes the decline in coffee production to the waning interest of local farmers to cultivate their coffee plantations. He says farmers prefer to plant high-yielding cash crops.

“In the 1980s, we produced 65,000 MT yearly, but at present we only produce 28,000 MT. Why did this happen? The old trees were no longer [revived] and many farmers lost interest in growing coffee,” he says.

bledzoe

February 5th, 2011, 04:32 PM

Isabela hosts RP’s biggest bioethanol plant
(http://goodnewspilipinas.com/2011/02/02/isabela-hosts-rps-biggest-bioethanol-plant/)Posted on February 2nd, 2011 under Technology Milestones

http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/sugarcane_ethanol.jpg

Green Future Innovations Inc., led by Japanese firms Itochu Corp. and JGC Corp., will build the country’s biggest bio-ethanol and co-generation plant producing 54 million liters of bio-ethanol.

“Right now we import our fuel needs, and the foreign exchange goes to the rich Middle Eastern nations,” Green Future president Reynaldo Bantug said at the launch of the P6 billion project.

“This project will grow biofuel in the field.”

The plant in San Mariano, Isabela, will grow sugarcane in 11,000 hectares of idle and underdeveloped land for use as feedstock.

About 9,000 hectares will be grown by farmers and 2,000 hectares managed by the company’s corporate farm. The project proponents have talked to farmers rom San Mariano, Benito Soliven and Ilagan in Isabela province.

The company estimates it will need to spend about P1.6 billion a year for its feedstock, which is expected to have a tremendous impact on San Mariano’s economy.

The project will produce enough bio-ethanol to displace 54 million liters of imported fossil fuel and produce 19 megawatts of electricity annually.

More than 15,000 Filipinos will be employed by the project, which is expected to be operating by the second quarter of 2012.

Green Future is a newly formed venture of Japan’s Itochu and JGC Corp., local firm Philippine Bioethanol and Energy Investments Corp., and Taiwanese holding company GCO.

Philippine Bioethanol president Winston Uy said the oil companies should realize the project’s impact on the economy.

“I hope that everyone can see the value of this most efficient and sustainable project,” Uy said.

Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. has so far signed a deal to buy Green Futures’ bio-ethanol.

“A substantial part of our farmland is idle land right now,” Uy said.

“We’ll be going from nothing to something, and with all these opportunities for the municipality, we expect a net-positive impact.”

hakz2007

February 8th, 2011, 05:12 PM

Reminders:

1. Strong reminder on posting images: provide credit, link to source and respect copyrights! (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/announcement.php?f=585&a=1131)

This is a strong reminder to all forum users that posted images which are not owned and hosted by yourself must be properly credited, a link to the source must be provided and individual copyrights respected. Posted images which are not compliant to this are subject to removal. Thanks all for your cooperation.

2. When posting online articles/news items. (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/announcement.php?f=585&a=477)
When posting articles taken from online sources, please also take the time to provide the link as to acknowledge your source. It's only fair and just to do so. Thank you very much for your cooperation on this matter.

All images and news items/articles posted without proper sourcing or linking will be subject for deletion.

Naga City Deck

February 22nd, 2011, 04:57 AM

The first time i went to The Village, the sun didn't show up. but last Sunday, during our RnR, we were blessed with the sun and there was fresh air near our cottage

taken last Jan. 8
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/168427_157925314258241_120043598046413_345716_1784613_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185911_165672543483518_120043598046413_388374_8087489_n.jpg

the sky was just great!
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180537_165667126817393_120043598046413_388335_6721213_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183851_165673616816744_120043598046413_388388_2115356_n.jpg

the fishing lagoon
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185755_165824400134999_120043598046413_389045_3176643_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180902_165824796801626_120043598046413_389051_6395849_n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184734_165825150134924_120043598046413_389052_1269802_n.jpg

the glimpser

February 26th, 2011, 12:26 PM

Post-harvest facility up soon

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:05:00 02/24/2011

DIGOS CITY, Philippines—A postharvest facility worth P196 million is rising in the town of Matanao, Davao del Sur, and expected to give at least 8,000 farmers in the province a place to process and store their produce.

Gov. Douglas Cagas said the facility would help reduce postharvest losses, give farmers good returns and raise the quality of their harvests.

Davao del Sur is considered to be one of Southern Mindanao’s rice granaries.

The facility, funded partly by the Korean International Cooperation Agency, is being built on a 1,700-square-meter lot in Matanao.

Mechanical driers would be installed to shorten the drying time of palay and lower costs for farmers.

Ernesto Miro, provincial agriculturist, said the plant would reduce post harvest losses by up to 23 percent, or about 2 million tons of rice a year.

In Davao City, the city government said it was finalizing a deal with a South Korean firm for the development of vegetable production areas. Orlando Dinoy, with a report from Judy Quiros, Inquirer Mindanao

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20110224-322072/Post-harvest_facility_up_soon

bledzoe

February 27th, 2011, 01:55 PM

Tilapia-culture-project-launched-in-Argao[/SIZE]"]Tilapia culture project launched in Argao (http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/community/view/20110226-322306/[SIZE="3)
Cebu Daily News

http://www.fishfarming.com/images/farm-raised%20tilapia.jpg

First Posted 08:56:00 02/26/2011

THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Cebu Provincial office recently launched a tilapia culture project in Argao town, together with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Regional Fisheries Training Center (RFTC) and the local government unit (LGU) of Argao.

The project, organized by the people’s organizations in the agrarian reform communities in barangays Butong, Alambijud, Calagagasan, Cansuje and Conalum (BACCC), is among the interventions included in the BACCC’s five-year development plan to increase household income and generate investments.

The Butong Upland Framers Association (BUFA) undertook the tilapia culture project with fish terraces technology while the Upland Farmers Association of Cansuje (UFAC) came up with fish cage technology.

One of the highlights of the activity was the ceremonial signing of a memorandum of agreement last Feb. 9 at the BUFA training center where project stakeholders like Argao LGU, BFAR and DAR affirmed their support for the implementation of the project.

The signing, led by BFAR Regional Director Andres Bojos, Argao Mayor Edsel Galeos, Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer II Grace Fua and DAR Assistant Regional Director for Operations John Maruhom, was witnessed by Provincial Board Member Wilfredo Caminero, barangay captains Ricardo Comaling (Butong), Francisco Albores (Alambijud), Teodulo Alberca (Calagasan), Carlito Quillosa (Conalum) and Marciano Agrabio (Cansuje), BUFA president Babelita Sarile and UFAC president Julita Mamites.

To ensure sustainability of the project, inputs of fingerlings and feeds are readily accessible at the BFAR; the technical training was provided by RFTC, while the POs and Argao LGU provided the project sites for ponds as their counterpart.

Fua congratulated the farmers and expressed her commitment through the assistance of the Beneficiaries Development and Coordination Development to tilapia culture project.

Director Bojos recommended that LGU Argao would put up a municipal tilapia hatchery and BFAR would assist in the installation, and coordinate with the municipal agriculture office in the dispersal of tilapia fingerlings to the farmers in Argao.

Mayor Galeos expressed support for the establishment of the municipal tilapia hatchery, saying the town shows potential for tilapia ventures.

r0mm3l

March 1st, 2011, 02:07 PM

PHL seaweed processor plans move to Indonesia, other local sites — official
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/214245/phl-seaweed-processor-plans-move-to-indonesia-other-local-sites-official

The biggest seaweed processor and exporter in the Philippines will spend as much as P1.5 billion to bankroll a partial relocation of its operations to Indonesia as well as to Zamboanga and Carmen, Cebu.

Shemberg Marketing Corp. will partially relocate its Mandaue plant, as Indonesia will ban the export of their raw material, cottonii seaweed, starting 2012.

Noting the gradual decline in its Philippine production, company president Benson Dakay said the move to Indonesia is part of the company’s efforts “to be where the source is."

Dakay said the company will relocate its kappa gel — a byproduct of seaweed processing — press plant to Makassar, Indonesia, a place rich in cottonii seaweed. Shemberg will also relocate its plant for semi-processed carrageenan to Maasin, Zamboanga, and its alcohol iota — another byproduct of seaweed processing — plant to Carmen, Cebu.

To finance its relocation plans, Dakay said Shemberg Marketing will sell its 25-hectare property in Mandaue, Cebu. The 10,000 MT plant in Mandaue can process 7,000 MT of semi-processed carrageenan, 2,000 MT kappa gel press, and 1,000 MT fully refined alcohol iota.

“We are talking to a number of buyers, mostly foreigners We hope to sell at P30,000 per square meter, which is the going rate for the Cebu reclamation area," Dakay said.

Plant workers may apply for retirement or join the move to the new sites within the next two years, according to the Shemberg Marketing official.

The Philippines remains the world’s top carrageenan exporter. A chunk or 30 percent of its semi-processed seaweed exports goes to China. Its second largest market is France (25 percent), followed by the United States (15 percent), Spain (10 percent), South Korea (6 percent), Denmark (4 percent), and Brazil (2 percent).

Seaweed is one of the Philippines’ Top 10 exports.

Carrageenan or semi-processed seaweed works as a gelling, thickening, or binding agent for processed food like ham, hotdogs, and jellies. It may also be used for animal-free soft gel capsules, biodegradable digestible films, and microbicides or compounds that are used to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. — PE/VS, GMA News

RonnieR

March 15th, 2011, 04:38 AM

Japanese food imports tested for radiation by other Asian nations

Monday March 14 2011

Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and the Philippines will test Japanese food imports for radiation, and other countries might step up monitoring, too, various news services are reporting.

As fears grow over the meltdown of a nuclear reactor in Fukushima, a nuclear complex located 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, other countries in Asia have begun taking measures to protect their populations from contaminated food coming from the region.

Japanese food imports tested for radiation by other Asian nations
http://www.agra-net.com/portal2/home.jsp?template=newsarticle&artid=20017856821&pubid=ag096

Nabartek

March 15th, 2011, 06:59 AM

^^safest kapag nagimport sila sa Pilipinas at Singapore, masmalayo sa radiation :lol:

bledzoe

April 7th, 2011, 11:30 AM

SPECIAL REPORT: Biotech crops shrinking global pesticides market (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=66&articleId=673688)
By Rudy A. Fernandez (The Philippine Star) Updated April 07, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/Uplb_biotech_bldg.jpg

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – The global crop protection market is shrinking.

This can be attributed to, among other things, the “biotechnology revolution” sweeping the international agriculture sector.

The “revelation” is characterized by the development of biotechnology or genetically modified/engineered (CM/GE) plants with built-in resistance to pests attacking cereal and vegetable crops.

With such resistance, dependence on toxic chemicals used to protect food plants from pests has been decreasing, the New York-based International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) reported.

The world’s crop protection market is dominated by herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, noted ISAAA, a non-profit entity with a global network of biotechnology centers, one of them based in Los Baños, that help alleviate hunger and poverty by sharing knowledge and crop biotechnology applications.

Latest available records sourced by ISAAA from Cropnosis Agrochemical Service showed that the global herbicides market in 2009 was $17.87 billion, with the industrial countries (North America, West and East Europe, and Japan) accounting for $11.69 billion and the developing countries $6.17 billion.

The insecticides market in 2009 totaled $10.19 billion, which is half a billion dollar less than the $10.65 billion in 2008. The fungicides market was $10.24 billion in 2009, or $400 million less than that of 2008.

The global crop protection market (which includes biotechnology and others) in 2009 was $50.77 billion, compared to the $53.03 billion in 2008.

The shrinkage in the crop protection market is reflected in a report titled “Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2010” presented by Dr. Clive James, ISAAA founder and current chairman, at a science forum held recently at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City.

ISAAA organized the 2011 seminar with the Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization-Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO SEARCA) and National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).

Other speakers at the seminar and media forum were SEARCA director Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit Jr., successful biotech corn farmer Isidro Acosta from Isabela, ISAAA global coordinator Dr. Randy Hautea, Dr. Ruben Villareal of NAST, and Dr. Rhodora Aldomita of ISAAA.

2010 figures are not yet available, but it is expected that the anti-plant pest chemicals market will further shrink in view of continued shift from planting of conventional to GM crops.

Take the case of Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) corn.

Bt is a bacterium that naturally occurs in soil. Through genetic engineering, a specific gene of Bt has been inserted in a corn variety. The Bt corn produces its natural pesticide against pests, notably the Asiatic corn borer, the most destructive corn pest in the Philippines and other parts of Asia.

James reported that the $11.2-billion biotechnology crop market in 2010 comprised mainly of biotech maize ($5.8 billion), soybean ($4.9 billion), cotton ($1.1 billion), and canola ($300,000).

Other GM crops planted in 148 million hectares in 29 countries in 2010 were wheat, sugarcane, sugarbeet, papaya, squash, alfalfa, and poplar.

In the case of the Philippines, James said: “The benefits of biotech maize to Filipinos farmers’ livelihood, income, the environment, and health have been well-studied and documented.”

In 2010, about 270,000 farmers planted Bt corn in about 541,000 ha.

These farmers spent much less or virtually none on pesticides to control corn pests, as exemplified by Acosta, a retired government bank official and the first to plant Bt corn in Isabela.

RonnieR

April 8th, 2011, 10:43 AM

Firm eyes 4,000 hectares for coffee plantations
By MARVYN N. BENANING
April 2, 2011, 1:13pm

MANILA, Philippines — Corporate Holdings Management, Inc. (CHMI) is working on a plan to develop 4,000 hectares of land for coffee plantations in the next five years and is keen on developing sites in San Mateo and Antipolo City as sites for plantations nearest to the metropolis.

Noel S. Gonzales, CHMI founding chairman and CEO, is an investment banker who has been engaged for years in real estate development.

“Our plan is to cover 4,000 hectares in a five-year period through the help of the government and banking sector and in partnership with Nestle as buyer. At present, we were able to plant 333 coffee trees covering 200 hectares in Cebu within only five months and now we are preparing 300 hectares more for planting. We are also eyeing Antipolo and San Mateo as new sites for coffee production,” he revealed.

Aside from Gonzales, Simeon L. Kintanar, president of CHMI Agroforest Development Corp., said his company also partnered with the community in Alcoy, Cebu to cultivate coffee trees and eventually make Cebu as the coffee corridor in Central Visayas.

Nestle is the country's biggest buyer of coffee cherries and it has been engaged in attracting farmers agribusiness companies to dabble with coffee, the most consumed beverage on the planet next to water.

Nestle Philippines chairman and CEO John Miller attended a recent coffee forum and vowed to support the industry.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala has also called on private companies to work on coffee and promised a package of incentives to lure more entrepreneurs to establish plantations, with the Department of Agriculture (DA) setting up 21 coffee processing facilities from Cordillera down to Mindanao to support them.

These facilities, to be built within five years, would cost P4.9-million each.

Marriz Manuel B. Agbon, who heads the National Convergence Initiative (NCI) of the DA, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)and acts as president of the Philippine Agricultural Development and Commercial Corp. (PADCC) said NCI is identifying specific coffee clusters in each province and identified Northern Mindanao, Davao, and SOCSARGEN (South Cotabato, Sarangani, General Santos City) as accounting for a maximum of 52 percent of the country's coffee production.

Dante S. Delima, program director of DA-High Value Crops Development Program said his office is committed to develop the coffee industry and has allotted P50 million for robusta production this year for some of the 10 priority regions.

Delima said 70 percent of coffee produced in the Philippines is Robusta variety, one of the most popular and commercial varieties of coffee.

Other coffee varieties cultivated in the country are arabica (aromatic), liberica (kapeng barako), and excelsa (bitter).

He stressed the importance of quality and affordable planting materials for mass propagation of coffee.

Financing programs for coffee growers and investors through the assistance of Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and Banco de Oro (BDO) were discussed by Liduvino Geron, Land Bank 1st VP for the agrarian and domestic banking sector and Rhoda Orsolino, BDO senior VP for Commercial Banking Group (Luzon), respectively.

“We are prepared to fund new coffee plantations and the rehabilitation of existing areas for coffee. We are also ready to finance irrigation systems if needed. Borrowers are also allotted a grace period to repay the loan until cashflow is generated,” said Geron.

“For our part, BDO’s support to agriculture and fisheries is now slowly picking up. Our bank is open to individual borrowers provided they can comply with all the requirements of the bank which are needed to secure their ability to repay the loan,” explained Orsolino.

On tax incentives for coffee investors provided by the Board of Investments (BOI) under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Guillermo S. Laquindanum, director, Supervision and Monitoring Department, discussed the simplified procedures for investors who would like to avail of tax incentives.

“Investments in agribusiness or agriculture and fisheries commercial production and processing are at the top of our Investment Priority Plan (IPP),” he said.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/312524/firm-eyes-4000-hectares-coffee-plantations

KnightOfTheFlag

April 11th, 2011, 07:10 AM

Hey guys! ever heard of coco coir and coco peat? its the new products derived from our venerable coconut!!...well its really not new but these days being green is politically correct the coconut comes to our rescue again!...Indeed the coconut lives up to ite name "THE TREE OF LIFE" because with these new...well maybe more developed products it can save our environment at the same time employ lots of people and more income for our coconut farmers!....It is also cited one of our "sunshine industry" after BPO...to date more and more coconut products and "by-products" is finding its niche to the now environment and health conscious world populace like coco-sugar, virgin coconut oil and bio-diesel from coconut....HAIL TO THE TREE OF LIFE!!

Export Action Line
The wonderful coco coir

By ATTY. NELLY FAVIS VILLAFUERTE
April 9, 2011, 4:15am
MANILA, Philippines – From the earliest times of recorded history, people depended on the coconut tree to satisfy many of their needs. An endless list of products and by-products can be made out of the different parts of the coconut tree from the leaves down to its roots. No wonder, the coconut tree is known as the tree of life – a wonderful gift of God to man. In Filipino, coconut is known as niyog; in French, cocotier; in Spanish, cocotero; in Italian, cocco; and in German, kokospalme. And to the sea- loving Arabs of olden times, coconut is called the Indian Nut. It was the Spaniard who called the three-eyed nut as coco which is an old Spanish slang that means monkey face. The Spaniards coined the word coco because the three eyes looked like the two eyes and nose of a monkey.

One part of the coconut that I would like to talk about is the husk that is usually thrown away by many who do not know that there is gold in the coconut husk. And to think that we produce more than eleven billion coconut husks annually! Many Filipinos do not know that the Philippines has more than three (3) million hectares of coconut land with three hundred million coconut trees planted in sixty (65) out of seventy-nine (79) provinces.

From a report of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), coconut husk contains ten (10%) percent bristle fiber, twenty (20%) percent mattress fiber, and seventy (70%) coir dust or shorts or wastes.

The coconut fiber from the husk is stiff but elastic, pliable and resilient.

Known as coir, the coconut fiber is bio-degradable and an eco-friendly product. Like the abaca rope, the coir-woven rope is known for its strength.

Coconut coir has multiple applications.

It is used for upholstery cushion, car seat stuffing, mat, carpet, rope and cordage, fishing net, flooring material, filtration pads, insulation materials – and lately as geotextiles or erosion control nets.

The endless use of land for agricultural and shelter for hundreds of thousands of years – not to mention the erosion and other natural calamities have been causing great damage to our lands . But by simply layering the land with geotextiles, land is protected.

What is coco geotextile? Coco geotextile is made from coconut coir fiber twine woven into high strength mats. Coco geotextiles which come in rolls are getting popular in shoreline stabilization because of their strength, ecological qualities and biodegradability. It is used as a soil erosion control device. The geotextile readily absorbs water. It also builds up soil fertility and unbelievably replenishes lost essential nutrient in the soil. Definitely, a boom to ecology and environment preservation.

Many countries like Japan, Canada, United States, Australia, Germany, and China are using geotextiles – which also protects riverbank shoreline roads with steep slopes. Some provinces in China, for example, have a big common environmental problem. The sand of the ocean is eroding the soil. Our coco geotextiles which is made from the natural coconut fiber is one hundred per cent biodegradable.

To date, there is a big manufacturing plant soon to be inaugurated in Quezon Province which will produce and manufacture our wonderful coconut coir.

Engineer hooked on local labor pursues sunshine industry

By Juan Escandor Jr.
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 17:33:00 01/15/2011

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship, business, Investments, Waste, Philippines - Regions

GUBAT, SORSOGON, Philippines—Dominador Escoto Jr., 49, a mechanical engineer, finds fulfillment in employing as many villagers as possible and making money out of waste products of coconut farmers.

Escoto says he pursues the production of coconet, a one-of-a-kind net made of coconut coir utilized to stabilize the soil and vegetation, because his father is proud of him since he employs villagers in his plant in Barangay (village) Jupi here.

Turning point

While working in a nail factory in Metro Manila as supervisor in his early 30s, Escoto was able to cut the manpower requirement of the factory by 30 percent by integrating the processes of gradual stretching of iron rods, which become nails.

Coming home in this town for a vacation, he was full of enthusiasm to tell his father, also a mechanical engineer, about his achievement.

“I told him about it while we were eating, but he seemed cold to my story. Then later, my father related that somebody I knew made good by recruiting many people to work in an enterprise he was in,” Escoto says.

He figured out that his father was not happy with the result of his work, which consequently deprived many people of their jobs.

His priest-brother convinced him to leave the factory and make use of his own talent and skills to build his own enterprise.

Heeding his priest-brother, Escoto put up the coconet plant.

But he was discouraged by some people in the government who told him the coconet venture was not viable and encouraged him instead to produce virgin coconut oil (VCO).

Despite the discouragement, he pursued his plan to put up a coconet factory together with the production of VCO in the summer of 2005.

Down, up

The venture had started to peak up until Supertyphoons “Reming” and “Milenyo” ravaged his factory in late 2006.

“Everything here was flattened but several of my machines were still functional. It took me about two years to rebuild my factory. I surmised that I could not recover if I would not operate,” Escoto enthuses.

He says he was able to access loan from a cooperative to restart his disabled coconet plant in 2008.

It now gives employment to 71 villagers.

Escoto says 80 families from three villages are also participating through home-based production of twines made of coconut coir which are bought at P2.25 per hunk, a unit of twined coco coir that is 15-meters long.

He discloses that each family can produce 160 to 170 hunks a day. The hunks are the strands woven into an oversized handloom operated by three laborers to make a one-meter by 50-meter coconet roll.

Escoto says they produce three kinds of mesh sizes wherein the higher the numerical value of the coconet the higher the density. These come in 400, 700 and 900 strands per square meter.

Earnings

Romeo Madridano, a weaver, says he can earn an average of P225 a day finishing three rolls in a day, together with another weaver and a person who unbinds and stretches the hunks fed on the loom.

Escoto says they gather the raw materials, that is, coconut husks, within the 20-kilometer radius of the coconet plant. These are processed by first removing the outer layer of the coconut husks and dusts to get the fiber.

The coconut husks go through a decorticating machine conveyed from a water-medium conveyor system that he designed to eliminate dust pollution.

The decorticated coconut coir or fiber is made into twine using mechanical rotating device to make the hunks, which are then further used by the weavers to make the coconet as the final product.

Escoto says he was optimistic his coconet venture has brighter prospects this year, with increasing demand from the Energy Development Corp., construction firms from Manila and from the contractors of Subic-Tarlac Road.

Enough supply

Alvin Trespeces, acting project development officer of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Bicol, says the available raw materials in the area are enough for Escoto’s coconet plant to sustain its production.

Trespeces says that in Gubat town alone there are 6,579 hectares of land planted to coconut. This, he says, is more than enough to supply the required daily volume of a one-tonner coconet plant that can sustain production on at least 2,000 hectares of coconut plantation.

He says the coconut coir industry in the Philippines is still a sunshine industry compared with those of India and Sri Lanka where the production of fiber from coconut husks began 20 years ago.

Trespeces counted six one-tonner coconet plants all over Bicol, two of which are in Sorsogon (including Escoto’s), two in Masbate, another two in Camarines Sur and one each in Camarines Norte and Albay.

He says the by-products of decorticated coconut husks that can be sold commercially include coconut coir, twines, coconets and organic fertilizers from coconut dusts.

Trespeces says some P3.5 million is required to start a one-tonner coconet plant. This initial investment would cover purchase of trucks, decorticating machine, revolving sieve, manual twining and weaving devises and electric water pump.

He says the one-tonner coconet plant is a capital- and labor-intensive venture in which the owner can spend P700,000 for the labor alone in one month at full operation.

Trespeces discloses that the PCA is assisting the existing coconet plants in the region in marketing their products by integrating and consolidating them into an organization.

He says they organized last year the Association of Bicol Coir Producers to come up with a volume of supply for foreign buyers.

Through the association, the coconut coir producers in Bicol could consolidate the production in each plant with uniform standard so that it could satisfy the volume of demand, he says.

“The prospects of penetrating the world market remain bright with the formation of the association. With people in the First World countries preferring biodegradable materials, the coconet, coir and twine can expect higher demand from the world market in the coming years,” Trespeces enthuses.

KnightOfTheFlag

April 11th, 2011, 07:13 AM

Industry targets 10-fold increase in coconut coir exports in 5 years
By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
April 9, 2011, 11:35pm
Exports of the lowly coconut coir, fiber from coconut husk, are expected to reach $6.5 million by 2016 or ten-fold increase from the current level with the approval and implementation of an industry development plan.

The Philippine Coco Coir Industry Development Plan covering the period 2011-2016 was approved during the recent National Coco Coir Summit in Davao City.

The five-year plan using the value chain approach will be supported by the implementation of Memorandum Circular 25 encouraging the use of coco peat (dust from coconut husk) as soil conditioner and coir in erosion control, and RA 10068, the Agricultural Organic Act.

Already, the ensuing business matching during the summit was able to close two business ventures. First is the joint Venture agreement between Filipino and Chinese companies worth P200M investments for the establishment of 10 processing plants in Region 10 in the next five years, for production of approximately 2,000 MTs/month of coco fiber.

The other project is the supply of 96 metric tons a month of coco coir, supply of 1,000 pieces a month of VCO-based beauty soap, and supply of 1,000 pieces a month of coco-trays.

During the summit, a Joint Statement of Commitment was forged by the Secretaries Departments of Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Public Works and Highways, Science and Technology, the administrators of Philippine Coconut Authority and the Fiber Development Authority (FIDA), President of Philippine Coco Coir Exporters Association of the Philippines (PhilCOIR), and chairman of Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) affirming the commitment to support the coco coir industry through the adoption and implementation of the Inter-Agency Coco Coir Development Plan 2011-2016.

The Joint Statement also called for the creation of an Inter-Agency Special Task Force that will ensure the implementation and monitoring of said programs and projects.

The Inter-Agency Special Task Force will ensure implementation and monitoring of the said programs and projects and projects as well as other programs and projects that may be subsequently added and incorporated in the Coco Coir Industry Development Plan and facilitate continuous consultation with the stakeholders as may be necessary.

The agencies concerned have also committed to support the industry through the programs, projects and activities identified and incorporated in the Inter-Agency Coco Coir Industry Development Plan (2011-2016) by providing the resources as may be required.

The summit has identified coco coir (fiber and peat) as one very promising industry with a huge potential, both in the export and domestic markets due to its wide array of uses and its eco-friendly qualities.

With over 3 million hectares of coconut plantation in 68 provinces and 1,195 municipalities throughout the country, producing approximately 15 billion nuts annually and with more than 60 coco coir producers in the country, the potential for coir is indeed huge.

But, there is a need to review /evaluate the industry value chain and adopt measures that will maximize participation of all the industry stakeholders which will also result to their optimum benefit in terms of jobs, income, investments and sales.

The collaborative mechanism adopted to evaluate and validate the industry situationer and performance and to plan for the next steps ahead followed the value chain approach.(BCM)

Japanese-Korean firm to produce coco-sugar

A JAPANESE-Korean company will start this month the operation of its $47.1-million plant for the production of xylose, a natural sweetener extracted from coconut shells, state-run Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) said on Thursday.

In an interview, Euclides Forbes, PCA administrator, revealed that CJ Toyota Philippines Inc. plans to go fully operational with its xylose processing plant in Barangay Darong, Santa Cruz in Davao del Sur possibly within the second-quarter.

Forbes said the processing plant, which sits on a five-hectare property fronting the San Miguel Brewery plant, will have a production capacity of 15,000 metric tons (MT) of xylose a year.

Forbes said the plant’s output will be shipped to Japan, Korea and Europe.

The coco sugar or D-Xylose is a raw material for xylitol, one of the major ingredients for chewing gums, sweeteners, confectioneries and toothpaste.

“This is a very good project not only for the company, but also for the local farmers in the country. Instead of throwing out the coconut shell, the farmers can earn an extra P5 to P6 for a kilo of coconut shell,” Forbes said.

The official said there are other by-products that could be processed out of coco shells such as coconut shell coal after extracting the xylose.

CJ Toyota Philippines Inc. is a tie-up of CJ Cheiljedang Corp. and Toyota Tshusho Corp., Binggrae Co. Ltd., and Anflo Management and Investment Corp. (Anflocor), one of the biggest banana exporters in the country.

Earlier, CJ Toyota said that it is rushing operations of its plant to provide an initial delivery of some 1,200 MT of coco sugar to its clients in Japan, Korea and China.

James Konstantin Galvez

LINK : http://www.manilatimes.net/business/japanese-korean-firm-to-produce-coco-sugar/

Manila-X

April 12th, 2011, 03:37 AM

Aquino warned of rice crisis
Intel body cites threat to national security

By Tony S. Bergonia
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:05:00 04/12/2011

MANILA, Philippines—Rising costs of basic commodities and services in the country and a shrinking rice supply have become a national security concern, according to a report by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA).

The report, prepared on Feb. 20 and a copy of which was furnished President Benigno Aquino III, said one of the possible flash points being watched by the local intelligence community was the supply and prices of rice worldwide.

Soaring prices of cereals due to production shortfalls led to food riots in several countries and toppled a government in 2008, while prompting the Philippines to buy huge volumes of rice, which it sold to the poor at a discount.

A top security analyst, who helped prepare the NICA report, said early signs of unrest as a result of the price increases this year were being watched closely.

Pockets of protesters have been holding rallies against price increases and a nationwide strike called by the transport sector is a cause for concern, said the security analyst, who asked not to be named because of the nature of his work.

“The sources of unrest are not just terrorist movements or political conflicts, but also issues of the stomach. The most vulnerable of people are the ones who are hungry,” he said.

In March, the average price of rice in the international market was a little over $500 a ton, according to United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The agency said recently that food prices worldwide this year were about 37 percent higher than last year’s.

In the country, the average retail price of rice ranged from P30 to P35 a kilogram, the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) reported on April 9.

The NICA report came a few days before Social Weather Stations released the findings of its survey on poverty that said at least two out of every 10 Filipinos had experienced hunger this year and more than half of the country’s population rated themselves as poor.

Unusual weather

The NICA report, tagged as confidential, said unusual weather patterns brought by climate change and upheavals worldwide were exacting a heavy toll on food supply and costs in many parts of the world, including the Philippines.

Some of the writings on the wall that point to a potential crisis in rice supply, according to the report, are the following:

• Weather disturbances—flooding and drought—“have greatly affected food production worldwide.”

• Rice-producing countries, “without any exemption … experienced overall reductions in production.” These are the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, China and Cambodia.

• Massive losses in wheat production due to flooding and a cold spell in Australia, Russia, Ukraine and countries in Eastern Europe are likely to force wheat consumers to shift to rice, further straining worldwide supply.

“Wheat affects rice importation because rice and wheat are reciprocal alternatives, being similarly the world’s most important staple food,” the NICA report said.

• A warning made by the FAO of a worldwide food crisis as a result of sharp declines in international food production.

Ledac meeting

The report has reached the desk of the President and was taken up at the first meeting of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) on Feb. 28, according to the source.

At a press conference following the LEDAC meeting, Mr. Aquino was quoted as saying he had asked the agriculture department to review its figures on rice availability “because if we suddenly have a shortage … this will certainly have a deleterious effect on consumers.”

“This report is being made to mitigate the spiraling costs (of goods and commodities) which started going up at the start of the year 2011,” the NICA report said.

The most-watched commodity is rice, it said, because “any increase in the cost of vital commodities, such as rice, will be politically critical to any administration.”

Vulnerable

The report said the country was very vulnerable to the tightening of food supplies in the world. The country currently has a production shortfall of 1.3 million metric tons (MT) of rice.

“In short, our rice production will not be able to meet our food demand for the year 2011,” it said.

The country has a buffer stock of rice amounting to at least 2.5 million MT, according to the BAS.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala was earlier quoted as saying that the Philippines may need to import up to 800,000 MT to fill the gap in local production.

More rice imports

Jittery over the possibility of price increases in the international market and the specter of stronger storms, the National Food Authority (NFA) said it would import more rice to ensure a stable supply and prices in the latter part of the year.

NFA Administrator Angelito Banayo Monday said he was in favor of importing an additional 300,000 MT of rice to boost buffer stocks.

The NFA recently ordered from Vietnam 200,000 MT, which cost the agency about P4 billion under a government-to-government deal. The rice will be delivered from April to June.

“I would like to play it safe and buy some more. It won’t be too much,” Banayo said.

The NFA is allowed to buy 1.3 million MT of rice from abroad. Of that amount, 200,000 MT will be brought in by the government, while 660,000 will be imported by the private sector.

The country consumes more than 13 million MT of rice a year, said a report quoting the US Department of Agriculture.

Strained finances

The NICA report said the biggest question was whether the Philippine government could afford the costs of importing rice, strained as it is with expenses incurred in repatriating Filipino workers from troubled countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

The report said “there is a growing pattern of rice-importing nations already purchasing or locking up the dwindling supply of rice in the face of lower production of both rice and wheat.” This could lead to higher costs of imported rice, it said.

The report said Indonesia, which did not import rice in 2008 and 2009, started importing 1.08 million MT of rice late last year and early this year from two of the Philippines’ top rice producing neighbors—Vietnam and Thailand.

Indonesia plans to import a total of 3.2 million MT of rice this year, the report said.

Even one of the world’s poorest countries, Bangladesh, recently entered into a rice supply deal with Vietnam.

Malaysia, the report said, had “quietly locked up” 800,000 MT of rice from Vietnam. South Korea is also importing rice from the same sources as the Philippines.

One of the most worrisome developments, the report said, was China’s purchase of rice from Vietnam and Burma (Myanmar).

“The actions of these other countries pose a great danger to our food security as there is a possibility that they will soak up the supply available for rice or if there would be remaining supplies, these would be very expensive,” the NICA report said.

Left behind

The report said the Philippines was being left behind by other countries. “(A)nd the danger of a food crisis in this country is reaching the point that is has now become an issue of national security.”

“What is more troubling is our very own weather is contributing to lower rice production,” the report said. Floods in the Visayas and Mindanao recently “while not significantly reducing potential harvests still add up to the shortfall for national consumption.”

The report warned that a shortage may open the door for “private traders ... to create an artificial supply-demand inequality that could lead to higher prices.”

The report said rice importation should be protected from kickbacks. A shortage will benefit only a rice cartel that continues to operate in the country, it said.

The report stressed the need for Mr. Aquino to require the NFA to submit a detailed report on rice availability and measures being undertaken to ensure supply. With a report from Kristine L. Alave

RonnieR

April 12th, 2011, 11:07 AM

^^ WANCH: That report was negated by Secretary Alcala.

Anyway...stronger agri output = good for GDP growth. :)

Strong Philippine farm output posted in Q1

Tuesday April 12 2011

Philippine farm output was stronger in the first quarter than in the last three months of 2010 and the country is expected to surpass its rice production forecast for the first half of the year, the country's agriculture secretary said.

An increase in rice and maize production helped the overall farm output in the March quarter grow at least 7% from a year earlier, stronger than the previous quarter's 6.35%, agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala told local media.

http://www.agra-net.com/portal2/home.jsp?template=newsarticle&artid=20017864274&pubid=ag002

bledzoe

April 17th, 2011, 02:37 AM

^^ Secretary Alcaca means business. i like this Secretary, humble and sensible...

US awards Phl additional 60,000-MT sugar quota (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=676747&publicationSubCategoryId=66)
By Marianne V. Go (The Philippine Star) Updated April 16, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

http://cdn.wn.com/pd/75/33/10f0923719cc3251690f49e49fe4_grande.jpg

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has been allocated by the US government an additional sugar export quota of 60,000 metric tons raw value (MTRV).

This was announced by USDA Secretary Tomas Vilsack last April 11.

Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) head Regina Bautista-Martin said the Philippines has a good chance to fill the additional quota as this year’s production is estimated to reach 1.98 million metric tons.

“Production looks good. We may hit our target of 1.98 million metric tons, ” Bautista-Martin said.

Rosemarie Gumera of the SRA’s policy planning department said the production estimate may be revised to a slightly lower figure of 1.97 million MT, which is about the same level as last year’s crop production.

Gumera said raw sugar production is down by four percent while refined sugar production is up by 30 percent.

Because of this, Gumera said the SRA is worried about the build up of sugar stocks and the decline of withdrawals.

Local demand for sugar, especially by beverage firms, is declining. As such, the SRA sees no need to import additional sugar this year.

Last year, the SRA had to resort to importations following a rise in local sugar prices.

bledzoe

April 17th, 2011, 03:31 AM

DA to tap 10,000 hectares of idle lands, unused NFA assets for food security (http://mb.com.ph/articles/314374/da-tap-10000-hectares-idle-lands-unused-nfa-assets-food-security)
By MELODY M. AGUIBAApril 16, 2011, 8:33pm

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mlQHzoOSXek/SeWhB7eAcwI/AAAAAAAAAgg/QLcYSavurKA/s400/DA+new+logo.jpg

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is tapping 10,000 hectares of largely DA-owned idle land and a potential multi-billion worth of idle National Food Authority assets as a means to raise food security.

DA is now consolidating lands that will enable it to save on cost possibly for use as technology demonstration sites or as location for commercial farming or for establishing post-harvest facilities.

“DA wants to utilize these lands for food security purposes. We’re checking on their titles, and if there is no title for a property, our task is to get titles for them,” said lawyer Ronilo A. Beronio, special assistant for DA’s property concerns, in an interview.

DA already had as of 2005 an inventory of its idle properties which resulted in the discovery of 10,000 hectares of potentially usable land.

The government is apparently consolidating all possible resources of DA and its attached agencies in order to maximize their use at a time of austerity.

DA-attached National Food Authority (NFA) is also reviewing the status of its warehouses which as of March 2011 totaled to 296 with a total capacity of 20.483 million cavans.

The government stands to gain substantially from an inventory of NFA’s properties, mostly used as warehouses, according to NFA Administrator Angelito T. Banayo. An evaluation of the market value of its assets may result in the sourcing of a multi-billion fund.

"You will be surprised that in our books, the value of our property assets is less than P10 billion. But the real value must be 10 or 20 times bigger. We're having these data updated. We can raise funds from these. We can pay off our loans or use it for palay support," said Banayo in another interview.

Under an Asset Rationalization Plan (ARP) based on an NFA 2002 report, NFA has already approved the divestment of 11 properties including those in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Cavite, Bulacan, Quezon, Baliuag, Occidental Mindoro, Davaocity Ozamis City, Pagadian City, and Cavanatuan City.

The objective of the ARP are to ensure that NFA is fulfilling its mandate of locating a warehouse where it is needed right in farms or food production areas and sell off properties where warehousing functions is no longer optimal due to urbanization in these areas.

Banayo said NFA is particularly looking at an offer of Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. for NFA to swap its 2,600 square meter property (warehouse) in Bacolod City for a 30,000 square meter property in an agricultural area.

"We're still using the warehouse, but we can look at a property where we will be nearer to the harvest area. Our warehouse there is beside the capitolyo, right in the heart of the city. We're creating traffic whenever our big trucks go in and out. The governor offers to move us to a three-hectare property, 13 kilometers away, and they will construct our warehouse and offices," said Banayo.

The decision to take the swap offer plus free construction of a new NFA warehouse, according to Banayo, may "make sense for us since we won't be spending anything for a bigger warehouse, and it's a government to government transaction."

NFA, he said, will consider if it needs consultants for valuation of such properties.

"I will see if we will need propery consultants because that's not our expertise. We have to look at appraised market value," he said.

Other big properties of NFA which may need review include a 10-hectare site in Cabanatuan City which it uses as a warehouse and regional office and another warehouse in General Santos which is in an urbanized area where it sits beside a big commercial area.

"We have many assets like these that we can sell or develop as a (commercial) property in a joint venture" with the private sector or other government agencies, Banayo said

bledzoe

April 17th, 2011, 03:41 AM

Farmers urged to grow giant gourami (http://mb.com.ph/articles/314202/farmers-urged-grow-giant-gourami)
April 15, 2011, 3:47pm

http://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/userpics/10004/giant_gourami.jpg

MANILA, Philippines -- Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala urged fish farmers to venture into growing giant gourami (Ospronemus gouramy) as an alternative to bangus, tilapia and catfish in inland water bodies such as fishponds, lakes, and even dams and reservoirs.

Alcala said that based on research findings of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), giant gourami can easily be grown and can thrive on a variety of locally available food including kangkong, duckweed and small insects.

“Growing giant gourami will greatly benefit marginal fisherfolk as they need not buy costly commercial feeds to grow their fish,” Alcala added.
The giant gourami is a large freshwater fish native to parts of India, Indonesia, Malaysia and China.

It is regarded as a highly esteemed table delicacy in many parts of Asia because of its superior taste and a peculiar light-yellow colored flesh which is easy to digest.

The giant gourami can attain 0.7 to 1 kilogram in 8-month culture period. It can be polycultured with tilapia and other freshwater fishes with complementary feeding and similar culture requirements. Field trials are currently in progress for its organic culture using indigenous feeds, says Adelaida Palma, chief of the National Inland Fisheries Technology Center (NIFTC) in Tanay, Rizal where two varieties of giant gourami – the black and the albino – are currently being propagated. The BFAR National Freshwater Technology Center (NFTC) in Nueva Ecija is also propagating these two giant gourami varieties.

BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento said they have been continuously exploring means to reduce the production cost in growing fish by looking into species that could be grown organically and is less dependent on commercial feeds to broaden its aquaculture base.

Meanwhile, one of the alternatives that BFAR is looking at to cut on production costs especially for tilapia production is the skip-feeding wherein feeding is done every other day instead of the traditional daily feeding.

Alcala said that by skip-feeding, fish farmers would be able to cut by half the cost of feeds without sacrificing the yield. He said this would be beneficial to the fish farmers, their consumers, and the environment. Normally, feeds comprise up to 60 percent of the total production cost in aquaculture.

“During these times of impending food crisis and rising costs of consumer goods, we advise our fish farmers to follow proper fish cage management practices so that they will be able to benefit more from their fish farming venture,” Alcala said.

The alternative feeding scheme of skip-feeding is one of the important findings of extensive studies conducted by BFAR in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC-AQD) to determine the best fish cage management practices in the country’s major lakes.

Sarmiento added that a research funded by Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research and conducted in Lake Buhi, Lake Bato, Laguna de Bay and in Ambuklao Dam by NIFTC, showed that skip-feeding does not affect fish growth.

In Lake Bato, for instance, skip-feeding was done every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 8 am and 4 pm. Feed was given at a rate of 5% body weight for first two months and lowered to 2.5% for the remaining months.

Aside from the comparable total fish harvest to other feeding rates and schedules, skip-feeding scheme resulted in shorter culture duration or faster turnover time which allows for three crops per year instead of the traditional 1 to 1.5 crops per year.

The research revealed that shortened culture period also allows for greater chance of harvest before devastating calamities from extreme climate changes and mass fish kill occur.

KnightOfTheFlag

April 17th, 2011, 03:45 AM

Coconut industry eyed as next major source of employment
April 16, 2011, 8:39pm

MANILA, Philippines – The government identified the coconut industry as the next priority focus in jobs generation, which can widen its reach to the barangays and involve unskilled labor, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said during the 1st National Coco Coir Summit held recently in Davao City.

The coconut industry, Domingo said is a priority industry as it can generate more jobs both in the barangays and cities along the value chain from production, processing, trading and exporting.

The coco coir sub-sector in particular, has tremendous potentials in the export market. What is needed is to match the required raw material supply which is abundant nationwide, especially in Mindanao based on the production statistics, Secretary Domingo said. “The coco coir industry can provide more job opportunities in the country-side, what is needed to maximize the potentials of the industry and address the gaps.” He said.

Among the various new industrial products that are expected to boost the demand for coir are: (1) Binderless boards - high density, high performance boards made from pure coconut husk with the lignin component as natural binder; (2) Cement-bonded boards - coir as main component of medium density cement bonded boards for housing and packaging materials; (3) Concrete rooftile - being rust-free makes it suitable for houses along coastal areas; (4) Resin-bonded boards - made by impregnating a coir mat with phenol formaldehyde resin and curing it under heat and pressure; (5) Insulator pads for exports of fire retardant rubberized coir padding from the Philippines.

The Summit endorsed the Philippine Coco Coir Industry Development Plan following the value chain approach, with a vision of a “ten-fold” growth for the industry translated in terms of 400% exports increase by 2016 or US$6.5M and expanded local market base.

Global demand of coco coir (fiber and peat) is enormous. Baled fiber, which remains to be leading export products has China as the biggest market accounting for 51% of the total world absorption in 2008.

Sri Lanka and India are the major producers and exporters. Sri Lanka exported 151,061 MT composed of coir (mattress fiber), bristle, twisted fiber, yarn and twine. India whose coco coir production reached 430,000 MT in 2007 exported a composite volume of 83,094 MT.

The Philippines, on the other hand, has an estimated potential production supply of 15,124 B nuts or 6,033M MT. Mindanao accounts for 59% or 3,587,386 MT of husks. The estimated husk supply available for coir production is 2.4MT or 40%.

In terms of coco husk processing, Philippine Coconut Authority has registered a limited number of registered coco coir producer/ processors, with combined installed capacity of 21,300 MT/year.

Undersecretary for Regional Operations Merly Cruz also emphasized the potential tenfold growth of the Philippine coco coir industry given the country’s vast areas planted with coconut and the nut production performance which is second only only to Indonesia.

LINK: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/314382/coconut-industry-eyed-next-major-source-employment

Nabartek

April 17th, 2011, 05:06 AM

Da coconut nut is giant nut, if you eat too much you'd grow very fat

:lol:

KnightOfTheFlag

April 18th, 2011, 06:56 AM

^^^^ Yep it can really make our economy " grow fat! " he heee:):lol:

poker.face

April 19th, 2011, 05:41 AM

By ELLALYN B. DE VERA and DEXTER A. SEE
April 16, 2011

MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to complete a P400-million modern wholesale trading and processing facility for vegetables and fruits in La Trinidad, Benguet, alongside a tramline now operable for mountainside farmers in Twin Peaks, before the end of 2011.

The trading facility called Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (APTC), which will be established on a four-hectare lot in La Trinidad, Benguet, is considered “the biggest and most modern agricultural wholesale trading and processing center in the country,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said.

The proposed site is within the strawberry fields at the main campus of the Benguet State University (BSU) in La Trinidad.

Alcala explained that the new facility will complement the existing trading post near the La Trinidad Municipal Hall to make trading operations of vegetables and fruits faster, from unloading until payment of goods delivered, and thus minimize spoilage and wastage.

This comes as hundreds of farmers in remote villages of Tuba, Benguet now have an easier time in delivering their agricultural produce from the mountain-top village of Twin Peaks places to the markets following the completion and eventual operation of the over.

The 432-meter long tramline is being powered by an 80-horse power diesel engine to carry crops down the mountain in just 15 minutes.

Before the completion of the project, Bawek farmers from barangay Twin Peaks had to transport their high value crops such as mangoes and bananas as well as vegetables by foot along a perilous trail.

Worst, their climb up and down a steep foot trail to reach their plantations and then carry the fruits on their backs took up to three hours.

mb.com.ph (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/314354/400m-trading-post-rise-benguet)

KnightOfTheFlag

May 2nd, 2011, 05:26 PM

Another useful findings that will help our coconut farmers and industry...if only we develop this agricultural sector it can earn millions and billions of dollars for our economy...indeed coconut is one of the "new sunshine industry" that our country can rely for economic growth....the coconut and the coconut tree usefulness is now unfolding, who knows what else they would discover on what the coconut tree can offer? we are just scratching the surface now guys...we must prepare and ride the coconut economic wave thats is coming ...it would be shameful that we would be left behind because as we all know coconut is very much an indigenous product.

Coconut shells used to purify water (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/315852/coconut-shells-used-purify-water)
By ROY C. MABASA
April 27, 2011, 4:27pm

MANILA, Philippines — A professor from the De La Salle University (DLSU), in partnership with the Manhattan College in New York City, has helped develop a sustainable water purification system which uses indigenous biodegradable materials such as coconut shells to be introduced in Nagcarlan, Laguna in June.

DLSU Professor Susan Gallardo, together with Manhattan College Professor and Filipino-American James Patrick Abulencia, presented the water purification system at the just concluded National Sustainable Design Expo at the National Mall between 4th and 7th Streets, Washington DC which was organized by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of its Earth Day event.

This endeavor by students from the Manhattan College, under the tutelage of Gallardo and Abulencia, was made possible by a $9,990 grant from the EPA under its P3 Program (People, Prosperity and the Planet).

Through this EPA program, college students can benefit people, promote prosperity and protect the planet by designing solutions that move people towards a sustainable future.

The EPA considers projects that address challenges from a wide range of categories: agriculture, built environment, materials and chemicals, energy, and water. These can be challenges found in the developed or developing world.

The P3 Award competition is a two-phase team contest. For the first phase, interdisciplinary student teams compete for $15,000 grants. Recipients use the money to research and develop their design projects during the academic year. The final projects include a Phase I project report and a Phase II proposal.

This year's Expo showcased 55 teams of more than 400 college students from across the United States who presented their innovative solutions to environmental challenges.

Gallardo teaches Chemical Engineering at the DLSU while Abulencia recently participated in the Balik Scientist Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST).

Their team designed and developed a cost-effective and bio-degradable water filter using materials that are locally available and cost-effective for the local population.

The water system will be launched in June when Professor Abulencia travels back to the Philippines.

MatudNilaBaby

May 4th, 2011, 09:47 PM

Nabartek

May 5th, 2011, 07:09 PM

^^ lol. The next thing we will see is that they discovered that coconut shells can shine floors! :lol:

le Reine

May 10th, 2011, 05:59 AM

SONA - Pinoys waste 3 spoonfuls of rice per day 04/01/11

i2zQYggRVic&feature=relmfu

Ady001

May 10th, 2011, 11:55 AM

^^ I'm guilty with that... :ohno:

the glimpser

May 11th, 2011, 03:54 PM

PH posts highest ever palay harvest in first quarter
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20110511-335807/PH-posts-highest-ever-palay-harvest-in-first-quarter

By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:55:00 05/11/2011

MANILA, Philippines—Philippine agriculture grew 4.10 percent in the first quarter of the year on the back of strong crop output, including an “unprecedented” palay (unmilled rice) harvest, the Department of Agriculture said Tuesday.

The rice sector expanded 15.63 percent to 4.03 million metric tons (MT) in the first quarter, “the highest rice volume we have seen since Filipinos started planting rice,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told the media. “This was unprecedented.”

Agriculture’s expansion, although lower than the target of 4.5 to 5.5 percent, was a turnaround from last year’s negative growth and was the fastest first-quarter growth since 2004, as rains boosted corn and rice production, the agriculture department said.

Palay production was only 3.49 million MT in the first quarter of 2010 because of drought, data from the agriculture department showed.

Self-sufficiency by 2013

Alcala said the palay sector’s performance was a step toward rice self-sufficiency by 2013, a key midterm goal of the Aquino administration.

The increase in the production of the Philippine staple made it unlikely for the country to increase its rice imports to 860,000 MT, [just about a third of last year’s record volume of 2.45 million MT], the agriculture secretary said.

The country has become the world’s largest rice importer in recent years.

At current prices, agriculture output in the first quarter amounted to P347.2 billion, 12.72 percent higher than that recorded in the same period last year, the agriculture department said.

“We project even higher growth for the next two quarters that will put us on target as the programs and interventions show results in terms of still higher output and production,” Alcala said.

Crops, which expanded 8.19 percent, contributed heavily to the expansion of agriculture output, according to the agriculture department.

He said palay production accounted for 52.99 percent of the total farm output in the first quarter.

Despite the specter of stronger storms in the second part of the year, the agriculture department still expects palay production to hit about 17.46 million MT in 2011, more than 10 percent higher than last year’s harvest.

“We won’t be able to project how intense these storms will be, but we have factored them in the projections,” Alcala said.

Corn yield up

Corn yield grew 19.50 percent to 1.9 million MT, while sugarcane expanded 26.73 percent.

“Improved production performances were also reported for banana, cassava, cabbage and rubber. [Crops] grossed P206.1 billion at current prices and recorded a 26.69-percent increase from the 2010 level,” the agriculture department said.

Alcala said he expected crops to continue to post higher double-digit growth in the next three quarters, with peaks in the second and third quarters.

Bigger trading posts

The government will continue to help vegetable and rice farmers so they can sustain the growth, he said.

“We will increase the trading posts in the country,” the agriculture secretary said.

He said the government would build a bigger trading center in Benguet province, the country’s main vegetable grower.

“This trading center is four times bigger than the current one. It will be on a 4-hectare property behind the strawberry fields. We will also put up a processing plant,” he said.

Livestock, poultry, fishery

The livestock and the poultry sectors registered minimal growth and their values went down.

The livestock sector barely moved in 2011, posting a 0.59 percent growth. Its value declined 3.04 percent to P49.70 billion at current prices.

The poultry sector expanded 3.92 percent but its value went down 4.35 percent to P39 billion.

Of the four subsectors, only the fisheries industry declined. Output fell 3.49 percent. The subsector grossed P52.40 billion at current prices, 1.67 lower than last year’s.

Alcala said the decline in fisheries output was due to the damage sustained by the industry from the typhoons last year. Some fishermen also slowed down after years of overfishing, he said. With a report from Reuters

hakz2007

May 16th, 2011, 09:19 AM

PHL makes successful debut at world's largest seafood fair
MANILA, May 14 (PNA) -- The Philippines' participation in the world's largest seafood fair in Brussels this month will help the country establish itself as a supplier of “world-class quality" fishery products.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that the Philippines made a successful debut at the European Seafood Exposition (ESE) with at least 10 firms in the country's seafood industry participating.

These include Bluefin Seafood Export Inc.; RDEX Food International Philippines Inc.; Mega Fishing Corp.; FAB Sea Resources Corp.; Well Delight Network Corp.; JARLA Trading; JN Mercado Seafood Supply; MS Seafood Supplier; Nuevo Fresco Marine Trading Corp.; and Jess Aquamarine Traders Inc.

Now on its 19th year, the ESE in Brussels is the world’s largest seafood fair that attracts buyers and sellers from all corners of the globe. The exposition gives countries and seafood companies the chance to promote their export products to global buyers.

It is an annual event that features more than 1,600 exhibitors, representing all categories of seafood products, including fresh, canned, frozen, and value-added seafood.

“Major seafood products that the Philippine delegation promoted included tuna (canned, fresh and frozen fillets), sardines (canned and dried), scad (whole frozen or dried), milkfish (frozen and smoked fillets), whole frozen octopus and squid," the DFA said.

This is the first time that the Philippines participated in the trade fair.

“[I am confident] the delegates’ participation at ESE will create inroads for Philippine suppliers into the [European Union] market," he added.

According to the DFA, Philippine Ambassador to Belgium Enrique A. Manalo also held an informal discussion with the Department of Agriculture officials and exporters on how the embassy can help promote Philippine seafood products to the EU market.

In the Philippines, about one million metric tons of tuna, sardines, mackerel scad, octopus, and squid are harvested by large fleets of purse seine and handline boats annually.

An additional 1.2 million metric tons of milkfish, tilapia, groupers, and prawns are grown in aquaculture ponds and sea cages.

Seaweed farming produces about 800,000 metric tons of eucheuma, which is processed into carrageenan, one of Europe’s major imports.http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=346247

swahi

May 24th, 2011, 12:36 PM

^^ At least kasama na ang bangus, which is aquaculture as compared to other fishes that are really capture fisheries based.

hakz2007

June 2nd, 2011, 12:03 PM

Sertipikasyong FMD-free ang Phl, welcome sa Palasyo
Ikinagalak ngayon ng Malacañang ang sertipikasyong malaya sa foot and mouth disease ang Pilipinas.

Batay sa sertipikasyon ng OIE Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases, foot and mouth disease (FMD) free-zone ang bansa base sa dokumentong isinumite ng Official Veterinary Services of the Philippines.

Sinabi ni Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, malaking bagay ito para sa pag-i-export ng Pilipinas ng karne sa abroad.

Ayon kay Lacierda, isa itong good news sa mga hog-raisers sa bansa at iba pang may negosyo sa paghahayupan.

Naatasan naman ang Pilipinas na agad abisuhan ang OIE kung may lumabas na sakit o epidemya na kahalintulad ng FMD sa mga alagang hayop.http://bomboradyo.com/index.php/news/latest-news/55491-sertipikasyong-fmd-free-ang-phl-welcome-sa-palasyo

Deus Ex

June 3rd, 2011, 08:53 AM

The chances of death by foot & mouth disease is the same as winning the lottery, right guys???

molestedtwineggs

June 3rd, 2011, 09:44 AM

paano ba ang allocation nito? ang laki budget ng northern luzon, central and southern luzon.. dinadaan naman ng bagyo doon... kaya bilyon lagi ang damage to agriculture... di ba nila naisip yon... dapat magisip sila kung ano dapat itanim na hindi madaling masalanta ng bagyo...

dito sa amin sa buong Mindanao napakaliit... (as usual)

source

Economy

Posted on June 02, 2011 10:30:43 PM

Budget department releases P3.4B to support rice output

THE DEPARTMENT of Budget and Management (DBM) has released about 66% of the P5.217 billion programmed this year for government efforts to support rice production nationwide, an official statement yesterday read.

Specifically, DBM had released some P3.43 billion for the Agriculture department’s National Rice Program, which is designed to enable the country to be sufficient in the grain by 2013.

"Through this program, the government makes sure that facilities, technologies and other interventions are in place to help us achieve this (rice self-sufficiency) target," the statement quoted Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad as saying.

Under this program, farmers get quality seeds, irrigation support, as well as credit and marketing assistance to improve their productivity and income.

Disbursements

The Agriculture department’s Office of the Secretary got bulk of the disbursement, totaling some P1.46 billion.

Agencies attached to the department also got funds for the program, namely the:

Bureau of Soils and Water Management, P500 million;

Agricultural Training Institute, P104.158 million;

Bureau of Plant Industry, P76.8 million;

Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, P35 million; and

Bureau of Agricultural Research, P15 million.

The department’s various regional field units got the balance, namely:

Region I, or Ilocos Region, P131.888 million;

Cordillera Administrative Region, P38.883 million;

Region II, or Cagayan Valley, P124.505 million;

Region III, or Central Luzon, P251.2 million;

Region IV, or Southern Luzon, P117.182 million;

Region V, or Bicol Region, P85.736 million;

Region VI, or Western Visayas, P110.992 million;

Region VII, or Central Visayas, P27.028 million;

Region VIII, or Eastern Visayas, P81.999 million;

Region IX, or the Zamboanga Peninsula, P50.987 million;

Region X, or Northern Mindanao, P49.995 million;

Region XI, or Davao Region, P40.361 million;

Region XII, or the South Cotabato-Cotabato-Sultan Kudarat-Sarangani-General Santos City region, P90.885 million; and

Region XIII, or Caraga Region, P37.739 million.

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao did not get any disbursement under this program.

Targets

The Agriculture department expects the country to produce 17.45 million metric tons (MT) of rice this year, up from 15.77 million MT in 2010. The department projects output to rise 10% to 19.2 million MT next year, and by another 10% to 21.11 million MT by 2013.

The same statement noted that, in a technical budget hearing, Agriculture Sec. Proceso J. Alcala said his department expects the country to achieve 91.9% self-sufficiency in the grain next year, up from 84.4% this year, and to be completely self-sufficient by 2013.

Parchie

June 4th, 2011, 12:50 AM

molestedtwineggs

June 4th, 2011, 07:08 AM

That's how twisted things are ever since, bro! Hating kapatid ang tawag diyan! Malaki sa kanila, konti lang sa bunso! Hahaha!

If these practices doesn't change, no wonder some people wanted to keep the central government out of their areas.

if we want agriculture revolution, invest more palays in no typhoon regions... i been to Isabela, Nueva Provinces, Pangasinan they really have huge farm for plantation... but palay is easily damage by typhoon... i would rather suggest to look for other crops...or maybe dairy farming where you can hide the cows during typhoon...

if that will happen, we can minimize at least the damage during heavy storm...

nakakasawa na.. lagi na lang damage to agriculture... bilyon... bilyon... eh 26 storms in a year tayo...

mamumuhunan na naman ng binhi ang government... pati farmer lugi din...

history repeat... kapalpakan ng government paulit-ulit n lang..:ohno:

molestedtwineggs

June 4th, 2011, 07:13 AM

we have big problems to our politicians... nationalistic (USA out of way), regionalistic (NCR most of the PPP), provincialistic (our province should get much), municipalistic, baryostic, kaya tuloy marami na sa atin autistic..., kuntingng singalot sa traffic... BANG!! BANG!!

swahi

June 5th, 2011, 04:29 AM

These numbskulls in politics think that by making the bureau of fisheries into a department by spinning it off from the department of agriculture can better address the ongoing bangus fishkills are just that, numbskulls. We have enough laws in place. We just have lousy implementation.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=693227&publicationSubCategoryId=107

CEBU, Philippines - A move to make the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources independent from the Department of Agriculture is pending in Congress.

Cebu fourth district Rep. Benhur Salimbangon, chairman of the House Committee on Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, said the move was made to strengthen the fishery industry. Industry problems such as the fish kill in Laguna reportedly prompted lawmakers to lobby for the separation and strengthening of the bureau.

A public hearing on the proposal is slated towards the end of the month or early next month in Cebu. The discussion will also include proposed amendments to the existing Fisheries Code, among which is the proposal to reduce the 15-kilometer distance from the shore that is allowed for commercial fishing.

Salimbangon said marginal fisher folk will be invited to the public hearing so that they, too, will be aware of the move.

Salimbangon said Rep. Manny Pacquiao, his vice chairperson in the committee, is reportedly eager to visit the fourth district. The district, he said, is a fitting venue for the hearing because the problem of illegal fishing persists there.

Salimbangon disclosed that some town officials in the district have been linked to the illegal fishing business, although there is a need to substantiate the allegations. The fourth district is composed of local government units in the northern area of Cebu Province, including Bantayan, Bogo, Daanbantayan, Madridejos, Medellin, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Tabogon, and Tabuelan.

Salimbangon said it is important to protect the fourth district from illegal fishing operators, especially that the famous thresher sharks can only be seen in Malapascua island. The island is part of Daanbantayan town and has been attracting both local and foreign tourists.

Salimbangon welcomed the effort of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia in declaring all out war against illegal fishing in the entire Province of Cebu.

“This is really very much welcome development. The only lady governor to do it,” Salimbangon said in an activity held in San Remegio town related to the campaign against illegal fishing recently.

swahi

June 5th, 2011, 04:35 AM

Here is another article to emphasize the inability to implement the laws.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=693149&publicationSubCategoryId=63

MANILA, Philippines - Active and retired generals as well as politicians are among the biggest operators of giant fish pens in Laguna de Bay, hence the difficulty authorities face in having the structures dismantled, a senior lawmaker said yesterday.

“It’s an open secret among officials of municipalities and provinces around Laguna lake that powerful and influential people own these giant fish pens that run into hectares. How can we confront these people who have been greedy at the expense of the environment and the economy? Through political will,” Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, chairman of the House committee on ecology, told The STAR.

Fernandez, together with Ang Kasangga sa Kaunlaran party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco, is calling for the dismantling of fish pens in Laguna Lake and other bodies of water that are in danger of ecological collapse.

Fernandez declined to identify the influential fish pen owners, although names may crop up in next week’s House inquiry into the fishkill in the lake that resulted in losses of nearly P200 million.

“They (giant fish pen owners) have been too greedy and they have been powerful enough to resist efforts by the national government, even in the past administrations, to have them dismantled,” he said.

Fernandez said small fisherfolk are forced to go farther out in the lake because heavily armed men don’t want them near the fish pens. He said there had already been cases of violence perpetrated by fish pen guards.

“These giant fish pen owners, out of greed, do overfeeding that is causing the creation of bad sludge,” he said.

Big operators, he said, dump large amount of feeds and chemicals into their fish pens to artificially boost the growth of fingerlings.

Small fishermen, on the other hand, use only organic materials for feeds, and their fish pens are significantly smaller, he added.

Fernandez said small fish pens are usually only a few meters in size, while those owned by big operators stretch up to several hectares.

He said garbage dumping and illegal logging are also among the causes of massive fishkills.

Fernandez also appealed to President Aquino to reconsider his plan to scrap a Belgian rehabilitation project for the lake. He said that under the project, the dredging equipment used would be donated and would certainly be useful in the future.

Meanwhile, Haresco said Laguna Lake “is no longer a lake but a huge commercial fish pen.”

“Let’s help Laguna Lake recover to its natural state. It is not owned by a few, but by all Filipinos,” said Haresco, vice chairman of the House committee on small business and entrepreneurship development.

“There could be some fish pens there that could be models of sustainable development but for the immediate situation, I think the authorities should stop the degradation of the lake. We will have fishkills occurring more frequently until the lake can no longer be revived,” he said.

Laguna Lake safe

As concerns over the possibility or more fishkills linger, the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) assured the public yesterday of its daily monitoring of water quality in the lake to detect early signs and possibly stave off fishkills.

“As of our latest test, the dissolved oxygen is currently at 5.7 to 6 milligrams per liter. This has passed the criteria for fresh water bodies, which need at least five milligrams per liter for fish to survive,” Rodrigo Cabrera, LLDA general manager, told reporters in a news forum.

Cabrera said the fishkills in Batangas and Pangasinan were caused by a sudden change of weather condition from hot to rainy season. When it rains, the surface water temperature goes down but warm water beneath the surface rises.

Such a phenomenon “heats the fish pens, thereby minimizing oxygen supply and leaving thousands of fish dead,” he said.

Since Laguna Lake is shallower than Taal Lake, it is easier for oxygen in the air above its surface to penetrate to the bottom of the lake. Taal Lake is about 100 meters deep, while Laguna Lake is only about 2.5 meters deep.

Cabrera said “river flushing” caused previous fishkills in the lake, or when pollutants and wastewater from rivers flowed into the lake during heavy rains.

Compounding the problem, he said, was the presence of some 3,000 informal settlers around the lake. The squatters regularly dump their waste into the lake.

There are also 30,000 fishermen living around the 90,000-hectare lake. He said part of the rehabilitation plan for the lake may include relocating the informal settlers.

“Laguna Lake is among the best water in the country, so we are trying to restore the quality so that it can be a major source of water for Metro Manila,” Cabrera said.

Moratorium

Meanwhile, Anda, Pangasinan Mayor Aldrin Cerdan ordered Friday a moratorium on putting new bangus (milkfish) stocks in fish pens and fish cages in the town, even as he placed losses from the recent fishkill at P150 million.

Cerdan told The STAR that his moratorium order would possibly be good for a month.

He said he has also asked fish pen and fish cage operators to re-arrange their structures in such a way that water current is not impeded.

Cerdan said the townsfolk embarked on a massive clean-up of the fishkill, particularly in Barangay Awag where dead bangus had turned up due to the water current.

He lamented that despite the municipal council’s declaring Anda under a state of calamity, the municipality’s fisherfolk have not received official aid yet.

Nestor Domenden, regional director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), meanwhile belittled Cerdan’s order.

“It will do nothing,” he said, referring to Cerdan’s moratorium order. He said he has been pushing for a total ban on fish pens.

“It must be a total no fish pen/fish cage policy that must be implemented now because we have long recommended this,” Domenden said.

The BFAR has been pushing for a ban on fish pens since 2002 following a massive fishkill in Bolinao and Anda. The 2002 fish kill resulted in P400-million losses to the bangus industry.

“That would put an end once and for all to this recurring problem on fishkill,” he said, referring to a total ban.

He said BFAR had issued funds to Anda, Bolinao and Bani towns Alaminos City for the demolition of fish pens as agreed upon with their mayors. But he said there are no signs that they are being dismantled.

He said that every time he would check on their status, officials would assure him that the operators would dismantle the structures as soon as they finish harvesting their current stocks.

“But it was always like that,” he said.

But with the recent fishkill drawing the attention of President Aquino, “then maybe something concrete would be done to end this problem,” he said.

He added that some fish pen operators should be held liable for letting carcasses of fish drift out of their fish pens to open sea.

“Are they not wondering why, when these fish were alive, they were kept intact in the fish pens and fish cages? But when the fish died, we see them floating everywhere. So who ordered their release?” he asked.

“This is an insult to the mayors concerned,” he said. “These capitalists do not respect government policies. They have no self-regulation.”

molestedtwineggs

June 5th, 2011, 08:00 AM

they should not allow fish cages in a lake... taal and laguna.. in agusan river we only have fish ponds... it was excavated and with concrete barrier... so the waste food will not go directly go to the main river.. and can be clean through draining... but now they started putting fish cages along the seashore too bad for the bay....

KnightOfTheFlag

June 6th, 2011, 10:49 AM

I wish we can have an "IRRI like" research center solely dedicated to help our coconut industry to have better yields, develop more drought and pest resisting varieties of coconuts and overall develop further our coconut farming methods through latest technology and RnD...coconut tree all in all has so much to offer than food and beverages nowadays...now they are discovering raw materials derived from coconut is cheaper with good or even better qualities and properties, and not to mention the medicinal properties coconuts can offer...if we ever harness the full potential of the coconut tree it can deliver hard currency to our economy and uplift the lives of farmers in the countryside...Its only now at the age of environmentally conscious world is discovering the full potential of what the coconut tree can offer...

Agri Plain Talk
Coco sugar has good prospects (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/321099/coco-sugar-has-good-prospects)
By ZAC B. SARIAN
June 3, 2011, 3:53pm

MANILA, Philippines -- We just received a copy of the profitability analysis of a coconut sap sugar production module from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD). By the looks of it, coconut sugar production where there are coconut plantations can be a promising venture.

The coconut sap sugar is one product that the Philippines can focus on for the export as well as the local market. It is something very special because of its claimed health-enhancing attributes. It is said to have a low glycemic index (Gi), making it the ideal natural sweetener for diabetics.

Actually there is an increasing number of entrepreneurs who have gone into commercial coco sugar production, pioneered by a lady from Misamis Oriental more than 10 years ago. Coco sugar production involves the cooking of the toddy or sap from the unopened inflorescence of the coconut.

What is great about coco sugar production is that it can be adopted as a village level enterprise. Of course, it could also be set up as a medium-scale enterprise. Just like the module that PCARRD presented in this profitability analysis publication.

The PCARRD module calls for an initial investment of P1.42 million. This can yield an average annual net profit amounting to P201,762.48. Based on the projected 10-year income statement and cash flow, before financing, income is realized on the first year of operation. The initial investment can be fully recovered in 3.64 years.

The PCARRD publication is complete with a package of technology. It emphasizes that making coco sugar is a simple farm-level technology involving a natural process of heat evaporation to convert liquid sap to solid form of sugar granules.

Here are the steps in tapping. Select bearing trees with healthy unopened inflorescence. Bend the mature unopened inflorescence downward for one week to allow the flow of the sap after tapping. Tie the inflorescence with plastic twine and slowly pull it downward. Using a sharp knife, tap the inflorescence by slicing at least 6 mm to cut the tissues and eventually allow the surge of the sap. When the tip of the unopened coconut inflorescence is cut out, the sap slowly flows out.

Collection of the Sap – After slicing the unopened inflorescence, collect the liquid sap oozing out with the use of a plastic vessel. The collected sugar-liquid has about 12-18 percent sugar content. Coconut sap is known to contain important amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. To avoid the fermentation of the fresh sap, start its collection 5 hours after tapping. A total of 850 liters of sap ready for processing can produce 100 kilos of sugar.

Heat Evaporation – Boil the collected sap up to 115 degrees Celsius using a brick-fabricated oven locally known as “pugon.” The oven has improvised chimney where smoke will be emitted to ensure smoke-free smelling sugar. When the liquid is already boiling the scum will come out and this has to be removed to avoid the formation of dark residues on the final product. The boiling of the sap will take about 3-4 hours to remove water, leaving the sugar content of the coconut sap.

Conversion of Sap Syrup to Sap Sugar – Transfer the liquid to food grade stainless wok when it turns into syrup. Stir the syrup continuously to avoid burning and to ensure granulation. At this phase, the liquid will change into solid form, hence, temperature change is critical. Stirring allows air to enter the sticky syrup that will cause the gradual cooling resulting in granulation. Remove the wok from the fire and transfer it to a wooden trivet. Stir until the sugar granules are formed.

Sieving and Drying the Coconut Sap Sugar – Let the sugar cool off and continue pressing to break the lumps. Sieve the sugar to have uniform particle size to produce quality product. Put the sugar granules in a food grade stainless tray and let dry for one hour to lessen the moisture content.

Weighing and Packaging – Collect the sugar in a big container and store overnight. Weigh and pack the sugar using the commercially available transparent polyethylene plastic bags (.03 in x 8 in x 5 in).

Coconut sugar from the Philippines is now exported to the US, Japan and the Middle East. This comes mainly from Mindanao but more entrepreneurs from other places are also making coco sugar now.

Start-up maker of wood laminates harnesses coconut husk waste (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/321219/startup-maker-wood-laminates-harnesses-coconut-husk-waste)
By MELODY M. AGUIBA
June 4, 2011, 1:28pm

MANILA, Philippines — A startup wood laminate manufacturer is harnessing a huge coconut husk wastage to produce a durable, high-end, and first-of-its-kind composites that can displace imports.

A company being jumpstarted by the Enterprise Center for Technopreneurship (ECT), Pocowood Inc. is tapping the use of coconut coir from husks combined with high density polyethylene (HDP) to produce composites (engineered materials made up of individual constituents) with compressive strength comparable to imports.

It can perhaps be the first commercial, from-the-bottom Filipino-engineered fiber-reinforced wood laminates.

“The technology itself is not new, but formulation using coconut fiber, that’s new. Who would imagine a (humble) coconut material would come up with a very strong structural and even decorative material?” said Rulf Ruffel M. Abarca, Pocowood in an interview at an ECT launch.

Pocowood has yet to put up an P8 million manufacturing plant eyed to be located in Pasig City. Its sample wood laminates, though, have already attracted construction companies which are its major market.

While intending to import from China machinery for the composites’ manufacturing, the ECT-Technology Business Incubator (TBI) plans to syndicate a financing-machinery production package for Pocowood.

“We can produce the machines here (through the ERDT program),”said Dr. Luis G. Sison, ETC head and University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD) vice chancellor for research and development.

The ETC links with the national government-funded Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) which has a P3 billion budget to develop key manufacturing Filipino technologies. ETC is seeking capitalists that can fund an initial P8 million for Pocowood in coordination with the UPD Technology Licensing Office.

Pocowood’s composites are made up of HDP, a petroleum-based thermoplastic that has high tensile strength and capacity to withstand high temperature; dried trash papers like newspapers and cartons; and the coconut coir fiber.

A wood material that competes with expensive hardwood and laminates such as Germany-made Kronotex, Pocowood laminates are priced cheaper than imported hardwood on a per board foot basis at P115.

They are water resistant – good for outdoor applications; do not rot (no chemical needed to protect them from termites); and lasts significantly longer than ordinary wood.

“We offer a 25-year warranty, but it can last longer than that for outdoors. For indoors, its life is much longer,” said Abarca, also an ERDT Master of Science in Chemical Engineering scholar and engineering faculty of the Mindanao State University.

The wood laminate venture has already attracted initial angel investors’ interest, according to Abarca.

The venture is estimated to have an internal rate of return of 23 percent and will generate P9.23-million revenue on the first year rising to P21.9 million on the fifth year. Payback period is 2.87 years.

“We are open for partnerships that may be offered by the government, private companies or individual investors to generate funding,” said a PoCowood investment primer.

Under Pocowood’s technology, wood laminates out of natural wood are “laminated” with polymer to acquire durability and protection from wetness and obtain other advantages such as ability to brush off dirt or preventing scratches. These have wide applications not only as flooring material, wall paneling, benches, tables, chairs, boardwalks but as building structural materials.

The company beams with an immense growth potential arising owing to the country’s foreseen sustained economic growth and the fast-expanding middle-class market segment. The wood supply shortage should also open opportunities for Pocowood.

“We have a big advantage because the government declared a logging ban which encourages the use of coconut coir or fiber,” Abarca said.

The company sees ample supply of coconut fiber from husks from Mindanao (Zamboanga), Rizal and Quezon provinces. It can tap a huge waste resource as it was estimated as of 2008 that Bicol alone produces 1.88 billion coconut husks yearly which are just burned or thrown away while 800 million husks are used as fuel for copra.

This way, the venture offers a sustainable alternative to wood production through the use of wood byproducts – coconut husks in particular.

Fraulein

June 16th, 2011, 07:38 AM

50 metric tons of Guimaras mangoes to be exported to Australia starting 2012
June 14, 2011, 10:38am

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/322586/50-metric-tons-guimaras-mangoes-be-exported-australia-starting-2012

ILOILO CITY, Philippines (PNA) -– Some 50 metric tons of sweet Guimaras mangoes will find its way to the Australian market every year, starting 2012.

This was disclosed by Ma. Teresa Solis, chief of the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division of the Department of Agriculture here following the export of some 2.8 metric tons of the said product early June this year.

This 2011, the commitment is at five metric tons and will be increased to 50 metric tons starting next year.

Solis said that export was the result of the market matching during the agricultural trade fair held last month at the Mall of Asia, Pasay City, with Roberto Amores of the Hi-LAS Marketing Corporation closing the deal with the Guimaras Mango Growers Cooperative.

Mangoes have been dubbed as one of the investment priorities of Guimaras.

Meantime, other deals that were finalized were on sweet potato to be shipped to the United States and muscovado sugar to Japan.

Malou Hontiveros said that her company is interested in buying 200 metric tons of potato chips per month. Around 60-70 hectares will be planted every month in Guimaras. A proposal to establish a processing plant in the province was also discussed.

Hirotaka Ishihara of Takahashi-Bussho C. Ltd and Lala S. Mirchandani of Sharmila, Inc. are interested to buy muscovado sugar from Antique and Negros Occidental. Ishihara is slated to visit the sugar plants in the region in October, this year.

Mirchandani, meantime, placed an initial order of 200 sacks.

Parchie

June 16th, 2011, 03:05 PM

hakz2007

June 20th, 2011, 07:10 AM

Stevia, a natural sweetener, is a potential export winner
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7523/agri1hires.jpg

MANILA, Philippines - “Stevia has great potential in the foreign market,” according to Dr. Maria Elena Quimio of the Bicolandia Greenfields Development Organization (BIGFIS) during a project monitoring visit conducted by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) in the Bicol Region.

Stevia is a natural sweetener made from the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana). Native to tropical and subtropical regions in North and South America particularly in Paraguay, it is mainly grown for its leaves as a sweetener and sugar substitute. In the Philippines, some farmers drawn to the herbal medicine trend have started planting stevia in small areas.

To monitor the progress and developments on the on-going project, “Commercialization of Stevia rebaudiana, a natural sweetener (Phase 1)”, technical staff from the Bureau of Agricultural Research-Technology Commercialization Division (BAR-TCD) visited project sites in Naga, Camarines Sur and Tabaco, Albay.More: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=697545&publicationSubCategoryId=77

bledzoe

June 21st, 2011, 10:38 AM

NIA bares 135% rice cropping intensity (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=66&articleId=698225)

http://boiseguardian.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/old/image/Irrigation.jpg

By Marianne V. Go (The Philippine Star) Updated June 21, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0)

MANILA, Philippines - The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has reported a 135 percent cropping intensity in the country’s rice lands after irrigating a total area of over one million hectares from May 2010 to March this year.

Cropping intensity is the percentage of the gross cropped area to the net area sown.

In a report to Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, NIA administrator Antonio Nangel said the agency irrigated a total of 1.034 million hectares, more particularly 546,363 hecteres during the wet season (from May to October 2010) and 490,153 hectares during the dry season (November 2010 to March 2011).

From July 2010 to April 2011, NIA irrigated a total of 194,570 hectares comprising of 10,304 hectares new areas, 150,078 hectares rehabilitated areas, and 34,188 hectares of restored areas.

This year, NIA targets 1,516 hectares under its Repair and Establishment of Groundwater Irrigation Project amounting to some P50 million, Nangel said.

He added that in 2010, NIA continued to implement five foreign-assisted, 23 locally-funded, three inter-agency and seven carry-over projects. Seven of these are located in Luzon, seven in Visayas and five in Mindanao, with 19 sub-projects in selected provinces.

For 2011, Nangel said NIA continues to implement five ongoing and one new foreign-assisted projects, three inter-agency ongoing, and five carry-over projects.

bledzoe

June 21st, 2011, 11:02 AM

Farm department targeting 41% hike in cassava output (http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=Farm-department-targeting-41%-hike-in-cassava-output&id=33447)

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ7ZKXW-yF2vKyKIHcxbVJY12qaA7X5euujuRFb3wWKPYLv5wZh

THE AGRICULTURE department is aiming for a 41.2% increase in cassava production this year, citing rising demand for the crop and the need to ease the pressure on rice as a staple.

Edilberto M. de Luna, Agriculture assistant secretary for field operations, said in an interview on Friday last week that the department has set a 2.967-million-metric-ton (MT) target for cassava production this year, compared to the 2.101 million MT actually produced last year.

"On the supply side, we want to increase production of this staple to ease the pressure on rice," Mr. de Luna explained.

He also cited the perceived rising demand for the crop, which is used not only for food but also for animal feeds and for biofuel.

"For this year, the projected demand for cassava both for food and industrial use is a total of 3.8 million MT," Mr. de Luna said.

The volume beyond domestic production will have to be imported, he explained.

"Our strategy to meet the target is through area expansion and increasing the yield per hectare," Mr. de Luna said, noting that the department aims to have 230,000 hectares this year, up from last year’s 218,000 hectares.

"We also have a yield improvement target of 11 MT per hectare, compared to the 9.6 MT per hectare in 2010," he said.

Bureau of Agricultural Statistics data show cassava output hitting 450,861 MT in the first quarter, up 3.81% from a year ago. -- Louella D. Desiderio

r0mm3l

June 28th, 2011, 08:11 AM

Fast food giant Jollibee urges farmers to become suppliers
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/224631/business/fast-food-giant-jollibee-urges-farmers-to-become-suppliers

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – Farmers as entrepreneurs? One of the country’s biggest fast food companies believes this is possible, and has pledged to provide a ready market for agricultural produce from farmers’ groups.

At a recent symposium organized by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the chairman of Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) said the company is open to partnerships with farmers’ cooperatives that can supply its needs.

“When it comes to agricultural products, about 80 per cent of our raw materials are sourced locally. For rice, it’s 100 per cent," said billionaire Tony Tan Caktiong, who spoke about the role of fast food companies in the agricultural sector at the forum last June 23.

Although it works mostly with large-scale food suppliers, Jollibee has started procuring its agricultural needs from rural producers through its Farmer Entrepreneurship Program

“JFC and the Jollibee Foundation are willing to partner with agricultural communities in developing farmers not just as productive tillers of their own land but also as entrepreneurs in their own right," Caktiong said.

The program introduces effective farming technologies and methods to farmers, and aims to provide a stable source of income to small producers by linking them to institutional markets.

“Once they are ready, we negotiate with them to become regular suppliers," Caktiong said.

He cited as an example the Glory to God Forever Food Corporation, a cooperative that manages farmers’ group from various parts of the country. Since 2005, the cooperative has been supplying Jollibee with green bell pepper, red bell pepper, lettuce, tomato, potato, siling labuyo, and ube.

“We all have a part to play as a producer, provider, and consumer of goods. For our part, we will focus on our core competencies by building a ready market for local agricultural products," Caktiong said.

He expressed support for the goal of President Aquino’s administration to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2013, even as researchers said the target date could be pushed back by four years due to a variety of factors.

In a study entitled “New rice technologies and challenges for food security in Asia and the Pacific," researchers M. Hossein and Josephine Narciso said several factors affect rice demand including population growth, discrepancies in income, urbanization, and scarcity of agricultural inputs.

Dr. Sergio Francisco, Chief Science Research Specialist at PhilRice, said the Philippines is more likely to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2017, four years after the target date, assuming a sustained natural growth in production of 3.68 per cent annually.

Last year, four of Jollibee’s nine fast food chains ordered 20,000 tons of rice from the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Isabela, and Pangasinan. This volume of production requires about 2,800 hectares of farm land, or about the size of Metro Manila, Caktiong said.

Flagship chain Jollibee alone accounts for sixty percent of the rice demand which consists of long-grained, premium, and grain-milled varieties, he added.

JFC has more than 2,300 stores worldwide with an annual system-wide sale of P79.2 billion. Its eight other chains are Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Caffe Ti-Amo, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yan, and San Ping Wang

a very GOOD news to farmers!

bledzoe

June 28th, 2011, 11:38 AM

Farmers may own rice mills
(http://mb.com.ph/articles/324583/farmers-may-own-rice-mills)By ELLALYN B. DE VERA
June 28, 2011, 4:28pm

http://www.zjghi.com/UploadFile/20085119138.jpg

MANILA, Philippines — Farmer cooperatives nationwide will have the opportunity to own more efficient rice mills, under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Mechanization and Postharvest Program for Rice, which aims to modernize the rice mill industry in the country.

According to Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) Executive Director Ricardo Cachuela, the sixyear DA program is being finalized to assess qualified farmer cooperatives that are engaged in rice farming for financial support to take ownership of their own rice mills.

“This will be more efficient than most that are currently operated by rice millers and some farmer cooperatives,” he said.

Based on surveys and field studies conducted by PhilMech, most rice mills in the rural areas in the country use single pass mills where the recovery rate from unhusked rice (palay) is from 50 percent to 57 percent.

Cachuela said under the program, mills using the multi-pass technology will be made available to qualified farmer cooperatives.

He noted that a multi-pass rice mill has a 65 percent to 70 percent recovery rate.

“Recovering an additional 8 to 13 percent from milling operations alone will contribute significantly to the supply of rice in the Philippines if many farmer cooperatives are able to operate the multi-pass mills,” Cachuela said.

Under the program, the DA will provide a grant equivalent to 75 percent of the cost of the multi-pass rice mill, while the qualified farmer cooperative will shoulder the remaining 25 percent with loans and capital outlay.

He said a modern rice mill employing the multi-pass system costs around R4 million each excluding cost of land.

Farmer cooperatives that can take part in the program should be registered with the Cooperative Development Authority, and are willing to shoulder preconstruction expenses like land filling, compacting and clearing, among others.

“With this program, farmer cooperatives could get to own their modern rice mills that will in turn greatly help their members because the recovery rate from milling palay is higher,” Cachuela said.

He said many farmer cooperatives already have profitable operations, and that these cooperatives are more than ready to provide their own counterpart funds to acquire and operate multi-pass rice mills.

Cachuela said there are still farmers who use the old “kiskisan” method in milling palay, where the recovery rate is as low as 50 percent.

“It is high time that farmers adopt the latest technologies in postharvest and milling, so they can achieve higher efficiencies and profitability in their operations,” he said.

KnightOfTheFlag

July 2nd, 2011, 03:16 PM

èđđeůx

July 2nd, 2011, 07:22 PM

Chinese group dangles potential $6-B investment in mining, agri
MANILA, Philippines - A Chinese group is dangling a possible $6-billion investment in the country, particularly in the areas of mining and agriculture, its representatives said.

Hong Kong-based China Trend Investments Ltd., represented by Chan Wai Keung, Garic Chung, Gan Hongzi, Charlie Chen and Thomas Ng, said they are trying to set up a meeting with President Aquino to discuss their investment plans.

“We see an initial investment of $6 billion for infrastructure and other development projects, including employment of Filipinos,” Chung said.

He explained that their investment preference for the Philippines is mainly on account of its proximity to mainland China.

The group has recently visited the provinces of Aurora, Cagayan and Ilocos.

The China Trend team is also discussing a possible joint venture with Vulcan Industrial & Mining Corp. and Vulcan Materials Corp.

The Chinese firm is offering its “technical and financial expertise to explore, design, construct, mine and operate various mineral concerns.”

Vulcan Industrial’s mining claims include the Marian gold mines in Cordon, Isabela; Dinapique gold project in Isabela; Luz copper project in Sipalay, Negros Occidental; Manlupo copper project in Damutan, Negros Occidental; Panaon gold prospect in Pintuyan, Southern Leyte, and Davao gold and copper project in Manay and Taragona.
[philstar] (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=702016&publicationSubCategoryId=66)

Nabartek

July 3rd, 2011, 12:50 AM

^^ IDK, I feel suddenly nervous with the Chinese wanting to invest in mining...
I wonder, in case they do invest, will the NPA's bother them?

Nabartek

July 3rd, 2011, 12:56 AM

DA unveils plan to mechanize rice farms (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/224668/business/da-unveils-plan-to-mechanize-rice-farms)
06/28/2011 | 06:30 PM
Rice farming in the country will undergo transformation from 2011 to 2016 to increase by 10 percent farms' yearly output, according to the P16-billion rice production modernization plan of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), a bureau of the DA, unveiled its six-year program in a briefing Tuesday.

“PhilMech is supporting [Agriculture] Secretary Proceso Alcala in attaining self-sufficiency in rice production, especially now that climate change and rising world food prices are expected to make an impact on world food supply," PhilMech director Ricardo Cachuela said.

With modernization, palay production in 2011 is expected to reach 17.4 million metric tons (MT). The goal by 2013 is rice sufficiency with an output of 21.13 million MT.

This year, the DA will spend P1 billion to procure 4,000 units of postharvest machineries. During the program’s six-year duration, the DA target is to purchase and distribute up to 7,000 postharvest units and 90,000 units of on-farm machineries. The total budget for on-farm mechanization is P9.5 billion.

The bureau also earmarked P2.8 billion for drying machines and P3.2 billion for the modernization plan’s rice milling component.

Enabling farmers

The program will enable rice farmers to buy their own machines under a financing arrangement with the government which will take on 70 percent of the purchase price.

PhilMech said it will work with farmers’ groups in deploying hand tractors, 4-wheel tractors and threshers. Seed cleaners, rice reapers, drum seeders, mini combine harvesters and combine harvesters will also be deployed to farms.

The mechanization level in the Philippines is only 0.52 horsepower per hectare (hp/ha) on average which is low compared to the levels attained by Japan at 7 hp/ha, South Korea, 4.11 hp/ha and China 3.88 hp/ha. Also ahead of the Philippines in farm mechanization are Pakistan at 1.02 hp/ha, India 1 hp/ha and Thailand, 0.79 hp/ha.

“The Philippines still has a lot of catching up to do in agricultural mechanization and postharvest. This program will help boost our level of mechanization and hopefully encourage the youth to engage in farming," Cachuela said.

Since last month, the regional units of the Center for Postharvest and Mechanization have been identifying and validating recipients for this year. The list of qualified recipients will be known by July 31.

PhilMech also is crafting mechanization plans for other crops like corn and high value commercial crops. — ELR/VS, GMA News

-----------------------------

About time.....I cant believe Pakistan is more mechanize than us....

This is long overdue. In addition, the government should also look into irrigation. We have many "potential" farmlands that don't have irrigation

Fast food giant Jollibee urges farmers to become suppliers
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/224631/business/fast-food-giant-jollibee-urges-farmers-to-become-suppliers

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – Farmers as entrepreneurs? One of the country’s biggest fast food companies believes this is possible, and has pledged to provide a ready market for agricultural produce from farmers’ groups.

At a recent symposium organized by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the chairman of Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) said the company is open to partnerships with farmers’ cooperatives that can supply its needs.

“When it comes to agricultural products, about 80 per cent of our raw materials are sourced locally. For rice, it’s 100 per cent," said billionaire Tony Tan Caktiong, who spoke about the role of fast food companies in the agricultural sector at the forum last June 23.

Although it works mostly with large-scale food suppliers, Jollibee has started procuring its agricultural needs from rural producers through its Farmer Entrepreneurship Program

“JFC and the Jollibee Foundation are willing to partner with agricultural communities in developing farmers not just as productive tillers of their own land but also as entrepreneurs in their own right," Caktiong said.

The program introduces effective farming technologies and methods to farmers, and aims to provide a stable source of income to small producers by linking them to institutional markets.

“Once they are ready, we negotiate with them to become regular suppliers," Caktiong said.

He cited as an example the Glory to God Forever Food Corporation, a cooperative that manages farmers’ group from various parts of the country. Since 2005, the cooperative has been supplying Jollibee with green bell pepper, red bell pepper, lettuce, tomato, potato, siling labuyo, and ube.

“We all have a part to play as a producer, provider, and consumer of goods. For our part, we will focus on our core competencies by building a ready market for local agricultural products," Caktiong said.

He expressed support for the goal of President Aquino’s administration to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2013, even as researchers said the target date could be pushed back by four years due to a variety of factors.

In a study entitled “New rice technologies and challenges for food security in Asia and the Pacific," researchers M. Hossein and Josephine Narciso said several factors affect rice demand including population growth, discrepancies in income, urbanization, and scarcity of agricultural inputs.

Dr. Sergio Francisco, Chief Science Research Specialist at PhilRice, said the Philippines is more likely to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2017, four years after the target date, assuming a sustained natural growth in production of 3.68 per cent annually.

Last year, four of Jollibee’s nine fast food chains ordered 20,000 tons of rice from the provinces of Nueva Ecija, Isabela, and Pangasinan. This volume of production requires about 2,800 hectares of farm land, or about the size of Metro Manila, Caktiong said.

Flagship chain Jollibee alone accounts for sixty percent of the rice demand which consists of long-grained, premium, and grain-milled varieties, he added.

JFC has more than 2,300 stores worldwide with an annual system-wide sale of P79.2 billion. Its eight other chains are Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Caffe Ti-Amo, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yan, and San Ping Wang

a very GOOD news to farmers!

This is a good one. Hopefully, McDonald's Philippines and other fastfood chains would have the similar projects

swahi

July 3rd, 2011, 12:38 PM

^^ The country needs to increase its yield per hectare of all the varieties, like rice, corn, sugar. We are steadily losing agricultural hectarage to commercial, residential, or industrial use. You can easily see examples of that when you go up to Tagaytay from Cavite, when you travel around Panay and Negros, and around the area of North Mindanao to the left and right of Cagayan de Oro.

the glimpser

July 6th, 2011, 04:29 PM

DA: PHL has 3.9-MT rice reserves good for 91 days
GMANews

The Philippines’ rice reserves expanded by 8.9 percent to 3.09 million metric tons (MT) in June, giving Filipinos a 91-day buffer stock based on an average daily consumption of 31,000 MT, the Agriculture Department said on Wednesday.

The department’s Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) reported that 47 percent or 1.44 million MT of the stockpile is in National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses. Sixty-nine percent of the NFA stockpile consists of imported rice.

The NFA is required to maintain a 30-day minimum inventory of 930,000 MT, the BAS said.

Government’s rice inventory is good for about 46 days. The NFA reserves are 25.1 percent lower than its stockpile last year.

In contrast, rice stocks in warehouses of private traders rose by 60.5 percent to 740,000 MT.

BAS analysts estimate that households have 910,000 MT of rice stashed away.

Meanwhile, the total inventory of corn as of June 1 was 2.34 million MT, up 3.9 percent to 2.06 million MT in May.

Most of the country’s corn supplies — 79.6 percent — are in warehouses of private merchants, according to the BAS, saying that merchants went on an aggressive buying campaign that increased their stockpile by 133.5 percent to 1.8 million MT as of June 1. — ELR/VS, GMA News

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/da-phl-3-9-mt-rice-reserves-good-112405173.html

bledzoe

July 10th, 2011, 05:48 AM

Finding out there’s money in organic farming (http://business.inquirer.net/6449/finding-out-there%E2%80%99s-money-in-organic-farming)

By: Cris Evert B. Lato
Inquirer Visayas
10:18 pm | Saturday, July 9th, 2011

http://business.inquirer.net/files/2011/07/organic-4.jpg
RU Foundry’s main products are shredders for paper, plastic and other biodegradable and nonbiodegradable wastes. These shredders are mostly purchased by local government units nationwide.

BACOLOD CITY—Ruby Suiño, 43, was busy arranging vegetables and fruits in her small stall inside the Negros Organic Market on a rainy Wednesday afternoon.

Prospective customers, both foreigners and locals, were checking her produce and Ruby put on her best smile while explaining to them how bananas, potatoes and eggplants are raised without using chemical fertilizers in her village.

“There is a big movement here in Negros to produce more organic products because it is better for people’s health. Farming also continues because the soil’s natural qualities are not altered by chemicals,” she tells the Inquirer in Hiligaynon.

Selling the fruits and vegetables of their labor in a market used to be a far-fetched dream for farmer families like the Suiños, who have relied on the bulk-buying mechanism of traders for the longest time.

The traders go the village’s Thursday market and buy their produce by bulk at lower prices. These are then sold in the city markets at higher prices.
It was only in 2006 that they experienced retail selling inside the organic market, a concrete result of the first Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival.

The market is located at the back of the Negros Provincial Capitol and also houses an organic restaurant serving home-cooked vegetable and meat dishes.

The move to go organic is strong in Negros Occidental and the city of Bacolod serves as the main venue for promoting organic products, says Aladino “Nonoy” Moraca, executive director of Ecological and Agricultural Development Foundation, Inc. (EcoAgri).

Ramon Uy, president of Bacolod-based RU Foundry & Machine Shop Corporation, is one of them.

Uy, an undergraduate mechanical engineer, says his “organic awareness” started when he produced shredders in 1999, an accidental invention after a friend asked him to repair his shredder.

ENTREPRENEURS have already recognized organic farming and organic products as viable business opportunities that can transform the lives of farmers in the province.

The shredder could not be repaired as most of its spare parts are not found in the country. He then offered to design a shredder using local parts. He was able to create the right model after a year.

He started selling them in 2001, about the same time when RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act was signed into law.

He designed several shredders for papers, grass and biodegradable and nonbiodegradable wastes. Most of them are purchased by local government units which have started implementing solid waste management practices.

From the shredder, he improved his knowledge on vermi-composting. Biodegradable wastes are shredded and are placed in composting beds. The result is an organic fertilizer called vermicast.

“From there, we decided to develop appropriate technology that will encourage farmers to go organic,” shares Uy.
From RU Foundry, the family opened three subsidiaries, Puro Organic (which process organic products), Negros Occidental Design and Packaging Center and Fresh Start (sells organic products).

It also gave birth to foundation, Eco Agri in 2008 which aims to engage more farmers into organic farming through training and capacity-building.

They established May’s Organic Garden, a one-hectare property, which functions as a one-stop shop and showcases appropriate technology for organic farming.

Hydraulic ram pumps, lemon grass distiller, biogas digester and vermi-composting are featured in the park. Unintentionally, the organic garden also became a venue for weddings and birthday receptions because of its unique set up.

Through EcoAgri, Uy says they have provided avenues for farmers the capacity to determine the value of their produce.

Uy says they have established a network of farmers from all over Negros who supplies them with organic products. EcoAgri conducts regular visits to these farms with the farmers themselves checking on each other.

“A person who wakes up at 4 a.m. should be rich. Without the farmers, this entire country will be hungry. The (current) price of rice is even cheap compared to the dedication, effort and the hard work put in by these farmers,” he stresses.

Palay (unhusked rice grain) normally bought at P14 per kilo by traders is bought by Puro Organic at P16 per kilo. This is sold under the brand Fresh Start.

They have also installed a lemon grass distiller in Barangay (village) Camalanda-an, Cauayan, Negros Occidental to produce essential oil.
Farmers raise lemon grass on the periphery areas of their farms typically planted with rice.

The essential oil is also sold to Fresh Start, which mixes it with other oils and are made into mosquito repellant, mouthwash and hand sanitizer among others.

“You have to show the farmers the economics of being a farmer. You have to give them their real worth. There is money in farming. Once they realize that they can earn through organic farming, and then later on they will be able to see that they can be more competitive than the traditional form,” he says.

4nUQZNMbJN8

dessertfox

July 13th, 2011, 09:22 AM

Parchie

July 13th, 2011, 12:32 PM

DA: PHL has 3.9-MT rice reserves good for 91 days
GMANews

The Philippines’ rice reserves expanded by 8.9 percent to 3.09 million metric tons (MT) in June, giving Filipinos a 91-day buffer stock based on an average daily consumption of 31,000 MT, the Agriculture Department said on Wednesday.

The department’s Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) reported that 47 percent or 1.44 million MT of the stockpile is in National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses. Sixty-nine percent of the NFA stockpile consists of imported rice.

The NFA is required to maintain a 30-day minimum inventory of 930,000 MT, the BAS said.

Wait a minute!

I laughed at the heading (PHL has 3.9MT rice reserves good for 91 days) 3.9MT -3.9 metric tons? And then we can see "3.09 million metric tons"! Just who made the errors here?

Also, if we scrutinize the math here:
3.09M metric tons of rice good for 91 days tells us that somewhere, some people did wrong!

3,090,000 MT/31,000MT = 99 days! (that is granting the Philippines really consumes 31,000MT daily). Was it a typo error?

On the 31,000MT (31,000,000 kgs.) per day thing, do you people believe that Filipinos eat 316 grams of rice per day on average? (Assuming we are 98M people in the Philippines, 31,000,000 kg rice per day/ 98M people = 0.316 kg per person) Is this another typo error?

We are told that adults eat around 308 grams on average and that the children eat only around 143 grams! Even if all the people in the Philippines are all adults, we can't possibly eat 31,000 MT in a day, IMHO. 31,000 MT of rice would be enough to feed 100M Filipinos!

Why do people charged with securing rice for the country have to do padding of figures? Or is it not padding? Parang totoo yata ang sinasabi ni Sen. Ralph Reco nuon! Kailangan ba ang tongpats dito? Nagtatanong lang po.

bledzoe

July 14th, 2011, 12:35 PM

Eco-Agriculture, Organic Farming or Natural Farming is becoming a phenomenon, from middle class to peasant who are now in growing numbers alike making their way in food sustainability.

U.N. predict that these type of practice will add good percentage into world food production. For our group use to practice and teach this farming method for free so as to help farmers increase their income and esacape from the bondage of traders and middlemen. By applying bayahinan spirit we are now getting a good result. :cheers:

thanks for doing it. from what location are you? hope i could help the farmers too...

dessertfox

July 14th, 2011, 02:06 PM

thanks for doing it. from what location are you? hope i could help the farmers too...

Are you from Pasig? our project is just around Laguna. We do have someone from U.P. Diliman who is really civic minded and practicing Organic Farming for more than 3 years already in our town. Introducing this method needs patience thanks that we met on the same principle on Kalikasan Issues since we do have Tree Planting activities as well. We do have cooperative now. Just P.M. me, thanks for your concern.

monsy

August 18th, 2011, 09:22 AM

CADPI Firms Up Sugar Exports
To South Korea and Japan
By JAMES A. LOYOLA
August 18, 2011, 3:03am

MANILA, Philippines — Roxas Holdings, Inc. (RHI), through its unit Central Azucarera Don Pedro, Inc. (CADPI), will export raw sugar to South Korea and Japan in the coming weeks in order to address its oversupply of sugar.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the firm said this move is in response to the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s direction to convert domestic sugar (Class B) into world sugar (Class D) market to dispose the excess in local supply from the current crop year.

The surplus in sugar production came on the heels of the US announcement that it will not purchase more than its annual sugar export quota from the Philippines.

A slowdown in demand from some local industrial users who shifted to high fructose corn syrup and premixes for blending in their own products also contributed to the oversupply.

CADPI recently concluded the first round of shipments to South Korea via the Batangas International Port. The next shipment is expected to be made by the end of the month.

“The crop year just ended in June and production was much higher than anticipated. We see this as an opportunity to tap other export markets like Japan and Korea,” RHI chairman Pedro Roxas explained.

He added that, ‘since we cater primarily to the local industrial market, this will be the first time in five years that we are back into the export market outside the US.”

hakz2007

September 2nd, 2011, 04:44 AM

Philippines–home of the golden South Sea pearl–‘is very privileged but also endangered’
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/files/2011/09/jewelmer2.jpg

Pearl farmers take much pride in saying pearls are the most environment-friendly gems: They grow only in the cleanest and nutrient-rich waters.

It’s no accident, then, that pearl farmers are some of the staunchest proponents of marine conservation and protection. Their livelihood depends on it.

Jewelmer, the homegrown jeweler known worldwide for the golden South Sea pearl, is one such entity. Marine conservation for this company goes beyond corporate social responsibility program; it’s a way of life. More: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/11881/ph%E2%80%93home-of-the-golden-south-sea-pearl%E2%80%93%E2%80%98is-very-privileged-but-also-endangered%E2%80%99

the glimpser

September 15th, 2011, 03:43 PM

Gold from goats
http://business.inquirer.net/19381/gold-from-goats

By: Ernesto M. Ordoñez
Philippine Daily Inquirer
9:02 pm | Thursday, September 15th, 2011

It is true that gold is found under the earth. But above the surface, the equivalent of gold in cash can be found in many agricultural opportunities that have gone largely untapped. This is because neither the government nor the private sector has given agriculture its due importance. It is time to change all this.

Recently, we heard Dr. Jonathan Nayga, director of Cagayan Valley Small Ruminants Research Center (CVSRRC), talk on the untapped potential of goat herding during an early morning radio program. We contacted Nayga to get more details on this sector’s profit potential.

Good genes

Nayga said there was a significant difference in weight and price between a traditional goat and a goat of the correct breed with good genes. At 8 months, when a goat is customarily sold, a traditional goat may weigh 16 kilos and fetch a price of P1,600. A goat with good genes on the other hand tends to weigh 30 kilos and sell for P3,600. That is P2,000 more for each goat sold.

If the farmer wants to have a goat with good genes, he has to look for a guaranteed goat breeder. Unfortunately, breeders are hard to find. However, the same benefit of good genes can be achieved through artificial insemination.

There are approximately 3 million goats in the country, but only 5 percent have good genes. Therefore, the increased potential revenue of goats with good genes may reach P5.7 billion.

Nayga’s start

When he was only 7 years old, Nayga was already growing goats in Bohol. He was disappointed with how slowly the goats grew. Not only that, almost 40 percent of the goats sold in his area tended to lose money.

He had heard of the Isabela State University’s agricultural program, which included studies on goats. This was because Isabela had one of the largest concentrations of goats in the country. Nayga subsequently took his undergraduate and doctoral degrees there.

Following up his doctoral dissertation on goats, he submitted a P1.8 million funding proposal for the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquaculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research Development under executive director Patricio Faylon in 2007. It was approved in 2009 and completed this year.

The results of this research and the subsequent program of driving up profits are now offered at Isabela State University at a cost of only P2,000 for a three-day seminar (for more information, Nayga’s e-mail and contact numbers are jnn_060369@yahoo.com and 09213181621).

Profitable information

It has already been mentioned that, from a P200 investment in artificial insemination, the added revenue for an 8-month goat is P2,000. But how do we promote artificial insemination?

Nayga said that for an initial investment cost of P30,000 (of which P12,000 will go to the construction of a tank that can last for three years, one could begin to offer artificial insemination services. At a minimum of 10 female goats to be inseminated each day, gross revenue may reach P3,000 a day. Assuming a six-day workweek, the monthly variable cost of P18,000 will be subtracted from the gross revenue of P75,000. This may yield a net monthly income of P57,000.

Even more money can be made if we take into account the other research results derived from two other aspects of Nayga’s study. One area with a high return on investment is the raising of goats. This includes new technologies in areas such as nutritious feeding with biologics (e.g., the right grasses with vitamins, dewormers, etc.), and infrastructure design that will enable efficient stall feeding.

Another area with a potential high ROI is the marketing of goat meat. This includes methods on getting the optimal goat meat cuts, packaging these cuts in an attractive way, and even specifying which cuts are ideal for meat preparations.

It is research like the one cited above, which results in more food production, increased jobs, and higher income, that the Department of Agriculture should fund with its proposed P54-billion budget for 2012. This 54-percent budget increase from 2011 should be fully supported by Congress. This and other such measures are now being discussed by the AF 2025 government-private sector poultry-livestock-feeds cluster for presentation during the October 7 AF 2025 midyear conference.

Ably supporting this effort are Juliet Opulencia, AF 2025 secretariat head, and Diane de los Santos, who handles the National Agriculture and Fishery Council secretariat for this cluster. Both are under NAFC officer in charge Noel Juliano. Any of them may be reached at (632) 9204309.

Manila-X

September 19th, 2011, 09:48 AM

Singapore to import ‘chop suey’ veggies from Philippines
By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
3:19 am | Monday, September 19th, 2011

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/12899/singapore-to-import-‘chop-suey’-veggies-from-philippines

The Philippines’ “chop suey” vegetables are going to Singapore.

Vegetable farmers from the Cordillera, Benguet, and Quezon have attracted the interests of Singaporean buyers who want to import highland vegetables from the Philippines, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said.

A three-man Singaporean team recently visited the provinces of Quezon and Benguet to see for themselves the various vegetables that their fellow Singaporeans prefer.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the team was interested in high value vegetable crops from these regions, which are usually used as ingredients for chop suey, a popular stir-fried dish.

Alcala said the group wanted to buy semi-temperate Chinese-type vegetables that are widely grown in Quezon and Benguet. These include bell pepper, tomatoes, cabbage, pechay, several types of lettuce, and coriander.

They were also interested to import fresh banana leaves as plate liner.

“Their visit is a signal that Filipino farmers are now ready to export their quality, organically grown vegetables to Singapore, Japan and other neighboring countries,” Alcala said in a statement Sunday.

While in Benguet, the Singaporeans visited the farm of Francis Ching in Mankayan, which is planted to bell pepper, cabbage, romain lettuce, iceberg lettuce and coriander.

The group also placed an initial order of lettuce, kamote (sweet potato) and onion.

Ching’s crops are of export quality, the DA said. The agri-businessman was the 2010-2011 regional winner of Gawad Saka under the high value crops category.

But no amount of imports has been committed yet by the Singaporeans.

In their next visit to the Philippines, the Singaporean businessmen will also look into possibility of buying vegetables from Mindanao, the DA said.

According to Alcala, the DA on behalf of qualified farmers’ groups is prepared to enter into a growing contract arrangement with the Singaporeans and other interested foreign and Filipino businessmen.

“We should have a timeline and we must consider such factors as production cost, logistics and freight requirements. The bottomline is still the cost and farmers’ income,” he said.

sea_gull

September 22nd, 2011, 04:13 AM

Think green, think business
By the Go Negosyo team (The Philippine Star)
Updated September 22, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (3)

MANILA, Philippines - Living a healthy, organic lifestyle while carefully watching one’s carbon footprint seems to be the mantra of young, hip professionals nowadays. But for the owners of Serenitea, The Twillery Inc. and AgriNurture, Inc. living green was more than just a status symbol; it was the beginning of a successful venture.

Over the past few years, tea has slowly gained a steady number of followers that swear by its health benefits, from the idea that it’s a calming beverage to the fact that it’s good for one’s cardiovascular and immune systems.

Knowing all this but also seeing that there weren’t any teashops catering to the Filipino market, Peter Chen and Juliet Herrera decided it was time to open one.

The two looked to Taiwanese teashops for inspiration but with Filipino tastes in mind. After playing around with different concepts, they settled on a winner and Serenitea opened its first branch in San Juan in 2008.

With various tea-based drinks on their menu costing anywhere from P95 to less than P200, Serenitea had unwittingly created a new trend. Peter and Juliet had the initial hurdle of trying to convince hard-line coffee and soda drinkers that tea was a healthier alternative, but within several months after opening, other shops started offering their own versions.

Translation? Their initial venture was such a success that others just felt the need to go right ahead and copy it. Peter and Juliet aren’t sweating it, though. Each new competition that pops up is taken as an opportunity for them to improve their product and services, which in turn, would mean more happy customers.

In the last three years, Serenitea has already opened eight branches all around the metro. With two more planned within the end of the year, this little tea shop that could is well on its way to realizing its dream of becoming the market leader in the industry.

Paper bags for the eco-conscious fashionista

The Twillery Inc. is the brainchild of a group of friends —Martina Manas, Enzo Banson, Katrina Tecson, and Ezra Capucion —while they were all classmates at the School of Management Business Accelerator Program at the Ateneo de Manila University.

As part of the program, students are invited to present business ideas to the school’s faculty, with those deemed to have the most potential to succeed being accepted. But more than just financial success, the program rewards business models that benefit small communities and preserves the environment.

Twillery’s idea of using woven old newspapers to create fashion-forward handbags was one of those chosen to take part in the program. While the concept is a familiar one, what with the plethora of other eco-friendly bags already out in the market, the use of old newspapers made it a novelty.

On top of that, they were the first to think of using synthetic leather and metal fixtures as accents for the bags, giving it a haute couture look.

So with a song in their heart, a pep in their step and P50,000 capital, these friends set about looking for a community of weavers and a bag maker to bring their dreams to fruition.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

“Our first challenge was looking for a bag maker. No one wanted to handle newspaper in the beginning. A lot of bag makers refused us because they did not want to go through the hassle of sewing on newspaper,” said Martina, Twillery president and head of marketing.

With a little more legwork, though, the founders of Twillery were finally able to convince a bag maker in Marikina to produce their goods while a community in Nasugbu, Batangas was chosen to weave the newspapers.

Dubbing their woven goods Papelle, Martina and her friends initially relied on their other friends and family members to sell the products, emphasizing their uniqueness and durability (thanks to the lamination process that each bag undergoes before being unveiled to the public).

It worked. In fact, it worked really well. They were able to exceed their sales forecast within the first few months of their launch in July 2010. They also decided to join bazaars to get a feel for their clientele and soon their bags were also being consigned to other boutiques.

While the road traveled was slightly bumpy, the end result was worth all the trouble as the group came out with the highest sales among their classmates and was even given a bronze award by the Young Entrepreneurs Awards of HSBC for the year 2010 to 2011.

The veggie man cometh

Antonio Tiu wants you to make healthier choices.

To realize his dream, this 36-year-old Chinese-Filipino trained his business sights onto the agricultural sector. After all, he reasoned, if you wanted people to eat smarter, you’d have to start straight from the source.

In 1997, guided by principles learned in business school and through his exposure to the entrepreneur community, Antonio launched AgriNurture Inc. (ANI).

In the beginning, ANI operated by simply providing farmers the means to get their produce to the market. Pretty soon, however, it dawned on Antonio that it was not enough if he truly wanted to address concerns of food shortage.

So he decided it was time to take a more holistic approach. Instead of just getting the fresh produce to the market, how about getting it straight into people’s homes?

This meant, of course, that he and his company would have to be more involved in the process; from farming to packaging to distribution. Antonio lovingly called it “an effective tool for nation-building.”

Now, ANI has grown by leaps and bounds. It may have started out as simply one man’s desire to eat fresher produce, but a little over ten years down the road and it is now officially listed at the Philippine Stock Exchange and currently exporting locally grown fruits and vegetables to international markets.

Tomorrow, Antonio, Peter and Juliet and the founders of The Twillery Inc., are set to be honored, along with other entrepreneurs all over the country, at the Go Negosyo Young STARpreneurs Awards as part of this year’s Young Entrepreneurs Summit.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=729652&publicationSubCategoryId=63

tita01

October 28th, 2011, 11:16 AM

nice

hugodiekonig

November 3rd, 2011, 09:32 AM

By Gabriel Cardinoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

ROSARIO, La Union—Marine biologist Al Sobrejuanite was not a bit worried about the fish cages he is tending off the coast of Rosario town in La Union, when Typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” left the country through the Lingayen Gulf in September and October.

Like in the past, he was confident that the 20 cages stocked with a variety of high-value fish would not be crushed by huge waves that the successive typhoons induced as they plowed through the gulf.

“Ours are rope-framed cages. They are weather-proof,” Sobrejuanite says.

Again, he was proven right. Not one of the cages was damaged. All 20 were intact and millions of pesos worth of high-value fish saved.

Sobrejuanite’s company, Tiger Property Developers’ Group Inc. (Tiger), is the first to adopt the rope-framed cage technology on a large commercial scale after the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional office in San Fernando City in La Union developed and introduced it in 2009.

read more at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/86623/weather-proof-fish-cages-seen-as-savior-of-aquaculture-industry

boypad

November 4th, 2011, 07:41 AM

Rice, corn inventory drops :ohno:

Manila Times.net
Published : Friday, November 04, 2011 00:00
Written by : James Konstantin Galvez, Reporter

THE Philippines’ rice inventory dropped sharply last month, but the Bureau of Agriculture Statistics (BAS) said the country’s stock was still enough to cover domestic requirement for the next 80 days.
Based on its latest report, BAS said the country’s rice stocks stood at 2.74 million metric tons (MMT) at the start of October, down by 13.1 percent from last year’s 3.15 MMT. The October inventory however was 13.4 percent higher than the previous month’s 2.41 MMT.

Romeo Recide, BAS director, said the drop in the rice inventory was expected since harvest during the third quarter historically was low.

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/business/top-business-news/10555-rice-corn-inventory-drops

hugodiekonig

November 4th, 2011, 08:30 AM

jpdm

November 6th, 2011, 02:21 AM

San matuloy na ito. We badly need a good supply of rubber for our industrial requirements.

Rubber research institute up soon

November 4, 2011, 3:34pm
Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines -- The government is establishing the Philippine Rubber Research Institute (PRRI) in a 1,000-hectare area in Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay. The site will be donated by local government unit in support of an industry that has the potential of contributing vastly to the country’s economy, according to Zamboanga Sibugay Gov. Rommel A. Jalosjos.

Strategically located near the Mindanao State University (MSU) campus in Naga, PRRI will help boost rubber's potential in light of industrial manufacturers' preference for nature-friendly materials as a climate change-mitigating effort.

PRRI will institutionalize and sustain researches funded by the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR).

These include 10 programs spread across the rubber-growing provinces of Zamboanga, Cotabato, and Basi-lan, according to Dr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar, BAR director.

“PRRI should become at par with the rubber institutes in Malaysia, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and China that have been developing new superior rubber varieties,” Eleazar said.

These research centers have produced rubber clones that are high-yielding, disease-resistant, and with reduced gestation period that allows latex extraction in 4.5 years, much shorter than the five to 10 years range.

BAR is supporting the issuance of the implementing rules and regulation for PRRI which will precede budget allocation, according to BAR Coordinator Rudy L. Galang.

“With the draft IRR to be submitted for approval by DA Secretary Proceso Alcala, the national government will allocate a budget of P100 Million for PRRI for 2012, its first year of implementation. This is equivalent to one percent of the gross value added of rubber,” said Galang.

PRRI will enhance rubber research and development programs including establishment of a nursery or a garden for budwood to produce grafted planting materials.

To enhance farmers' management practices, they will be trained on fertilization, weed, insect, and disease control, control of mollusks and vertebrates, harvesting, and packing of budwoods and budsticks.

The facilities that will be available in the PRRI are tissue culture laboratory, rubber testing laboratory, product testing laboratory, seedling nurseries, germplasm collection, semi-processing plants, waste water collection and testing facilities. DA will share with PRRI the use of some of these facilities found in DA's provincial office in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

“What is important here is a good amount of land where we will test for superior varieties of rubber and grow massive amount of seedlings,” said Galang.

The country's average dry rubber yield at present is around 1.5 metric tons (MT) per hectare which is lower than the maximum potential of RRIM 600 of two MT per hectare per year.

The 1,000-hectare area will primarily be an experimental station for breeding and selection of high yielding cultivars.

“New genetic materials will be collected from rubber producing countries to enable plant breeders to develop new clones that will perform well even in non-traditional areas,” said Eleazar.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/340074/rubber-research-institute-soon

monsy

November 6th, 2011, 05:02 PM

Government allots P2.9 billion for farm, fisheries rehabilitation
By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) Updated November 07, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments

MANILA, Philippines - Budget Secretary Florencio Abad disclosed yesterday that President Aquino has authorized the release of an additional P2.96 billion for the Department of Agriculture to accelerate agricultural infrastructure and support system.

The additional fund is intended to assist farmers and other people affected by typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel.”

“Aside from addressing the damage wrought by the recent typhoons, this fund release would also support agricultural development to ensure food self-sufficiency and help farming families achieve sustainable livelihood,” Abad said in a statement.

The allocation is part of the P72 billion disbursements acceleration plan or the economic stimulus package of the Aquino administration to accelerate spending and push economic growth for 2011.

Some P829.7 million would be allocated for the projects of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).

The project targets to construct new irrigation systems in 3,387 hectares, restore non-functioning irrigation systems in 1,752 hectares and rehabilitate damaged ones in 7,024 hectares throughout the country, which will benefit 8,100 households.

Some P302 million would go to Region 3, P150 million to Region 1 and P120 million to Region 4-A.

Another P411.4 million would be allocated for the NIA’s Agno River Integrated Irrigation Project, which will involve the construction of re-regulating pond facilities to better control water discharges from the San Roque Dam and the repair of the Agno River and the Ambayaoan-Dipalo Irrigation Systems.

Some P560.7 million would be released to DA to construct and rehabilitate farm-to-market roads badly hit by previous typhoons. Of the amount, P92.3 million is allocated for Region 4-A, while P70.2 million will go to Region 6 and P65 million to Region 2.

To promote sustainable mangrove reforestation and mangrove farming, P237.5 million will be allocated for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ Integrated Community-Based Multi-Species Hatchery and Aquasilvicture Farming Program

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=745392&publicationSubCategoryId=63

red_jasper

November 11th, 2011, 11:09 AM

Turtles hurt Candaba fishing industry
By MARK ANTHONY N. MANUEL
November 11, 2011, 5:42pm

CANDABA, Pampanga, Philippines – Fishpond operators and maintainers here have asked the government to help solve the “turtle phenomenon” in Pampanga, which they blamed for causing the steady demise of the fishing industry in this town.

They said the phenomenon has brought financial reverses among several fishpond operators in the province after the onslaught of back-to-back typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel.”

Fishpond operators in this town lamented that the presence of turtles in their place is now affecting the entire fishing industry as the said animals are eating their fish.

Rad more here (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/340945/turtles-hurt-candaba-fishing-industry)

METROPOLITAN_ILOILO

November 11th, 2011, 10:17 PM

Filipino savants develop new abalone hybrids
BY PAUL M. ICAMINA

http://www.malaya.com.ph/nov11/images/agri1.jpg

TIGBAUAN, Iloilo – New hybrid technology for abalone farming has been developed by scientists at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) Aquaculture Department.

The new technology has produced two "presumptive" abalone hybrids.

The hybrids grow in size faster than the conventional donkey’s ear (Haliotis asinina), among the world’s fastest-growing cultured abalones.

And they taste better – probably up there with the black abalone, the world’s most expensive, at $120 or more per kilogram live weight.

Using conventional breeding techniques, researchers crossed the H. asinina female abalone with the H. glabra male; the resulting hybrid is code named for now HAFGM. The other hybrid is H. asinina female crossed with the H. planata male, coded HAFPM.

Donkey’s ear is fast growing; it reaches a marketable size of 5 centimeters shell length in six months from an initial size of 2.6 cm. to 3 cm.

"The idea is to primarily improve the taste of the donkey’s ear abalone, as anecdotal reports mostly from fishermen and gatherers indicate that the smaller species of abalone native to Philippine waters have sweeter meat and is more crispy," said Mila de la Peña, Program Leader of SEAFDEC’s Integrated Mollusk Program.

"We have produced presumptive hybrids, meaning they are presumed to be hybrids until they are confirmed to be real hybrids through genetic analysis," she told Malaya Business Insight. "It will be confirmed by the Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidad de Concepcion, in Chile, hopefully this year."

More HERE: http://www.malaya.com.ph/nov11/agri1.html

^^
Just think of the export potential of this. :D

william :D

November 19th, 2011, 02:40 AM

P710-million 'Food Divisoria' of Luzon opens on Saturday in Bulacan

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga, Philippines — The highly anticipated P710-million North Food Exchange (NFEx), touted as the Food Divisoria of Luzon, will open Saturday (November 19) in Balagtas, Bulacan, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) here said.

The 130-hectare complex is said to be the strategic, agro-economic, transport, processing, and commercial center envisioned to boost food security, economic bounty, and sustainable agro-industrial development in Luzon.

Accessible through the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), MacArthur Highway, and soon the Northrail speed train system, NFEx is an agricultural and fishery product - wholesale and retail center - designed to modernize food transport, storage, processing, and distribution.

NEDA said the NFEx is a one of a kind pioneering economic center adding that its modern food depot terminal, commercial shopping center, agri-processing and storage complex, and export product show window are designed to transform the agriculture and fisheries sector into a strong globally competitive entrepreneurial force for the Luzon regions and the country.

“NFEx is a modern, functional, efficient and comprehensive market processing exhibition complex that will bring beneficiaries under one roof. The project will employ the best strategies and techniques from successful food exchange in Europe and Asia. It is under the direction of expert food and agricultural managers in the Philippines. This will provide complete facilities in trading, food processing, storage and related services,” NEDA reported.

NFEx Tiangge will be open every Saturday until December 17, according to Balagtas municipal information officer Rolly Danes.

“It is expected that the NFEx Tiangge will be a venue to show the potentials of the NFEx project that will amplify the level of livelihood of Bulakenyos particular in the sector of agriculture,” said Danes.

Danes said the project was only a dream then but the start of operations proved the realization of the envisioned mega trading center in the country which he tagged as an “expressway to progress.”

“It is the mission of NFEx to increase the income of farmers, fishermen, and small investors; provide and sustain low prices of agricultural products; fortify the agriculture economy; and give a strong position to the masses of the society,” Danes added.

There are talks of replicating the food complex in Visayas and Mindanao.
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/341777/p710million-food-divisoria-luzon-opens-saturday-bulacan

:banana:

it opens today.

wolfram74

November 19th, 2011, 06:01 AM

http://bulatlat.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/hli-1.jpg

Under Aquino, no justice for victims of Hacienda Luisita massacre (http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/11/18/under-aquino-no-justice-for-victims-of-hacienda-luisita-massacre/) :naughty:
Published on November 18, 2011

By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
Bulatlat.com

HACIENDA LUISITA, Tarlac City — Families and colleagues in the struggle of farmers and farm workers of Hacienda Luisita continue to yearn for justice, seven long years since the infamous Hacienda Luisita massacre that claimed the lives of seven farmers.

“We appreciate the support from our colleagues because it helps us to become stronger. Somehow, I feel that there is still hope that justice would be served,” Gabby Sanchez, 61, father of Juancho Sanchez, one of the slain farmers, told Bulatlat.com.

...

Caravan

A caravan of some 30 vehicles left Chino Roces Bridge, formerly known as Mendiola, on November 16 at around 10:30 a.m. for Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac City to commemorate the seventh year since the Hacienda Luisita massacre. Families, colleagues and friends of the seven victims of the killing still clamor for justice.

...

The two peasant organizations added that President Benigno S. Aquino III feels “no remorse for the people who made their riches by continuing to deny justice and depriving the farmers and farm workers of hacienda Luisita of their rights.”

No justice under Aquino

Upon arriving in Hacienda Luisita, farmers and their supporters staged a short protest action in front of Camp General Servillano S. Aquino, home of the Northern Luzon Command of the AFP, to hold the military accountable for the massacre and the continuing militarization in disputed lands.

“Militarization violates our rights. They have increased military presence, especially here in Barangay Balete. Soldiers patrol the village and, at times, talk to residents,” Sanchez said.

The protesting farmers then proceeded to Hacienda Luisita Gate 1, the site of the massacre, where they offered candles for their slain colleagues. They also burned an effigy of Aquino, which was a landlord scarecrow, to reiterate their calls for land and justice.

Danilo Ramos, secretary general of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said the victims of the Hacienda Luisita massacre would “never attain justice under the administration of a Cojuanco-Aquino.”
“We have seen how President Aquino protects his family’s illegal and immoral stranglehold over Hacienda Luisita; much less allow his government to indict and punish his relatives, the main culprits in the infamous Hacienda Luisita massacre,” Ramos said. He added that there is no way that the Cojuangco-Aquino will ever let go of the lands.

...

Agrarian reform slows down under Aquino

Sanchez said he is not expecting Aquino to act for the welfare of farmers and farm workers all over the country. The Cojuangco-Aquinos, for the past several decades, have managed to evade land distribution of Hacienda Luisita.

With this, agrarian reform in other land dispute cases have also slowed down when compared to the previous administration.

According to Ibon Foundation, an independent think tank, land distribution is slower under Aquino’s first year in office than his predecessors. For one, Aquino’s average monthly land distribution under the Department of Agrarian Reform is only 9,866 hectares when the Arroyo government had a monthly average of at least 10,426.

“As of June 2011 it also had the least average monthly DAR distribution compared to the administrations of Corazon Aquino (14, 142 has), Fidel Ramos (23, 389 has) and Joseph Estrada (11,113 has),” Ibon Foundation said in a statement.

Aside from the slow land distribution are also rampant cancellation of document titles, land use conversions and foreign land deals, which, said Ibon Foundation, “undermine efforts for land reform.”
In Nueva Ecija, for one, there was massive cancellation of certificates of land ownership, certificates of land transfer and emancipation patents covering 1,929 hectares of land to give way to various non-agricultural projects.

According to Ibon Foundation, land distribution must translate to land being transferred to the tiller for productivity and in support of the people’s needs. “The Aquino government’s slow pace in land distribution coupled with its aggressive bid to lease the country’s productive land to investors makes the future of land reform in the country bleak,” the research group added.

As for Hacienda Luisita, Ibon expressed its concern over the classification of the disputed lands as an industrial estate under the Central Luzon Development Plan. “The plan dismisses demands to surrender Luisita to the more than 10,000 farmworkers who have tilled and made the hacienda productive through the decades.”

“The Cojuangco-Aquinos used and abused all legal means to their advantage and interest of further controlling the lands. The Luisita massacre and the decades-old land dispute at the 6,453 hectares land estate would serve as a permanent reminder of the Cojuangco-Aquinos’ crimes against farmers,” Mariano said.

“The seven martyrs of the Hacienda Luisita massacre deserves nothing less than justice along with their supporters who succumbed to bullets and knives,” UMA and Ambala said, “Their only fault was siding with the oppressed farm workers. They will be remembered as heroes of the toiling masses and the aspirations of the living to continue the fight for justice and land.”

:ohno::ohno::ohno:

boypad

November 19th, 2011, 01:08 PM

Slow land distribution marks Aquino's first year :ohno:

BusinessMirror Online
Wednesday, 16 November 2011 18:25
Jonathan L. Mayuga

LAND distribution during the first year of the administration of President Aquino, a scion and part-owner of Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac, is slower compared to the administration of President Arroyo, the private think-tank IBON Foundation said.

The Aquino administration’s average monthly land distribution under the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is 9,866 hectares. This falls behind the Arroyo administration’s monthly DAR land distribution accomplishment of 10,426 hectares during its first year in office, IBON said.

Hacienda Luisita, a 5,000-hectare sugar estate owned by the Cojuangcos, Aquino’s family, is a CARP-covered land.  The land dispute between farmer-beneficiaries of CARP and the Cojuangco family has led to bloodshed.

Incidentally, Nov. 16 marks the seventh anniversary of the infamous Hacienda Luisita massacre.  The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas commemorates the death of at least seven protesting farmers who were peppered with bullets by heavily armed men, believed to be paramilitary personnel working as security guards for the vast sugar estate.

Those killed were Jesus Laza, Jhaivie Basilio, Juancho Sanchez, Jessie Valdez, Jun David, Jaime Pastidio and Adriano Caballero.  They were demanding land distribution in front of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac’s Gate 1 when fired upon.

IBON noted that as of June 2011, the DAR also had the least average monthly DAR distribution compared to the administrations of Corazon Aquino (14,142 hectares), Fidel Ramos (23,389 hectares) and Joseph Estrada (11,113 hectares).

The research group added that the rampant cancellation of document titles, land-use conversions and foreign-land deals further undermine efforts for land reform.

According to the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon, a farmers’ group in Central Luzon, the land-reform program under the current administration saw a massive cancellation of certificates of land ownership awards, certificates of land transfer and emancipation patents in many towns of Bulacan, Pangasinan and Tarlac where the HLI is located. This includes up to 1,928 hectares of land in Nueva Ecija where various non agricultural projects are under way.

IBON also expressed concern over the classification of Hacienda Luisita as an industrial estate under the Central Luzon Development Plan. The plan dismisses demands to surrender Luisita to the more than 10,000 farmworkers who have tilled and made the hacienda productive through the decades.

According to IBON, land distribution must translate to land being transferred to the tiller for productivity and in support of the people’s needs. The Aquino administration’s slow pace in land distribution coupled with its aggressive bid to lease the country’s productive land to investors makes the future of land reform in the country bleak, said the group.

Earlier, IBON reported the government’s plan to allocate almost 8 million hectares for cash crops and agribusiness development, aside from the tens of thousands of hectares of land leased to foreign agribusiness and nonfood ventures.

Commemorating the Hacienda Luisita massacre, KMP secretary general Danilo Ramos, meanwhile, condemned the Aquino administration for its failure to deliver social justice for the Filipinos.

He also expressed skepticism that under the Aquino administration, justice be served for victims of the Hacienda Luisita massacre.

“We have seen how President Aquino protects his family’s illegal and immoral stranglehold over Hacienda Luisita; much more allow his government to indict and punish his relatives, the main culprits in the infamous Hacienda Luisita massacre,” Ramos said.

“Seven years after,” Ramos said, “there is still no justice for the victims of the massacre. There is still no genuine agrarian reform in Hacienda Luisita. Those responsible for the carnage remain unpunished.”

“The only acceptable justice measure for the victims of the Hacienda Luisita massacre is the break-up of the Cojuangco-Aquino’s monopoly over the lands. Unfortunately, the Cojuangco-Aquinos have no intention and will never let go of the lands,” Ramos said.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/component/content/article/53-agri-commodities/19414-slow-land-distribution-marks-aquinos-first-year

boypad

November 22nd, 2011, 08:04 AM

SC orders distribution of Hacienda Luisita–source :banana:

By Marlon Ramos
Philippine Daily Inquirer
1:18 pm | Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

MANILA, Philippines–The Supreme Court has ordered the immediate distribution of Hacienda Luisita to over 6,000 registered farmworkers-beneficiaries of the vast sugar plantation owned by the family of President Benigno Aquino.

A senior court official said at least eight magistrates voted to grant the motion for reconsideration of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council and the farmers’ group Ambala during the high tribunal’s regular en banc session on Tuesday.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/98505/sc-orders-distribution-of-hacienda-luisita-source

bitoy

November 22nd, 2011, 10:26 AM

^^ Baka ma kuryente ka niyan kakasayaw... (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/98577/sc-no-decision-yet-on-hacienda-luisita) :lol:

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/073I0KY22WcXe/610x.jpg

Tuna fish are displayed at a fish port on November 21, 2011 in General Santos City, Philippines. The Philippines has one of the regions largest tuna catches, which is currently under threat due to over fishing. Greenpeace is campaigning to ban the use of Fish Aggregating Devices, a lure for certain kinds of fish, to improve global the tuna fish population.

monsy

November 22nd, 2011, 10:45 PM

i hope those people who wants hacienda luisita land to be distributed knows what they are talking about. For me, it is better to do the following:

- first, teach the farmers how to start small business or train them how to do other job.
- present owner of HL should give every farmworkers-beneficiaries certain amount of money which is equivalent to the price of the land that they suppose to get to start a business. It's like buying back the land they re-distributed.
- hire qualified farmworkers and treat them like a regular factory worker, which means they will received monthly salary, benefits and health care, etc.

If they distribute the land to hundreds or even thousands families, chances are most of them will soon stop tilling their land. Sugar farm land is not profitable if you just have a small amount of land.

amigo32

November 23rd, 2011, 12:23 AM

bakit hindi lang naman sugar puede produkto dyan ah, puede namn akong magtanim ng gulay, nyog, root-crops o pera:lol

walang sapilitan na bilhin nila ang lupa, option lang kung gusto

dessertfox

November 23rd, 2011, 04:50 PM

It was a unanimous decision, where 14 of 15 magistrates voted for the distribution of lands. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio did not take part.

READ: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/23/11/sc-orders-distribution-hacienda-luisita

xxxriainxxx

November 23rd, 2011, 05:11 PM

monsy

November 23rd, 2011, 06:32 PM

bakit hindi lang naman sugar puede produkto dyan ah, puede namn akong magtanim ng gulay, nyog, root-crops o pera:lol

walang sapilitan na bilhin nila ang lupa, option lang kung gusto

sana nga may iba pang suitable na pananim na maaaring tumubo sa lupa ng tarlac. ang isa kasing advantage ng tubo (sugarcane) hindi nya kailangan ng marami tubig.

monsy

November 23rd, 2011, 06:58 PM

deleted

Planning Democracy

November 25th, 2011, 02:54 AM

hugodiekonig

November 25th, 2011, 08:12 AM

Filipino savants develop new abalone hybrids
BY PAUL M. ICAMINA

http://www.malaya.com.ph/nov11/images/agri1.jpg

^^
Just think of the export potential of this. :D

abalone, eto yung abundant sa Jeju Island sa Korea

b_9904

December 1st, 2011, 06:16 AM

hugodiekonig

December 1st, 2011, 05:28 PM

THURSDAY, 01 DECEMBER 2011 19:43 MARILOU GUIEB / CORRESPONDENT

ILOCOS SUR—UV or ultra-violet ray is said to be harmful to humans, but it is finding its way to the fields of farmers. For one, for those who are wary of  BT-Talong, UV is bannered as an alternative, more compatible with organic farming and Integrated Pest Management Systems for repelling pests.

This is the UV ray-emitting light trap that controls agricultural pests and has already shown to have decreased chemical spraying among Ilocos Sur farmers.

 And because this light trap has controlled the prevalence of pests, yield has also improved. The light trap has been successful in raising yield in rice, corn, tomato, eggplant, watermelon, bell pepper, onion, pole sitao, ampalaya and garlic, a Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR)-funded study showed.

Among the pests effectively controlled by the light trap is the cecid fly that causes black sunken skin lesions on mango; leafhoppers that pester inflorescence in mango; and twig borers and tip borer in rice and corn.

This also translated to higher profits for Ilocos farmers. In specific trial locations in the Ilocos Region, the highest net monetary benefit was observed to be P96,713 for a yield increase of 11.9 metric tons (MT) per hectare with tomatoes in Piddig, Ilocos Norte; P61,013 for an increase of 7.5 MT per hectare for tomatoes in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur; and P45,313 attributed to a 6.4-MT per hectare increase in rice in Bangar, La Union.

source: http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/component/content/article/53-agri-commodities/20095-uv-rays-kill-plant-pests-ilocos-test-sites-show

wolfram74

December 6th, 2011, 03:43 PM

Phl now rice self-sufficient, says P-Noy (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=747365&publicationSubCategoryId=)
November 13, 2011

HONOLULU, Hawaii – The Philippines will no longer be needing rice imports as it is already nearing a self-sufficiency stage, President Aquino said yesterday in a panel discussion with chief executive officers of top companies.

“Our agriculture minister has made a guarantee that there will be no need to import rice. It was not a radical change, but what we did was that we did what was only necessary. Ours is a very basic step,” he told a forum attended mostly by businessmen.

..................................

Philippines to import 500,000 tons of rice for 2012 (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=755698&publicationSubCategoryId=200)
December 6, 2011

MANILA (Xinhua) -- The Philippines will import 500,000 tons of rice which will serve as the country's buffer stock during the lean months of 2012.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said Tuesday the National Food Authority (NFA) council has decided to initially import 500,000 tons of milled rice. Of this volume, 250,000 tons were allocated to traders while the rest will be brought in by farmers' groups.

...

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

mikael21

December 7th, 2011, 04:07 AM

PhilRice develops micronutrient-rich rice to fight hidden hunger (http://www.interaksyon.com/article/18545/philrice-develops-micronutrient-rich-rice-to-fight-hidden-hunger)

"We have replicated field trials of iron and zinc-rich rice in the experimental fields of PhilRice and in the International Rice Research Institute. With biofortification, we expect that our staple food will soon contain 50 to 80 percent more of iron and zinc," Alfonso said.

^^^^
ok no doubt this is a good project, the development of this micronutrient-rich-rice would help eradicate hunger problem in our country, hence how long does its take for its formal publicity in the market not to mention this "golden rice"?

Fraulein

December 15th, 2011, 08:25 AM

Phl 4th in fishery exports in Asia as markets shift
By Ding Cervantes (The Philippine Star) Updated December 15, 2011

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=66&articleId=758428

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – The Philippines ranks fourth in Asia in fishery product exports in an international fishery trade now shifting to “non-traditional” markets.

In the First Congress of the Integrated Services for the Development of Aguaculture (ISDA) held here yesterday, Remedios Ontangco of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) noted that “in international fisheries trade, the positive trend continued in 2010 , but has now changed direction along global financial status.”

She cited a recent projection made by of international fisheries trade analysts showing that by 2020, the top five fisheries retail markets would be the US, China, Japan, India and Russia.

“During the first quarter of this year, imports increased in traditional developed markets. But by mid 2011, the growth rates slowed down particularly in Europe and in the US markets,” she said.

Ontangco noted, however, an increase of fishery product exports from China, Norway, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Malaysia “through market diversification where aquaculture played an important role.”

She said these emerging markets are in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

But Ontangco reported that while Asia now supplies 91 percent of the world’s demand for fishery products, the Philippines is outranked by three Asian neighbors in the value of their exports.

Ontangco cited latest studies indicating that in terms of “fishery export trends”, the Philippines has exports worth $630 million. This, she noted, is lower than the exports of Thailand at $6.89 billion, India at $2.84 billion and Indonesia at $2.55 billion.

She also noted that in terms of aquaculture production, the Philippines ranked third with 2.4 million tons, next to Indonesia with 4.7 million tons and India with 3.7 million.

“Freshwater aquaculture had been the main drive in national food security and foreign fishery trade,” Ontangco said in her speech in the conference.

She said that despite economic difficulties being experienced by a growing number of countries in the West, the “combined import value of 14 markets is now higher by 18 percent than in 2010.” These markets, she noted, are the European Union, the US, Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, Thailand, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

Ontangco noted that demand rate for fishery products has slowed down in “developed markets” in the US, EU, and Japan, while growth rates in non-traditional markets have risen.

She said that in non-traditional markets such as China, demand for fishery products rose by 20.8 percent, South Korea by 8.80 percent, Hong Kong by 27.2 percent, Canada by 10.53 percent and Australia by 15.84 percent.

“Many are touching the $1 billion import bill in the developing world. There are smaller markets with a minimum import value of $50 million each and their total fishery imports equal to almost $5 billion,” she added.

Ontangco cited statistics indicating that Russia, Ukraine, and Poland imported more seafood in 2010 and 2011 c ompared to 2009.

“Also, fishery imports doubled in the African markets, reaching three million tons,” she reported.

Shrimp consumption is also going up in China, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, she noted, adding that “East Asia is now the largest market for live food fish.”

“Demand for live tilapia increased in the retail market and pink tilapia has replaced wild red snapper in many seafood restaurants,” she said.

Ontangco cited projections that Asia-Pacific and Central Asia regions “will grow and take 41 percent share of the global retail food market” and that “China will become the second largest food retail market by 2020, behind the US.”

b_9904

December 16th, 2011, 12:02 PM

the glimpser

December 27th, 2011, 05:25 PM

DA to fund more irrigation in 2012

By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer 9:31 pm
Sunday, December 25th, 2011

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Agriculture (DA) would be spending the bulk of its P61-billion budget for 2012 in long-term public infrastructure projects, saying it would veer away from product-oriented short-term programs that had led to corruption and misuse in the past.

In its yearend report, the DA said interventions for 2012 would include major irrigation systems to increase croppings especially for rice, research and development, training, and post-harvest facilities.

“In general, we shall veer away from the provision of private goods and shift to the more strategic intervention of providing public goods, which should be the role of government in the first place,” it added.

The NIA said it would focus on cheaper and small-gestating irrigation projects to reduce the waiting time for farmers. According to the DA, it plans to construct around 4,584 small-scale irrigation projects that would include shallow tube wells, small water reservoirs, small water impounding projects and spring developments.

To improve the mechanization of the Philippine countryside, the DA said it would distribute about 4,526 units of postharvest equipment and machinery such as dryers, storage and milling equipment, and dairy equipment and machinery next year.

It would also build 2,777 post-harvest facilities for drying, storage, processing and transport, and construct trading centers in Benguet, Pangasinan, Camarines Sur and Cebu.

To connect rural communities to trading centers, the DA said it has earmarked funds for the construction and improvement of about 1,284 kilometers of farm-to-market roads.

In the fisheries front, the department said it would maintain 62 mariculture parks and nine regional and municipal fishports. It would also implement the aqua-silviculture program.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/117177/da-to-fund-more-irrigation-in-2012

Nabartek

December 28th, 2011, 01:33 AM

Philippines eyes exporting rice by 2014 (http://business.inquirer.net/35401/philippines-eyes-exporting-rice-by-2014)

This was the ambitious goal declared by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, who said the Philippines is on its way to become a rice exporter by 2014.

Making the Philippines a rice seller in the world market is the second part of the Department of Agriculture’s goal under the Aquino administration once the country becomes self-sufficient in rice to fill the demand of its 90 million population, the DA chief said.

I don't feel right about that overly ambitious plan especially they seem to be expecting it in a very short time. Have they factored in the possible crops that will be awashed by bad weather? Or our rapidly growing population? I think the primary goal should be to STABILIZE rice production where we will not need to import. When it is stable, that is when we will assume exporting.

I think that is the problem with this administration. It doesn't seem to be grounded to reality. Okay lang mangarap, pero wag naman yung ganyan ka assuming :ohno:

Parchie

December 28th, 2011, 02:17 AM

I don't feel right about that overly ambitious plan especially they seem to be expecting it in a very short time. Have they factored in the possible crops that will be awashed by bad weather? Or our rapidly growing population? I think the primary goal should be to STABILIZE rice production where we will not need to import. When it is stable, that is when we will assume exporting.

I think that is the problem with this administration. It doesn't seem to be grounded to reality. Okay lang mangarap, pero wag naman yung ganyan ka assuming :ohno:
You nailed it! The correct descriptor is "too assuming". Assuming that other factors are going to be the same all year out; assuming that no pestilence comes; assuming that etc. etc. etc.

red_jasper

January 6th, 2012, 09:08 AM

Philippines partners with international dairy institute to improve industry competitiveness

The Philippines has partnered with the Babcock Institute for International Dairy Research and Development (IDRD) to upgrade farmers’ global competitiveness even as the country now produces Dutch-origin Gouda Cheese under a two-pronged livelihood creation and import substitution program.

Filipino dairy farmers linked with the Dairy Confederation of the Philippines have started collaborating for a training program with the IDRD in the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison to be able to acquire any global best practices in dairying.

The program, supported with financing by the United States Department of Agriculture and US dairy cooperative Land O’Lakes, sent in the second semester of 2011 eight dairy industry leaders to the IDRD.

Full story here (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/347158/philippines-partners-with-international-dairy-institute-improve-industry-competitive)

mikael21

January 20th, 2012, 02:11 AM

DA promotes aquaculture in mangrove areas
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/KpRHlH9DprfvDS0VKaYnCA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zODQ7cT04NTt3PTUxMg--/http://media.zenfs.com/en-PH/News/loQal/yahoo-jan19-photo1-fisheries-ss.jpg
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA— The Department of Agriculture (DA) has allotted some P1.9 billion this year to implement community-based aquaculture programs, including raising tilapia, lapu-lapu and other species in mangrove areas.

The program aims to assist small fisherfolk families and give them access to affordable fishery and aquaculture products.

The project will include the DA’s flagship program on establishing community-based multi-species hatchery and “aquasilviculture”, or raising fish in mangrove areas which marginal fisherfolk families can use to gain more income.

Under the aquasilvi, they will be trained on how to raise high-value species like lapu-lapu (grouper), mudcrabs and tilapia . There will also be technical assistance in various areas of post-harvest and regulatory services.

Read full story here... (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/da-promotes-aquaculture-mangrove-areas-023208738.html;_ylt=AsY4WHAe7aHJmVHgO2i71pLmV8d_;_ylu=X3oDMTNkcHZnZ2xwBG1pdAMEcGtnA2MzOTkzZWJkLTk0ZWYtM2IzOS04NGUxLTVhMjRhMGMwYzVkOQRwb3MDMQRzZWMDbG5fbG9RYWxfZ2FsBHZlcgNjOGU4NzY0MC00MjQ1LTExZTEtYTBhNy05ZjVlN2MyNWQ2Zjk-;_ylv=3)

Parchie

January 20th, 2012, 06:58 AM

hugodiekonig

January 22nd, 2012, 03:12 AM

By Adam O. Borja (The Philippine Star) Updated January 22, 2012

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/1931/agri1hiresv.jpg

MANILA, Philippines - Tobacco is not only a major ingredient in the manufacture of cigarettes, but also could be used for sustainable aquaculture that could increase farmers’ and fisherfolks’ income.

This was demonstrated by the National Tobacco Administration (NTA), in collaboration with other government agencies, during the launch of sustainable aquaculture practices using tobacco dust in La Union province last Jan. 13, 2012.

NTA administrator Edgardo D. Zaragoza led a “show and tell” activity at a demonstration farm in the municipality of Sto. Tomas, La Union, on how tobacco dust could address the degradation of fishponds due to the use of highly toxic chemicals.

Tobacco Dust Plus, the NTA chief said, is a duly tested, standardized, pure tobacco dust formulation intended as molluscicide to control snails and other predators in fishponds.

At the same time, tobacco dust can serve as a fertilizer to promote the growth of lablab (a natural fish food), and as soil conditioner.

Tobacco dust would replace the long-banned, highly toxic, cyanide-based, inorganic chemicals used in the preparation or sterilization of fishponds before the stocking of fingerlings, Zaragoza said.

read more (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=769926&publicationSubCategoryId=77)

mikael21

January 25th, 2012, 01:37 AM

Your attached picture is a "samaral". But the article never mentioned it. "Malaga" in Ilocos; "Samaral" in other parts of Luzon; "Kitong" in the Visayas/Mindanao areas; a specie of rabbitfish. I've known this kind of fish as cultured/ raised in ponds around Pangasinan. I have a better, fresh-looking picture while searching for it in the web. See the eyes! Nice for sinigang or ihaw-ihaw!
http://www.marketmanila.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/1samaral1.JPG

^^
Yeah, no doubt your attached picture is much better and looks fresh :cheers: btw, thanks the info regards to the specie of the fish :) and lastly I would agree with you that this will be delicious if cook in sinigang :yes:

mikael21

January 25th, 2012, 01:46 AM

Agri Dep't sees 2012 rice output growing 11%

"Seen contributing to the farm sector’s forecast growth of 4 to 5 percent is paddy rice production increasing by 10.67 percent to 18.46 million metric tons (MMT) this year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Tuesday. “We have already factored in the effects of possible typhoon damages for this particular projection. We are confident that we will be able to harvest as much as 18.4 million MT and we are well on our way to attaining self-sufficiency after 2013,” Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told reporters in a briefing. Rice losses from typhoons last year was estimated at 1.162 MMT, largely in the fourth quarter when palay output slipped by 8.72 percent to 5.93 MMT from 6.5 million MT in 2010. Corn production also declined by 9.79 percent to 1.4 million MT in the fourth quarter from 1.6 million MT a year earlier. “If not for the strong typhoons, crop production would have been better, especially rice.

Read more (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/agri-dept-sees-2012-rice-output-growing-11-102610642.html;_ylt=Ap76Y9eCxjiXZRlrzKDMNzjmV8d_;_ylu=X3oDMTNiYnZwNTdzBG1pdAMEcGtnAzEyYWVlOGNlLWFiYTQtM2Q2Zi04NTg5LWQzMWFlYTg2OTU3MwRwb3MDOQRzZWMDbG5fR01BX2dhbAR2ZXIDZDVhNGEyODAtNDY3NS0xMWUxLWJiZmQtMTNjZjY2OWE5ZDBi;_ylv=3)...

http://www.philippinenewsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Philippine-Rice-Commodities-Anew-Price-Hike.jpg

the glimpser

January 27th, 2012, 02:49 AM

Fish park seen to bring jobs, peace to Sulu

The sea just may hold the key to long-awaited peace in restive Sulu province.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has established a mariculture park in a cove in Siasi, Sulu, which would bring jobs and security to the province long wracked by abductions and bombings.

The Siasi Mariculture Park and Aqua-Tourism project would enable local fishermen to catch and process high-value fish species and seaweed. It is located in a cove on Tara Island and is under the supervision of the local government unit and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The 30-hectare mariculture park has 40 cages measuring four by four meters. Thirty-two of the pens were constructed using a P2.4 million fund from the BFAR.

The municipal government provided all the other amenities such as a mooring system, floating multipurpose hall, service boats and fingerlings, among other things.

Siasi Mayor Arthur Muksan said the local government was pleased with the project as it would increase the income of local fishermen. It would also provide a livelihood for their wives who would help process their catch.

“This is just the beginning of a better life for the residents of Siasi,” Muksan said in a statement.

Sulu Rep. Nur-Ana Sahidula urged the residents to cooperate with the government.

“We don’t need guns to address the crises we are in. Rather we have to work hard and pursue our roles as responsible parents,” she said.

The waters of Sulu are among the richest fishing grounds in the country. But because of poor infrastructure and security problems on the island, investments in agriculture had barely trickled in over the years.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/124729/fish-park-seen-to-bring-jobs-peace-to-sulu

amigo32

January 28th, 2012, 04:38 AM

Fish park seen to bring jobs, peace to Sulu

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/124729/fish-park-seen-to-bring-jobs-peace-to-sulu

Fish park seen to bring jobs, fish to Sulu:lol::lol::lol:

6stringer

January 28th, 2012, 10:18 AM

Fish park seen to bring jobs, peace to Sulu

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/124729/fish-park-seen-to-bring-jobs-peace-to-sulu

From what I have known, there are sea cages in Sulu for grouper right? Indeed more jobs to the local people.:okay:

6stringer

January 28th, 2012, 10:31 AM

6stringer

January 28th, 2012, 10:48 AM

By Gabriel Cardinoza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

read more at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/86623/weather-proof-fish-cages-seen-as-savior-of-aquaculture-industry

Hmmm its the first time Ive heard about the rope framed fish cages. If its really been tested, it should have spread already in other areas of the Philippines. Questions would be "What is the life span of these rope frames? " Also, the initial investment in constructing these cages and many others. For sure, they haven't known yet the HDPE cages being used in Mindanao. Flexible, long lasting/durable, and does not require floaters for the structure itself floats already. These type of cages are constantly being rammed by big waves and strong current of Sarangani Bay.

Yre

January 28th, 2012, 11:18 AM

Is there any detail regarding how DA would implement this program? This press release is quite vague actually. Tilapia hatchery would be easy and there are saline tolerant ones but grouper, I don't know. For mudcrabs, maybe for fattening. It would be helpful if they can have the program in detail.

Grouper hatchlings afaik is harvested by purse siene in an artificial nesting ground out in the sea. Kung walang grouper na mag nest, wala rin maha-harvest or sometimes mauunahan sila ng mga spear diver.
That's what someone told me as he had seen it in Jolo.

hugodiekonig

January 28th, 2012, 02:55 PM

Hmmm its the first time Ive heard about the rope framed fish cages. If its really been tested, it should have spread already in other areas of the Philippines. Questions would be "What is the life span of these rope frames? " Also, the initial investment in constructing these cages and many others. For sure, they haven't known yet the HDPE cages being used in Mindanao. Flexible, long lasting/durable, and does not require floaters for the structure itself floats already. These type of cages are constantly being rammed by big waves and strong current of Sarangani Bay.

I really have no idea about fishing. I only posted it here because it falls under the category in this thread.

I think that type of fish cages should be endorsed to the public because it seems it is "something new" and "innovative" in the fishing industry

Parchie

January 28th, 2012, 04:23 PM

I really have no idea about fishing. I only posted it here because it falls under the category in this thread.

I think that type of fish cages should be endorsed to the public because it seems it is "something new" and "innovative" in the fishing industry

IMO, @6stringer has a point. Something new doesn't have to be good just because it's new. Unless new innovations are tested and proven to be worth their cost as claimed on paper, one should remain a skeptic.

6stringer

January 28th, 2012, 05:28 PM

Grouper hatchlings afaik is harvested by purse siene in an artificial nesting ground out in the sea. Kung walang grouper na mag nest, wala rin maha-harvest or sometimes mauunahan sila ng mga spear diver.
That's what someone told me as he had seen it in Jolo.

That's exactly why I said that the press release was quite vague and hoped for a more detailed plan. I'm working with the aquaculture industry and interested in anything about the industry. Grouper actually can be bred in captivity but the problem is the survival rate of the fingerlings thats why they have to rely on wild fingerlings for seed. It is a noble intention though. Thanks for the info man. :)

6stringer

January 28th, 2012, 05:29 PM

I really have no idea about fishing. I only posted it here because it falls under the category in this thread.

I think that type of fish cages should be endorsed to the public because it seems it is "something new" and "innovative" in the fishing industry

No worries man, I just aired my view regarding this matter. Thanks for posting. :)

6stringer

January 28th, 2012, 05:33 PM

IMO, @6stringer has a point. Something new doesn't have to be good just because it's new. Unless new innovations are tested and proven to be worth their cost as claimed on paper, one should remain a skeptic.

Thanks for the heads up man. Actually it caught my interest considering I am with the aquaculture industry and currently involved with marine cage culture. Its quite intriguing that there is a technology like that. If it really is what they claim to be, then I'm interested. Thanks man. :)

kimxclusive

February 3rd, 2012, 02:49 AM

Toyota's Food Unit Relocating Here
By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT
February 2, 2012, 11:23pm

MANILA, Philippines — Toyota Tsusho Foods Corp. (TTFC), an affiliate of Toyota Group of Japan, is relocating here its seafood and marine products manufacturing operation from China after encountering problems with its Chinese suppliers.

TTFC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC) of Japan. It is the trading company of Toyota Motor Group of Companies and Toyota Motors Corp. is the majority stockholder.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/350162/toyotas-food-unit-relocating-here

mikael21

February 8th, 2012, 01:57 AM

Better weather info for PHL agriculture urged

The weather office should start fine-tuning its weather report for agriculture to aid farmers who are grappling with extreme weather events, a crop scientist at the University of the Philippines Los Banos said.

Dr. Lucille Elna De Guzman, a researcher at the UP College of Agriculture and a member of the UPLB Interdisciplinary Program on Climate Change, said the weather for the past year has become “so erratic.”
At present, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) only provides a general agricultural weather report every month.

De Guzman, in an interview at the sidelines of a climate change adaptation workshop organized by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, said the report should be localized as weather in one place is different from another.

“The weather in the plains is different from the weather in the mountains,” she said.

De Guzman said many Filipino farmers still base their planting schedules on observable weather patterns. This, she said, is not advisable anymore as the patterns have become too unpredictable.

Read more here... (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/better-weather-phl-agriculture-urged-112611650.html;_ylt=ArYcq7QN3gHZPqUOOzHcN9nmV8d_;_ylu=X3oDMTQwZGF2Nmx1BG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBQaGlsaXBwaW5lc1NGBHBrZwNlNzI2MzljOC04ZDNkLTM5ZGYtOTJhZi1hZDgyMGY4YTQ2ODEEcG9zAzkEc2VjA3RvcF9zdG9yeQR2ZXIDODkzMTYzNzAtNTE3ZS0xMWUxLWFmN2ItNWUwNDllMjU3NmE1;_ylg=X3oDMTF2M3NpaDUyBGludGwDcGgEbGFuZwNlbi1waARwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANwaGlsaXBwaW5lcwRwdANzZWN0aW9ucwR0ZXN0Aw--;_ylv=3)

Fraulein

March 5th, 2012, 04:12 PM

China receives 1st shipment of Phl bangus
(The Philippine Star) Updated March 05, 2012

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=66&articleId=783824

MANILA, Philippines - Mainland China has accepted the first shipment fresh frozen milkfish or bangus hatched, raised and processed in a Philippine aquaculture farm, thus breaking the lucrative Chinese consumer market whose appetite for fresh and frozen fish from the Philippines is expected to balloon with the implementation of a bilateral trade agreement between Manila and Beijing.

Officials of the Department of Trade and Industry said the shipment by one of the leading Mindanao-based aquaculture companies of nine tons of frozen and packaged Philippine milkfish is the headstart of an aggressive campaign by the government and the private sector to boost Philippines-China trade under a deal between President Aquino and Chinese President Hu Jintao signed in August last year to boost bilateral trade between the two countries to $60 billion within five years.

Alsons Aquaculture Corp., a part of the agribusiness unit of the Alcantara Group, became the first Filipino company to test the potential for Philippine milkfish in the mainland Chinese market with its initial shipment of fresh-frozen, value-added milkfish raised in its 320-hectare cultured fish farm in Alabel, Sarangani shipped to Xiamen, China and marketed under the Sarangani Bay trademark by Alson’s Xiamen-based distribution partner in retail stores as the primary distribution channel.

amigo32

March 6th, 2012, 02:28 AM

papadala rin kaya tayo ng cardboard bangus:D makaganti man lang hahahaha.:D

d7beast

March 6th, 2012, 02:49 PM

is anyone here knew of a Filipino embarking on tuna culture? Mukhang threatened na at endangered na ang mga ito due to over-fishing,i think the japanese already developed a technology in farming tuna,..

the glimpser

March 7th, 2012, 11:42 AM

Philippines to ship 55,590-MT D sugar to seven countries, says SRA

The Philippines will ship up to 55,590 metric tons of raw sugar to the world market this month, bringing the export volume to around 300,000 so far this crop year ending Aug. 31, the Sugar Regulatory Administration said Wednesday.

Twelve traders will ship the D sugar to the US, Vietnam, Korea, Indonesia, China, Japan and Taiwan, said SRA administrator Gina Bautista-Martin

Another 50,000 MT of D sugar will be shipped bringing the volume under this category to around 350,000 MT for crop year 2011-2012.

Philippine sugar output as of Feb. 26, 2012 was more than 1.5 million MT, up 12.26 percent from the year earlier period, SRA data showed.

The output for crop year 2011-2012 is estimated at 2.242 million MT, down from nearly 2.4 million a year earlier.
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippines-ship-55-590-mt-d-sugar-seven-055608308.html

hakz2007

March 8th, 2012, 12:53 PM

:applause::applause::applause:

CamSur is again a Guiness world record holder for most mangoves planted! :cheers:

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/420289_10150715459152154_547777153_11187204_838034857_n.jpg

source (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150715459152154&set=p.10150715459152154&type=1&ref=nf)

1.2 million mangroves planted!

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/421853_10150715454342154_547777153_11187196_618710718_n.jpg

source (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150715454342154&set=p.10150715454342154&type=1&ref=nf)

Juan Pilgrim

March 8th, 2012, 07:12 PM

Congratulations CamSur!!!

:horse:

Nabartek

March 8th, 2012, 07:20 PM

hakz2007

March 9th, 2012, 02:17 AM

It's official...not 1.2 million mangoves but 1.009 million only.

KqOqpSYb2UQ

the glimpser

March 10th, 2012, 03:20 AM

Government inks P4-B deal with Japan
By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
1:12 am | Friday, March 9th, 2012

The government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) have signed a P4-billion project that would provide support services and infrastructure to some 69,000 farmers in Mindanao, a senior agrarian reform official said.

Undersecretary Jerry Pacturan, of the Department of Agrarian Reform, said the government and Jica have agreed to launch the Mindanao Sustainable Agrarian and Agriculture Development Project (Minsaad).

The five-year program will have funds of P4.4 billion and will benefit farming communities in Mindanao.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/27679/government-inks-p4-b-deal-with-japan

sarahwassmann

March 10th, 2012, 07:55 PM

Hi guys, I would like to know how much the following products are per ton.

Corn
Sugar cane
root crops

would be great if you could also point out the main areas of production of said crops.

Thanks in advance

Juan Pilgrim

March 12th, 2012, 04:28 AM

It's official...not 1.2 million mangoves but 1.009 million only.

KqOqpSYb2UQ

Ang galing ni Governor and future congressman LRay Villafuerte!

Walang sinabi si Dato Arroyo! 1million mangrove trees!

:horse:

jpdm

March 13th, 2012, 01:56 AM

Ang galing ni Governor and future congressman LRay Villafuerte!

Walang sinabi si Dato Arroyo! 1million mangrove trees!

:horse::cheers::cheers::cheers:

JoelVasquez

March 13th, 2012, 01:32 PM

Hello Everyone,
I started my aquaponics training program here in Mactan, Cebu. For a small fee, anyone interested to learn can come visit us for a half-day session enough to get you started. Although this technology is not really new, as the Chinese have their own version of the concept 2 thousand years ago, the availability of the materials and technological development makes this venture possible in small scale backyard for a small as 3 or 5 sq. meters. Hence, you can achieve commercial efficiency using backyard tools and gadgets.
No soil, no digging, no fertilizers, no chemicals, no watering, no weeding yet you can have a truly organic, natural, nutritious fish and vegetables-herbs fresh, toxin free, fish and vegetables right at your own backyard.
Suitable for handicaps, housewives, retirees, out-of-school youth, orphanage, etc.,. Totally renewable, sustainable and energy efficient especially when combined with solar, wind, hydro, technology (small or commercial scale).
For those not familiar with Aquaponics - it is the combination of Aquaculture and hydroponics. In very brief terms, fish feeds the plant and plant feeds the fish. A micro-ecosystem in your backyard.
I believe this technology can help in reversing the climate change and environmental issues, address poverty alleviation, food security, provide alternative for livelihood and result in protection of our seas, rivers, lakes, - mitigate illegal fishing or overfishing.
For interested parties please PM or sms your email address 09228047056 for details and schedules. Thanks for being part of this forum and best wishes for everyone.

JoelVasquez

March 13th, 2012, 01:44 PM

The Many Advantages of Aquaponics
· For the Philippine scenario Aquaponics Technology as a solution to reduce cost of food production and efficient distribution systems can address poverty and alleviate and help protect children from and exploitation from paedophiles, child labor and women from exploitation because of hunger and poverty. Prostitution, drug pushing, illegal fishing, and other crime related to hunger and need for food. This is a first step in achieving a total fix for economic development.

· Cost of production benefits;
Families, Town, Municipalities and even cities can now produce their own food supply and the cost of transporting food is reduced. Save energy, protecting the environment from gas emissions, reducing our carbon footprint, a totally green solution to a country as miserable as the Philippines. Higher quality organically produced food for less cost...no need of chemical fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, packaging, throw away waste water, nothing goes to waste in an almost perfect eco-system.
· Food Security, in case of economic collapse or catastrophe, people can still eat, no matter what happens to the stock-market, peso-dollar, people will not go hungry, no one has to beg, and even labor strikers do not need to beg for assistance from the public, because laborers can produce their own fish and vegetables.. Man made or natural disasters, other sectors will have food available.
· Water is conserved and recycled, nothing is wasted (except through evaporation) as in watering the plants on the soil, a complete and natural eco-system in your backyard, homes and community.

· Fuel - less fuel will be used and consumed for food distribution used in transportation. More savings in dollars, less pollution, carbon reduction. Food production is now close to the consumers, commercial fishing can be reduced giving a chance to our seas to regrow from abuse.

· Land/Forest - don't cut our trees and preserve our forest for planting crops...protect and preserve mother earth, we can now plant in our backyard. If you need more space, plant vertical. This technology can be located anywhere especially when it is reinforced with Solar or Wind Energy as power requirements are minimal.

· High Quality Food for the prisoners because they can produce and grow their own vegetables and produce fish. Quality food for everyone...and eco friendly, natural and toxic free...purely organic...

· Proven growing technology - yet there is still so much to be discovered and learned from this process, questions like which plants to grow? Which fish and which method best suited, which is the best combination of fish and plant and with God's blessings only our imagination is the limit.
· Protection from calamity or disaster, when these happens each area that is isolated for example because of an outbreak, can still have their own food. Fish can easily be covered with nets when flooded, a system when the right balance is reached can be self-sustaining. The fish feeding the plants and the plants feeding the fish.
· Eco-tourism beautiful herbal, vegetable, gardens, ornamental plants and fishes and landscaping, self sustaining in every home, community and the country as a whole. For example, fountains, waterfalls, ponds are now both functional for the fish and serves as an irrigation system for the plants grown. Perhaps we can rebuild the hanging gardens of Babylon and the Water system of Rome, all using natural means and processes. This is the new challenge for architects, developers and engineers, to use this concept and introduce food production into their area being developed.

· Ocean, seas and rivers need not be disturbed so they can populate again...seas no need for overfishing we can produce fishes on our backyard, we restore the sea and our corral reefs, we give back to the seas what we have taken away from them.
· Healing of mother earth...go green again,...less heat from the sun transferred to the atmosphere since green plants absorb most of the energy...more green more oxygen in the air, more healthy population
· Schools can also have some space for their student to learn to experiment and be creative and find more effective productive solutions using the principles of Aquaponics, there is so much to be explored and discovered..

· Learning this technology can further the development in Green Buildings and Residential Condo's can be structurally designed and equipped with already a "Vertical Farming" concept and infrastructure structure, totally Green Building concepts.

· Small scale is suitable for retirees or handicaps creating a relax and stress free environment and not heavy work. The system can be designed for handicap-friendly combination. Still developing processes for the blind. Commercial systems can be adapted for handicap operators.

· Manual processes can be developed to provide aeration, circulation and filtration for physical fitness purposes should electrical systems fail.

· Work in harmony with rivers and lakes using the natural contours-geography of the land and the river to create sustainable agriculture-food supply without polluting our rivers or lakes, possibly desalting. Use the power of river...use the power of the river and the law of gravity, innovate

· Government can give people the systems-knowledge and chance to produce food rather than cash aide. Food for all, we teach how to fish rather than giving fish. Local Government Units - livelihood programs, cooperatives, orphanages, religious institutions, out-of-school youth, organizations for handicapped, create livelihood programs and sustainability.

· Prison facilities can participate in producing their own food as well as military camps and barracks. Let every square inch of land produce food and fish. Even the walls plant vertically on your facilities, there would be enough food for the soldiers, or at least save more money instead of buying food. These people can do a lot and feed the country.

Clean, Green, Renewable and Sustainable - Food for All

JoelVasquez

March 13th, 2012, 01:58 PM

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippines-plans-slash-fish-catch-save-stocks-170639204.html

Overfishing, illegal fishing, destruction of mangroves, have depleted our bountiful natural resources. It is easy for government to ban fishing as a band-aid solution, but what about those people who are affected, what are their options available.

I hope our Government will support my aquaponics training program to give people an alternative and propagate this technology to all. There is no need for greed, hunger and violence in our country. There are options available made possible through aquaponics. Check us out in facebook, Let us teach people how to produce fish rather than giving them fish...

www.facebook.com/philippine.aquaponics
www.facebook.com/groups/philippineaquaponics

JoelVasquez

March 13th, 2012, 02:03 PM

Water or water coming from rain should be a welcome phenomena and not a curse as what is now happening to our homes, subdivisions, cities etc., Flooding, here and there and everywhere rain strikes causes so much misery and problems, millions of property lost and damaged.
This natural, renewable resource abundant and provided by mother nature should be harnessed and managed properly to ensure that this "free resource" is utilized to the fullest.
Once people realize that there is so much value in these rain water - through the use of Aquaponics systems, I believe that our outlook towards water conservation will change. Every drop of rain will be valued when we propagate the concept of aquaponics.
Green plants absorb energy from the sun and can influence weather and climate change. That means the more we plant the more we are able to speed up absorption of energy and transform these energy into green plants and food itself. The government has always worked on tree-planting and reforestration. However, we can do our part within backyard, housing units and our communities as well so that we can give our forest the chance to heal itself.
Aquaponics for those who are not familiar with this concept is the production of fish and vegetables/greens. It is a combination of hydroponics(soiless production of plants) and aquaculture. In short the plant "feeds" the fish and the fish feeds the plant. This concept and the many practical application of which can and should be used in designing green buildings or site development and urban planning.
Green Building focus mostly has been on energy savings and efficiency, however, adaption of this concept will enhance energy savings considering that utilizing aquaponics in food production (healthy, fresh, organic) in the building/residences can already start a distributed system of food production as opposed to "Centralized Farming or Fishing". In aquaponics - production of fish and vegetables are already done nearest to the cosumer/end user.
Hence, there is no need to transport food all the way down to the consumers as hi-density quality-fresh food production is readily available within the community itself.
Issues related to climate change, floodings, are one of the many aspects that can be addressed when incorporating the concept of aquaponics. Apart from the concept of food production (decentralized) it can provide localized jobs and address socio-economic problems such as job opportunities, illegal-gambling,drugs,fishing(overfishing) etc., which is a result of having no work opportunities.
Likewise, the environmental impact - forest, seas, lakes and rivers can now be addressed if people are given an alternative source of income and job opportunity.
Fiinally, eco-tourism can be promoted vigorously consider we are a clean and green country. Tourish are provided, fresh, clean, organic, chemical free, pesticide free, fish and vegetables.
Check us out at facebook.
www.facebook.com/philippine.aquaponics
www.facebook.com/groups/philippineaquaponics

JoelVasquez

March 14th, 2012, 02:14 PM

Integrating Sustainable food production with Renewable Energy

Solar Energy :: Solar Water Pump picture by esoylegaspi - Photobucket (http://s1186.photobucket.com/albums/z365/esoylegaspi/Solar%20Energy/?action=view&current=SolarWaterPump-EESS2.jpg)

Greetings and please allow us to take a moment of your time to explore the possibility of using Solar Powered Pumps to provide you of trouble free and stable water supply.

Please find above enclosed Solar Powered Pumps - diagram and sample specs - the performance of which is similar to the existing pump technology especially for deep well residential-applications, irrigation(agriculture), aquaculture, commercial, industrial and high-rise building applications.

We would be glad to submit an offer that would best suit your requirement by advising us with your technical specifications such as daily operating hours(T), total head(H) and volume of water requirement(Q) to enable us to make a suitable pump selection together with your intended applications.

Many thanks for the time to review and look forward to serving your needs in the near future.

JoelVasquez

March 16th, 2012, 02:38 PM

Working smart is often not easy from the start, especially when you are new and "many things" to learn, however, once you get to practice it, you will know that what you learned will be worth all the time, money and effort you put it. Efficiency and Productivity with Technology.

Aquaponics is like the word-processor of the PC, while traditional fishing-aquaculture-agriculture is the typewriter. Today, anyone given the typewriter for free will not even accept it, knowing what it can do. This is like the "slide-rule"(during my time) and the "calculator".

From the PC, the value, efficiency and quality of what your produce is far superior than the typewriter. What more if you are able to manipulate the variables/parameters of Aquaponics. Being able to produce your own healthy, organic, nutritious, clean, green fresh quality fish and vegetables-plants-herbs is far superior that what you can purchase(typewriter).

Only your imagination is the limit and the results are exciting- also be frustrating(as you move up the learning curve).
www.facebook.com/philippine.aquaponics
www.facebook.com/groups/philippineaquaponics

=========
Unfortunately, our people(traditional fish ponds) are still using the film in their camera's. Digital Camera is now king. Kodak Gone. That is also what fishing and veggie production will happen, I long to see the day that every home has it's own mini-eco system producing their own fish, veggie, herbs, etc., sustainable and renewable..Above all, solar energy in every home.

JoelVasquez

March 17th, 2012, 01:49 AM

Tutorial on starting your own aquaponics

Title : Aquaponics Seminar

a. Who - Joel "Esoy" Legaspi Vasquez - Mechanical Engineer - OFW from Singapore, learned Aquaponics in Singapore – Managing Partner – Mactan Aquaponics Philippines Trader

b. What - Learn Aquaponics - Start to construct and finish it within budget,
- Operate and maintain and sustain
- DIY techniques to reduce costs using recycled materials, junks and scrap. (Low end solutions)
- "High end solutions" available for the "social and classy"

c. Where - 0943 Mahayahay Rd, Bangkal - Lapu-lapu City,
Mactan, Cebu – Tel : 032-4957204 Cel: 09228047056
Email : joel.mactan_aquaponics@yahoo.com or
joel.vasquez@philippineaquaponics.com

d. Why -

1. Knowledge is power, learn how to produce fish rather than giving fish

2. You will be self-sufficient and sustainable in your own backyard – start with 5 sq. meters,

3. Produce your own healthy, organic food - using sustainable methods. Learn to produce your own feeds (using the God given resources around you)

4. Learn to construct your own systems with the materials around you, innovation and creativity. Learn to landscape-"functional and aesthetic" your place using vertical gardening. Nothing goes to waste – because you use recyclable materials.

5. Use this functionality to produce food - circulation and aeration and filtration - creative thinking and ideas.

6. Develop the expertise on a small scale and go big time.

7. Rehabilitate existing ponds to increase productivity.

8. See "Engineered Systems" by learning to do it yourself, with locally available materials. Accelerate your learning curve, reduce costly errors-mistakes, fish-kills (like I did) and have immediate direction of what you want to achieve.

You will be self-sustaining during storms and calamities - because you can produce you own food.

9. You are able to protect the environment turning it green and clean - zero waste. Let nature do the work for you - you just provide the infrastructure.

10. Ideal for housewives, retirees, handicaps as well, intending to retire, develop skills of a lifetime.

11. Good health, is the greatest gift you can have for yourself and your family. (90% of illnesses comes from the food you eat)

This program of learning are designed for dummies like me, who learned the hard and expensive way, asking silly questions; but this is part of the learning process. The only silly question are those that are not asked...that was what my "guru" told me...So let's get started.

f. How much? 1,500.00 Per person ( 3 to 4 hours) -

JoelVasquez

March 19th, 2012, 11:32 PM

http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16631/four-pangasinan-areas-affected-by-red-tide

Red Tide – Is this not the same “technology” used by the “Heavens” against the Egyptians during the time of Moses. Plague after plague due to stubbornness of the Egyptians to release the Isralites. We forget history and are bound to repeat the mistakes done by others.

The “Heavens” work with nature – our transgressions are our own makings. STD’s, Herpres, Gonorhea, Syphilis, AID’s etc., are the Heavens punishments against our “transgressions”. All these problems are self-induced, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. Nature only reacts and responds to our abuses against Mother Earth. This is no different when we get flooded. Abuse of our forest and trees and we get punished by the “heavens”. Lots of collateral damage from our greed, many innocent people have to pay for the greed of the few.

As skeptics would say - “The great flood could have been just mythical and imagination of some dubious authors ??” Nevertheless, watch what is happening around us and start connecting the dots and see the big picture as it unfolds.

There is a solution to all this, we can start producing our fish and vegetables right in our backyard, community or high-rise condo. Allow our river, seas and lake to heal itself.

www.facebook.com/philippine.aquaponics
www.facebook.com/groups/philippineaquaponics

Nabartek

March 19th, 2012, 11:35 PM

Troll!!!!!

JoelVasquez

March 20th, 2012, 04:25 AM

Troll!!!!!

Just as what kiretoce said, you've got to raise your standards...

Kiretoce - many thanks for your statement - it comes in handy...

johncapuchino

March 20th, 2012, 05:43 PM

Nabartek

March 20th, 2012, 11:18 PM

Just as what kiretoce said, you've got to raise your standards...

Kiretoce - many thanks for your statement - it comes in handy...

So you're gonna let us stop using bottled water without raising the standards of tap water

all you say when I raise this question is "you are the boss". Come on, you just want people to pay for the fee for "advice"

ca$$$hing

JoelVasquez

March 21st, 2012, 03:05 AM

http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16631/four-pangasinan-areas-affected-by-red-tide (http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16631/four-pangasinan-areas-affected-by-red-tide)

Red Tide – Is this not the same “technology” used by the “Heavens” against the Egyptians during the time of Moses. Plague after plague due to stubbornness of the Egyptians to release the Isralites. We forget history and are bound to repeat the mistakes done by others.

The “Heavens” work with nature – our transgressions are our own makings. STD’s, Herpres, Gonorhea, Syphilis, AID’s etc., are the Heavens punishments against our “transgressions”. All these problems are self-induced, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. Nature only reacts and responds to our abuses against Mother Earth. This is no different when we get flooded. Abuse of our forest and trees and we get punished by the “heavens”. Lots of collateral damage from our greed, many innocent people have to pay for the greed of the few.

As skeptics would say - “The great flood could have been just mythical and imagination of some dubious authors ??”

JoelVasquez

March 21st, 2012, 03:09 AM

We really need to sustain our basic needs using cheap alternatives. Napapansin ko kasi lahat ng sweldo ng mga pinoy napupunta lang sa pambili ng basic needs. Eh pano na yung pangarap nya? pangarap na lang kaya habambuhay?

========
The basic needs such as food - organic, nutritious, health, toxic free, pesticide free - fish and vegetables can now be done right in your own backyard - This need not be within reach of the super rich and rich, it can be done. Learn Aquaponics and start to generate savings.

JoelVasquez

March 21st, 2012, 03:15 AM

http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16658/organic-sales-bucking-the-trend

Please see above site. I hope most people in the Philippines will hopefully realize the quality of organic produce – producing the way nature intends it to be and not mass produced for profit while destroying the environment. Working with nature and not against nature. Learn to produce it right in your own backyard. No fertilizers, No chemicals, no herbicides, no weeding, no soil, no watering, - designed for "juan tamad" once it is set-up(gusto libre lahat).

www.facebook.com/philippine.aquaponics
www.facebook.com/groups/philippineaquaponics

Parchie

March 21st, 2012, 04:06 AM

So, what your beef here? You are discussing a phenomenon which is beyond human control. AFAIK, there have been mass killing of animals and flora millions of years ago but life on earth survived. Do you believe humans are blessed with such a power to destroy earth? Nuts!

As one aquaculturist once said: Breeding fish in captivity is like trying to replace Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven with Yanni, Yanni, and Yanni, etc. etc. The end result is that you can crank out volumes but these do not replicate itself and sustain its numbers.

IMO, nature can provide. It is for this reason that some countries are changing there strategy in replenishing its native fishes by correcting whatever ills the fish habitat were subjected to. It is based on the proven fact that nature heals itself if the debilitating factor sources are plugged for good. Human efforts doing technological incest will fail and is futile.

JoelVasquez

March 21st, 2012, 08:53 AM

JoelVasquez

March 21st, 2012, 08:54 AM

http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16670/rich-potential-for-tra-fish-exports

Vietnam export “tra-fish” earns 1.2 Billion USD, we export OFW’s. How can a country like Vietnam – 2 million killed by Americans, can sell fish worth billions ? Do they have “fish-scientist”. Are there more brilliant-genius fish producers in Vietnam? Oh my dear beloved Philippines, when are you going to wake up and see where you are? Is fish production a rocket science ???? What is it that the vietnamese are doing that we are not doing ??

Or are we doing what we always did, giving us what we always got...

rain34

March 21st, 2012, 09:27 AM

Please do not compare aquaponics with aquaculture. Aquaponics is not the same as aquaculture - Aquaponics is sustainable, renewable and green. Aquaculture is not.

If Aquaponics is not Aquaculture then all your posts are off topic in this thread. I suggest you make a separate thread for your advertising of Aquaponics.

Parchie

March 21st, 2012, 09:49 AM

If Aquaponics is not Aquaculture then all your posts are off topic in this thread. I suggest you make a separate thread for your advertising of Aquaponics.
Hehehehe. Please let him be! (There are no takers yet, ya know?)

Actually, this is one of our high school projects way, way , way back in time: aquaculture + growing plants on water effluent from those ponds that we grew tilapia on. It's really wrong to say aquaponics does not involve aquaculture.

JoelVasquez

March 21st, 2012, 06:46 PM

Hehehehe. Please let him be! (There are no takers yet, ya know?)

Actually, this is one of our high school projects way, way , way back in time: aquaculture + growing plants on water effluent from those ponds that we grew tilapia on. It's really wrong to say aquaponics does not involve aquaculture.

Aquaponics was started by the INCA's, MAYANS and CHINESE thousands of years ago, long before JC was born. Aquaponics is Integrated Farming.

With the availability of present day technologies, this ancient science is revived making it possible to combine present day technologies with ancient concepts to adress efficient food production. Using backyard components, high density fish and vegetable production is possible and far better than what the Chinese, Mayans, Incas have acheived.

While there are 4.5 million involuntarily hungry Filipinos, half of those who are interested most in doing this and attend my sessions are foreigners who hope that they can be of help to this country, whilst other Filipinos ridicule this "technology".

A 70 yr. old fishpond owner for 30 years has been producing 5 to 10 Tilapia fish per sq. meter and was amazed that 100's of Tilapia fish are possible. He was amazed that you can start producing your own feeds and be sustainable. Incorporate Solar and other tech's, then you are renewable while addressing environmental impact and climate change.

Above all, he was shaking his head that had he known of this method 30 years ago, he would have been filthy rich by now. All he need to do is to work smart and not work hard. His children brought him to show that it is not too late. In his retirement, he can do it in his backyard, working smart.

Pathetic "aquaculture technology" he has learned all these years. For me, this is not "aquaculture" as I see it in the Philippines - the kind of aquaculture technology that is practiced in the Philippines. In Palawan, an Australian is doing this and DOST are sending their "technocrats" to visit this "technology of the ancients", to "copy and paste".

JoelVasquez

March 21st, 2012, 07:11 PM

If Aquaponics is not Aquaculture then all your posts are off topic in this thread. I suggest you make a separate thread for your advertising of Aquaponics.

Aquaponics is my business, because,

My business you can copy and paste -
My business you can start small and expand because it is modular
My business you can start as a hobby -
My business you can learn as you grow and grow as you learn
My business you can do at home -
My business you can be the boss
My business you will know green and eco-friendly solutions
My business you will produce your own fish and vegetable
My business you will not need to till, to weed, to water,
My business you will not need to fertilize, to use chemicals, no digging, no soil,
My business you will know is sustainable
My business you will know is renewable
My business you will know has socio-economic impact,
My business you will know is simple to maintain and operate - even handicap
My business you will know is energy efficient
My business you will know can provide job security
My business you will know can provide food security
My business is ideal for housewives, retirees, part time workers, student, handicaps
My business is for everyone who likes healthy organic produce
My business can help alleviate poverty and empowerment
My business can help reduce flooding and calamity
My business can help protect our lakes, rivers, seas and ocean
My business is common sense,
My business is teaching aquaponics - better known as Integrated Farming

Parchie

March 22nd, 2012, 01:39 AM

Perhaps, a business can prosper with forum user-friendly posts, IMHO.

JoelVasquez

March 22nd, 2012, 11:45 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DA6SFb93kU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZASzVsNNWmA.

Making your own “Fish Feeds”, some creative ideas from Africa. Free fish feeds, do it yourself. Vietnamese, China and Thai's know better than to waste their time with laborious techniques as shown in the video, they work smart and make nature do the work for them, giving them more FREE time. Philippines as I observed, mostly just buy feeds - the easy way, zero thinking needed., feed all you can, till you get dead fish.
=========

My business drive is towards zero energy, zero waste, zero carbon, zero effort, teach how to produce fish (and vegetables) rather than giving FREE fish.

rain34

March 22nd, 2012, 01:47 PM

Aquaponics is my business, because,

My business you can copy and paste -
My business you can start small and expand because it is modular
My business you can start as a hobby -
My business you can learn as you grow and grow as you learn
My business you can do at home -
My business you can be the boss
My business you will know green and eco-friendly solutions
My business you will produce your own fish and vegetable
My business you will not need to till, to weed, to water,
My business you will not need to fertilize, to use chemicals, no digging, no soil,
My business you will know is sustainable
My business you will know is renewable
My business you will know has socio-economic impact,
My business you will know is simple to maintain and operate - even handicap
My business you will know is energy efficient
My business you will know can provide job security
My business you will know can provide food security
My business is ideal for housewives, retirees, part time workers, student, handicaps
My business is for everyone who likes healthy organic produce
My business can help alleviate poverty and empowerment
My business can help reduce flooding and calamity
My business can help protect our lakes, rivers, seas and ocean
My business is common sense,
My business is teaching aquaponics - better known as Integrated Farming

^^ your business is copy paste...yes I see that :lol:

amigo32

March 22nd, 2012, 02:21 PM

aquaponics is nice. I started looking for video tutorials on youtube after reading his posts.

Parchie

March 23rd, 2012, 09:55 AM

aquaponics is nice. I started looking for video tutorials on youtube after reading his posts.
Yeah. Pwede pa yan sa kawang-gawa: (sample physical arrangement)

10 blind people on the 4th floor->
piggery on the third floor fed by droppings from the 4th floor->
poultry on the 2nd floor fed by droppings from the 3rd floor->
pond filled with fish and kangkong on the ground floor nourished by chicken dung from the 2nd floor->
The owner just buys rice and harvests some fish and kangkong to cook sinigang to be brought to the 4th floor to feed the blind men!

That's an integrated agriculture-farming/husbandry/aquaculture to supplement a minimal-cost charity institution! Beat that! Nyahahahaha!
(Sorry mods. Can't help when people begin to think like there really is a perpetual motion machine!)

amigo32

March 23rd, 2012, 01:37 PM

...agriculture-farming/husbandry/aquaculture to supplement a minimal-cost charity institution! Beat that! Nyahahahaha!
(Sorry mods. Can't help when people begin to think like there really is a perpetual motion machine!)

drink your own pee, eat your shirt:D

now that's 100% recycling

way better than aquaponics:lol:

hugodiekonig

March 24th, 2012, 02:09 AM

Friday 23rd of March 2012

VIGAN CITY, March 23 (PIA) -- Two new researches regarding tobacco will help the tobacco farmers sustain their livelihood.

The two recent tobacco breakthroughs by the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) might be the key for the continued existence of the industry in the future even if there’s an all–out campaign against cigarette smoking, which would also support the call to sustain tobacco as the main cash crop of the farmers, particularly in Northern Luzon after the rice season.

These research studies pushed the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the NTA to initiate increase in the demand of the tobacco.

read more at source (http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=381332471059)

Juan Pilgrim

March 24th, 2012, 03:13 AM

News Feature: Two new uses of tobacco found
Friday 23rd of March 2012

The use of the tobacco dust in the fish production was more economical and free from environmental hazard as it was an organic material.

Another one of NTA’s breakthrough found out that tobacco pulp was an excellent ingredient in paper manufacturing. It was noted that the pulp from tobacco stalks was then the main component in the research and development program on the other uses of the tobacco.

read more at source (http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=381332471059)

Is Tobacco the only agricultural product that is well suited for the arable lands of the Ilocos Region?

Next time : Two new researches regarding Cannabis will help the Marijuana farmers sustain their livelihood.

:horse:

hugodiekonig

March 24th, 2012, 03:32 AM

Is Tobacco the only agricultural product that is well suited for the arable lands of the Ilocos Region?

Next time : Two new researches regarding Cannabis will help the Marijuana farmers sustain their livelihood.

:horse:

There are also tobacco plantations in Mindoro and in Bicol but the most suitable is in Ilocos Region (Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union) plus Abra (in Cordillera Region)

According sa congressman namin, specific ang soil na kailangan ng tobacco, in which sa Ilocos Region matatagpuan ang soil type na suitable para sa tobacco

hahahaha baka next time may "good use" narin ang marijuana aside from sa medicine (marijuana i believe is also used in medicine for extreme cases)

Juan Pilgrim

March 24th, 2012, 01:41 PM

^^ Thanks for the information.

But what other variety of crops can the region sustain?

Maybe palm trees, banana, coffee, macadamian nuts, dates...????

:horse:

hugodiekonig

March 24th, 2012, 04:19 PM

^^ Thanks for the information.

But what other variety of crops can the region sustain?

Maybe palm trees, banana, coffee, macadamian nuts, dates...????

:horse:

In case tobacco industry dies, farmers cant plant lowland vegetables, Palay, and Corn (Ilocos Sur produces the largest amount of corn per year in the Ilocos region) Coconut can also be planted in the region. One coconut planation that i know is in Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte.

Juan Pilgrim

March 26th, 2012, 06:11 PM

^^So what is the point of planting tobacco if other crops such as those you mentioned can also grow in that region?

Siguro the market value is astronomical as a cash crop!

hugodiekonig

March 30th, 2012, 04:24 PM

^^So what is the point of planting tobacco if other crops such as those you mentioned can also grow in that region?

Siguro the market value is astronomical as a cash crop!

tobacco is really a cash crop in tobacco-planting provinces, mas malaki ang profit per kilo kasi kaysa planting vegetables, corn or palay. malaki ang demand sa tobacco

jpdm

April 1st, 2012, 02:42 AM

Echomarket offers fresh produce

By Iris C. Gonzales (The Philippine Star) Updated April 01, 2012 12:00 AM Comments (0)

MANILA, Philippines - Social entrepreneur Pacita Juan and her partners behind the Echostore concept have expanded their business with the opening of Echomarket, which offers fresh natural and organic vegetables and other products.

Dubbed as Echomarket Sustainable Farms, the new store offers organic products seven days a week. It carries natural and organic vegetable and fruit produce, free range chicken and meats, fresh milk and eggs, artisan breads and cheeses.

Reena Francisco, one of the partners behind Echostore, said the idea to open Echomarket stemmed from a desire to help small food producers.

“We actually began to ask friends who supply us fruits, veggies, chicken for our personal consumption and our other food establishments if they wanted to join us in doing this, and they were all excited,” Francisco said.

As such, Echomarket embraces the same philosophy of sustainability, Francisco said.

This essentially means supporting local food producers and organic farmer groups all over the country.

It brings together, under one roof, the weekend market sellers and organic suppliers.

Among the suppliers of Echomarket are Agnes and Tony Boy Escalante of Manuel Pedro Farms, Aleli Pensacola of Daila for her chickens products, Cordillera Network for their organic mountain rice, Carlo Lorenzana’s Sunmade rice and Olive Puentespina for their Malagos cheese products.

Cooperatives from Laguna, Bulacan, and the other existing communities, which Echostore has embraced for the past three years, have also started to send their products.

Juan, who oversees Echofarms in Amadeo, Cavite where she grows organic vegetables for use in the various establishments said they decided to open Echomarket to cater to people asking about their products.

She noted for instance that Reena’s mushroom burger patties in Echocafe have a loyal following of people who also keep ordering them.

Jeannie Javelosa, another partner, said Echomarket would also serve as a venue for retail distribution for small cooperatives.

“It becomes another retail distribution space for small communities, cooperatives and organic farmers to come together in a mall area and make their healthy produce available to busy city folks.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubCategoryId=66&articleId=793092

sarahwassmann

April 1st, 2012, 08:30 AM

I'd like to repeat my question, from a few pages earlier.

Anyone here has the current market price for a ton of sugar cane and corn?

Thanks in advance

jpdm

April 1st, 2012, 12:43 PM

The government should develop our dairy industry which is largely dependent on imports. Its a billion peso industry that local dairy farmers should consider.:cheers:

JoelVasquez

April 1st, 2012, 02:37 PM

http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16816/ecoli-warning-from-excessive-antibiotic-use

Please check out above site.
Nature fights back - just when we thought we built the worlds best mouse-trap mother nature will produce a smarter mouse. We can never win the race against mother nature. Let's work with mother nature rather than working against mother nature. It is FREE - mother nature works 24/7 FREE.

Parchie

April 2nd, 2012, 01:32 AM

The government should develop our daily industry which is largely dependent on imports. Its a billion peso industry that local dairy farmers should consider.:cheers:

Ibig mong sabihin, lahat ng industries! Araw-araw kasi yang "daily" eh"!:banana::banana::banana:

amigo32

April 2nd, 2012, 01:39 AM

paano ang gabi-gabi?

jpdm

April 2nd, 2012, 01:50 AM

Ibig mong sabihin, lahay ng industries! Araw-araw kasi yang "daily" eh"!:banana::banana::banana:

Dumali ka na naman. typo error lang...Dairy industry yun.:cheers:

JoelVasquez

April 8th, 2012, 01:04 AM

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/07/ashwaganda-effect-on-alzheimers-disease.aspx?e_cid=20120407_DNL_art_2

Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food- from Hippocrates-the father of medicine; herbs developed by nature for our cure and maintenance. Hopefully as we identify more of these God given free medicine, we can start reproducing this specimen in our herbal garden, our home pharmacy. We hope to develop a separate thread of herbal garden cures propagated through aquaponics.

www.facebook.com/philippine.aquaponics
www.facebook.com/groups/philippineaquaponics

JoelVasquez

April 8th, 2012, 01:14 AM

the glimpser

April 8th, 2012, 03:45 AM

Mindanao farmers get tractors, threshers from gov’t

MANILA, Philippines—Farmers in Mindanao have received nmearly P21 million worth of farm equipment from the Department of Agriculture intended to help them produce more crops and earn more money.

The department said in a news release that it recently awarded 177 pieces of farm machinery and equipment, such as tractors and threshers, to farmers’ groups and irrigators’ associations in Region 12 or the Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) Region.

The DA shouldered the bulk of the cost of the equipment through the farm mechanization component of its Food Staple Sufficiency Program. Under the program, the DA paid for 85 percent of the cost, while the beneficiaries shouldered the remaining 15 percent.

Assistant Agriculture Secretary Dante Delima said another set of farm machines and equipment was scheduled to be awarded to another batch of farmers in August this year

The bulk of the machines and equipment went to 126 farmers’ groups. They received five units of four-wheel drive tractors, 112 hand tractors, and 37 rice threshers, collectively worth P18.5 million.

Five outstanding irrigators’ associations received nine hand tractors, seven hermetic cocoons, and seven portable dryers, which are worth P2.43 million.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/173113/mindanao-farmers-get-tractors-threshers-from-gov%e2%80%99t

dessertfox

April 10th, 2012, 05:57 PM

http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16829/seafood-giant-sees-5bn-revenue-in-2015-via-growth

How can Thailand forecast to export 5 Billion USD in seafood while we are sleeping… Exporting OFW’s…

http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16801/rm2-billion-lobster-farm-for-sabah

Malaysia setting up so 2 Billion RM lobster farm…while we are sleeping…

And also it is those foreign companies that is benefiting from our Coconut Industry. Take an example of "Buko Juice" that we've been consuming right in our streets. This is projected to become the darling of billion dollar beverages industry being "Natures's made gatorade". Now they are putting Coconut products on many things even for simple hangover cures in the west.

Now as you said we are still asleep until we realized that the opportunities is gone. Brazil has just started planting thousands of acres land into coconut plantation, while us by simply re-planting program can't muster.

jpdm

April 11th, 2012, 04:08 AM

And also it is those foreign companies that is benefiting from our Coconut Industry. Take an example of "Buko Juice" that we've been consuming right in our streets. This is projected to become the darling of billion dollar beverages industry being "Natures's made gatorade". Now they are putting Coconut products on many things even for simple hangover cures in the west.

Now as you said we are still asleep until we realized that the opportunities is gone. Brazil has just started planting thousands of acres land into coconut plantation, while us by simply re-planting program can't muster.

Thats why we cannot blame some people to create this concept called Noynoying because it seems the government is still at lost as to how the Philippines will preserve and maintain our strength and revive our lost ones (like manufacturing and heavy industry).

At least we are lucky, we have an intelligent and competent Agriculture secretary in Proceso Alcala compared to the MORON 5 headed by the following: the Dept. of Energy (Almendras) , Dept of Trade and Industry ( Domingo), Dept. of Finance ( Purisima), NEDA (Paderanga) and the leader super idiot and moron dumbass DOTC head Mar Roxas.toinks!

JoelVasquez

April 12th, 2012, 12:06 AM

Thats why we cannot blame some people to create this concept called Noynoying because it seems the government is still at lost as to how the Philippines will preserve and maintain our strength and revive our lost ones (like manufacturing and heavy industry).

At least we are lucky, we have an intelligent and competent Agriculture secretary in Proceso Alcala compared to the MORON 5 headed in the following departments namely: the Dept. of Energy (Almendras) , Dept of Trade and Industry ( Domingo), Dept. of Finance ( Purisima), NEDA (Paderanga) and the leader super idiot and moron dumbass DOTC head Mar Roxas.toinks!

Hi JPDM,
Agree plus, morons are everywhere and will continue to abound because we allow it to be. I think we should ask the next questions, what can we do about it? After all they are our "SERVANTS" and we are the BOSS. Unfortunately many BOSSES are also morons.

How do we manage this "SERVANTS" to give us what we want and not what they think is good enough for us? What do you think?
Can do or no can do.
Joel

JoelVasquez

April 12th, 2012, 10:05 PM

http://www.brighthub.com/environment/science-environmental/articles/39036.aspx

Vertical Farming.

Preparing for the future. Food is produced where the consumers are. Forward thinking and planning should lead us in this direction. The designs of the future should already consider this in their concepts that will lead to easy adaptation and "interconnectability". ( Sort of Cable Ready or the use of Structured Cabling in High Rise Buildings) The principles introduced in the above topic does not consider the "concept of aquaponics" where we recycle fish waste and use it to produce organic, nutritious food. There are now available technologies able to respond to temperature and environmental constraints thus making plant production grow side by side close to the consumers.

Water recycling, energy savings due to reduced fuel cost in production food. The need to transport vegetables and fish from distant provinces can be reduced. Calamities, storms can be addressed providing food security and stable prices for food readily close to the consumer.

Our planners should already take into consideration this possibility and make their design adaptable to such an environment - really creating a Green Environment.

the glimpser

April 14th, 2012, 07:28 AM

DOH eyes infotech in dengue reporting

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Health on Friday announced it was tapping information technology to implement “specific targeting” of dengue cases in communities in an effort to significantly curb the prevalence of the infectious tropical disease.

In a dengue summit attended by health experts and local government representatives, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the new process would allow real-time reporting of dengue cases from rural health units and hospitals.

Ona explained that under this system, rural health units or hospitals can immediately report a confirmed dengue case to a barangay-based health team, which will promptly conduct investigation.

He said this is a big leap from the old process that relied on the overall data gathered from sentinel hospitals across the country, which usually takes two to three weeks to complete.
http://technology.inquirer.net/9869/doh-eyes-infotech-in-dengue-reporting

jpdm

April 15th, 2012, 07:51 AM

The government should vigorously pursue urban farming to augment food supply in many urban areas.

JoelVasquez

April 19th, 2012, 12:36 AM

JoelVasquez

April 19th, 2012, 12:46 AM

The government should vigorously pursue urban farming to augment food supply in many urban areas.

WE are the government. PNoy and his gang, etc., are our "public servants". PNoy said we are the BOSS. Do we wait for them(PNoy) to take the lead or do WE lead them towards where we want them to be.

Do WE leave it to our "public servants" to lead us or do WE push them where WE want them to be. If WE do not take our lead role, the "SERVANTS" will take advantage of their "dumb" BOSS.

And we have seen and are seeing all these happening before our eyes. Where our PUBLIC SERVANTS are leading us?? I cannot do anything, you cannot do anything, together WE CAN. CAN? CAN as they say in Singapore.

There is so much WE CAN do for our country. Ask what you can do for your country and NOT what your country CAN do for you? Else, we get all these "TIHS".

We know our problem, let's take the next step...

dessertfox

April 19th, 2012, 08:34 AM

(We are aware now)We are already one step towards(thousand steps) the solution, we recognize the problem and the next move is what do we do about it. I cannot do anything, you cannot do anything but together WE can do a lot. Shall we move on?

We’ve been moving on. Our group is now on its 4th Tree Planting Season of our National Park and periphery. We are continuously having information campaign in the protection and conservation of our watershed areas and environmental protection. We were able to organize Integrated Sustainable Farmers Cooperative group. We are helping each other in the potential of our tourism, agri-tourism, eco-tourism sector. We are exploring livelihood potentials of our sustainable materials of our farms and helping each other to create jobs.

We continuously fight illegal logging, kaingin and irresponsible real-estate development. A task that should be the responsibility of our servants (as P-Noy say we are his boss), which often times the culprits with their destructive livelihood means (protector, approval of illegal development, vote source daw for kaingeros) at expense for the safety living of their constituents, WTF and they are supposed to be the provider and yet not contented with their public funds on their pockets.

KulasKusgan

April 19th, 2012, 08:47 AM

old AVP for DATE 2011.

JUutFcKkETk

JoelVasquez

April 20th, 2012, 07:33 AM

We’ve been moving on. Our group is now on its 4th Tree Planting Season of our National Park and periphery. We are continuously having information campaign in the protection and conservation of our watershed areas and environmental protection. We were able to organize Integrated Sustainable Farmers Cooperative group. We are helping each other in the potential of our tourism, agri-tourism, eco-tourism sector. We are exploring livelihood potentials of our sustainable materials of our farms and helping each other to create jobs.

We continuously fight illegal logging, kaingin and irresponsible real-estate development. A task that should be the responsibility of our servants (as P-Noy say we are his boss), which often times the culprits with their destructive livelihood means (protector, approval of illegal development, vote source daw for kaingeros) at expense for the safety living of their constituents, WTF and they are supposed to be the provider and yet not contented with their public funds on their pockets.

You could be the second "romel" the dessert fox. Blitzkreig..on poverty. What is your organization?

jpdm

April 20th, 2012, 08:28 AM

WE are the government. PNoy and his gang, etc., are our "public servants". PNoy said we are the BOSS. Do we wait for them(PNoy) to take the lead or do WE lead them towards where we want them to be.

Do WE leave it to our "public servants" to lead us or do WE push them where WE want them to be. If WE do not take our lead role, the "SERVANTS" will take advantage of their "dumb" BOSS.

And we have seen and are seeing all these happening before our eyes. Where our PUBLIC SERVANTS are leading us?? I cannot do anything, you cannot do anything, together WE CAN. CAN? CAN as they say in Singapore.

There is so much WE CAN do for our country. Ask what you can do for your country and NOT what your country CAN do for you? Else, we get all these "TIHS".

We know our problem, let's take the next step...

Sorry, but I hope this is true in reality especially outside Metro manila.

JoelVasquez

April 20th, 2012, 08:35 AM

Sorry, but I hope this is true in reality especially outside Metro manila.

Let's not hope, let's make it happen...we pray but keep rowing to the shore.. thus for evil to exist and prevail it is good enough that good men do nothing..

Every time, people insult the government, they are actually insulting themselves...

JoelVasquez

April 20th, 2012, 08:36 AM

http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/16913/vietnams-aquaculture-success-boosts-economy

Can we also succeed in this “fishing expedition” ?? Does it need to have a PhD degree for the poor Filipino fisherman to be able to produce fishes like they do in Vietnam?? And sell USD billions to Europe and US ??

jpdm

April 22nd, 2012, 01:50 AM

Mga bobo, inutil at corrupt na miyembro ng Customs at Dept of Agriculture mga tarantado kayo, traydor kayo ng bayan. kasama nyong sinisira ang ekonomiya ng bansa!!:bash::bash:

Dapat kasama kayo na bitayin ng mga tarantadong mga importer ng manok at baboy!:bash::bash:

CUSTOMS ADMITS MEAT SMUGGLING
Biazon orders probe of top 10 importers

Friday, 20 April, 2012
Written by Christine F. Herrera

MANDAUE CITY — To appease angry hog and poultry growers, Customs Commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon on Friday put the top 10 importers of pork and chicken meat under investigation and admitted that rampant corruption in his bureau has allowed smugglers to avoid paying up to P3.7 billion in tariffs.

At the three-day national convention of hog raisers and allied industries, Agap Rep. Nicanor Briones and Abono chairman Rosendo So, directors of the Swine Development Council, said the top 10 importers were passing off choice cuts as offal, fat, skin and rind, and were paying only 5-percent tariff instead of 35 percent.

They said this discrepancy could be seen by comparing the UN Committee on Trade records with those of the Customs and Agriculture Department.

Pork imports, they said, had steadily increased from 109.37 million kilos in 2008 to 169.21 million kilos in 2011, with the highest recorded at 178.9 million kilos in 2010.

“These companies that have dubious records are able to import large volumes of meat but pay less taxes,” So said.

He said it was unbelievable that those companies could import more than the large food manufacturers such as RFM, which was only No. 47, and San Miguel Corp., which was only No. 84 in imports.

“Who are these top 10 importers? Who are behind them?” So said.

Briones said the number one importer was found to have a paid-up capital of only P31,250 but imported 13.03 million kilos of choice cuts that were declared as offal amounting to P651.92 million in 2010 alone.

“These importers have found the way to flood the wet market with choice cuts at a lower price because they are not paying the right taxes,” Briones said.

Biazon said he had already issued an order to audit the top 10 importers.

“We can cancel their accreditation to import if indeed they are found to be involved in smuggling, misdeclaration or undervaluation,” Biazon said.

“There is corruption in the bureau, and I was assigned by the President to eradicate the loopholes in the system.

“There is conspiracy between the importers and my people in the bureau. The examiners and assessors are in on it, so the imported meat is easily released. We are going to change this system and plug the loopholes.”

Biazon said the issuance of permits to import would also have to be investigated.

Customs Enforcement and Security Service director George Alino said his men had intensified their campaign against the smuggling of frozen meat on Biazon’s orders.

Alino said all reefer vans loaded with frozen meat were strictly being monitored in all ports nationwide.

Biazon also tapped the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service to coordinate with the team to monitor the movement of all frozen meat shipments, he said.

Former Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, whose family is into the cattle, hog and poultry business, demanded that Bureau of Animal Industry director Efren Nuestro be fired for allegedly issuing quarantine permits allowing the importers to smuggle in huge volumes of meat.:bash::bash:

He said the records on the importation of meat by the US Department of Agriculture did not match those from its counterpart in the Philippines.

“Nuestro should be fired and everybody that is involved in this mess that is bringing down the hog and poultry industries,” Cojuangco said.:bash::bash:

During the convention, Biazon was asked by the officials of several hog and poultry groups to allow the industry to appoint a livestock expert to inspect and check the reference prices and true value of incoming frozen meat and offal at any given time.

House leaders on Friday demanded a thorough review of the government’s policy on meat importation and backed congressional inquiries on the rampant and unabated smuggling of pork and chicken.

The call to regulate the uncontrolled entry of imported meat was supported by House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, Agham party-list Rep. Angelo Palmones, Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento, Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonio, and Anad party-list Pastor Alcover.

Palmones was frustrated by the government’s supposed inaction despite the filing of several bills and resolutions to address the problem.

Suarez said the uncontrolled entry of imported pork and poultry products was killing the local industry.

“There is no logic in the government allowing the importation of pork and poultry products considering that there is ample available supply from local hog and poultry raisers,” Suarez told the Manila Standard.

“Why import when there is no shortage of pork and poultry products? Why is government insisting in strangling Filipino hog raisers and poultry businesses?”
:bash::bash:
Suarez complained that there seemed to be no coherent government policy to guide imports.

“If there are complaints that the prices of local pork and chicken are on the rise, is the immediate reaction of the government to allow imports right away or to find out why retail prices are up?” he said.:bash::bash:

He described the import policy as a knee-jerk reaction to rising prices caused by higher costs for local growers. With Maricel Cruz and Joel E. Zurbano
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/2012/04/20/customs-admits-meat-smuggling/

Bobo at inutil na gobyerno!:bash::bash:

Pnoy pakitandyakan naman mga gago mong tauhan!:bash::bash::bash:

amigo32

April 22nd, 2012, 03:38 AM

eww, paano tatadyakan yan, happy namn syang kasama ang mga yan:rofl:

jpdm

April 22nd, 2012, 04:48 AM

eww, paano tatadyakan yan, happy namn syang kasama ang mga yan:rofl:

Sabagay imbes na tadyak baka kiss pa makuha ng mga inutil na yan tulad ni Biazonn, ala rin palang kwenta. kasama na si Lim nyan di pa rin matanggal mga gago sa Customs.:bash::bash:

TambayBlues

April 22nd, 2012, 08:40 AM

In an age where technology exists to do automated assessment of shipments via visual inspection systems similar to the ones used in automotive assembly and computers, I wonder why the government still has to keep relying on corruptible humans to perform classification and assessment of imports. The Bureau of Customs is one of the best candidates for intalling CCTV Systems to monitor it's employees. Smuggling and collusion with smugglers should also be punishable by no less than life imprisonment since it can be considered as economic treason.

JoelVasquez

April 22nd, 2012, 11:35 PM

Colony Collapse Disorder – the bees are the angels of our agriculture – the research in US shows the many effects of pesticides-poisoning the environment. That was in the US, what about our bees in the Philippines and insects, that work with mother nature to work for us, for our benefit. The good, the bad and the deadly…(Are we poisoning also our bees?)

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/21/vanishing-bees-film.aspx?e_cid=20120421_DNL_art_1

www.facebook.com/philippine.aquaponics
www.facebook.com/groups/philippineaquaponics

JoelVasquez

April 22nd, 2012, 11:48 PM

Sabagay imbes na tadyak baka kiss pa makuha ng mga inutil na yan tulad ni Biazonn, ala rin palang kwenta. kasama na si Lim nyan di pa rin matanggal mga gago sa Customs.:bash::bash:

jpdm,
Your frustration is understandable. However, please understand, it is not the people(customs, DA) that are defective, it is the system. Even if you replace the people, it will still turn out to be the same. It is the process-system that is defective and the defect is in us but we can change and improve (US).

If you think of the Phil. Government as a company, hiring and firing people is not the solution. It is in how we "manage" our "employees". It is how the "bosses" run the "servants" so the servants perform as expected.

Again, I cannot change, you cannot change the system-process, but WE(together with those who believe in what we believe) can change the system-process. We can be better than Singapore. ( Our Azkals, already defeated Singapore) I do not aspire to beat Japan but I believe we can be just below Japan.

We have to set-up and establish a system so we can advance. We have to learn how to manage. Else, our servants suck the blood life out of the "bosses". CAN-DO ??
Joel

Cisten18

April 23rd, 2012, 04:05 AM

Hundred-dollar 'Pnoy' tablet computer proposed to modernize Philippine agri

22-Apr-12, 3:56 PM | Orti Despuez, InterAksyon.com

MANILA, Philippines - As part of the government's effort to modernize the country's agriculture sector, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking partners for a proposed 'Pnoy' tablet computer.

The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is looking to develop a $100-tablet computer that will give DA's extension workers - technicians who will educate farmers - access to critical farm information such as soil nutrients and farm goods markets.

Dr. William Dar, ICRISAT director general, said the tablet computer should also have 24/7 access to the Internet and focused on vital farm information and geographic information system (GIS).

"The GIS will be pivotal in enabling farmers to determine whether the crop they are planting in a particular location is suitable to that location. It will help them determine if the type of soil needs certain types of fertilizer, or whether water or moisture needed in plant growth may be sufficient in this farm area," Dar said.

ICRISAT’s network in India where Dar, a former DA secretary, is based, will extend the Philippines assistance in fabricating the hardware, the tablet PC.

Arun Tiwani, Indo US Healthcare chairman, said Indian Telephone Industry, run by the Indian government, can fabricate the tablet for the Philippines given government’s approval.

“We’ll have a bilateral agreement. William Dar is using his experience and influence in India to produce for the Philippines the kind of tablet computer that India will have for its students in three to six months,” said Tiwani.

Tiwani envisions a "Pnoy Dar Tablet" computer that will cost only around $100 or P4,300 each.

"Pnoy" is the popular nickname for President Benigno Noynoy Aquino III.

Dr. Nicomedes Eleazar, BAR director, said the agency will help provide content for the tablet, while the ICRISAT will facilitate the Agropedia content – a farm management system that a consortium of seven institutions that ICRISAT developed to aid Indian farmers.

“The Agropedia will be very useful to our own farmers, initially to our extension workers. We’ll discuss on how to implement this project with our partners in DA, the Information Technology Center for Agriculture and Fisheries, and the private sector,” Eleazar said.

In India, the tablet computer for students costs only $50, of which $25 is shouldered by the government, and the $25 is paid by the student.

Access to the Internet is provided by the Indian government, which also controls the telecommunications business, at an equivalent of P100 a month. An initial 100,000 tablet computers will be produced in India for the pilot stage of the project. A similar volume may be produced for the Philippines.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/30029/hundred-dollar-pnoy-tablet-computer-proposed-to-modernize-philippine-agri

hakz2007

April 25th, 2012, 08:42 AM

Bright purple crab discovered in Philippines

http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/120424_tch_purple_crab.grid-6x2.jpg
Four new species of crab that sport some wild colors have been discovered near the Philippine island of Palawan.

The newfound species are threatened by mining activities in the region, which is one of the world's major biodiversity hotspots, its discoverers said. About half of the species that live on Palawan are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else. Read more (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47158113/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.T5ecvWF5EXE)

jpdm

April 25th, 2012, 01:49 PM

The Dept of Agriculture should prioritize the following:

1. more irrigation projects
2. farm to market roads
3. mechanization
4. new technology
5. prioritize food crops
6. focus on agri products with high potential like dairy, soya, cotton, coffee, cocoa, wheat if possible etc.

The DA should help Pinoy farmers to look for a steady market like local food sector, restaurants, fastfood, airlines and hotels--instead of these local businesses buying produce from abroad.

Continue promoting local produce to our local market.

KulasKusgan

April 25th, 2012, 04:58 PM

From Davao
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/55313064.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nYFav0apj60/Tp9yLZojg6I/AAAAAAAADO8/omdlZaDbzPs/s1600/Banana+Plantation%252C+Carmen%252C+Davao+del+Norte.jpg

http://members.fortunecity.com/xseminarian/banana1532.JPG

to the world...
Davao's Primary Export
Davao's Pride
Craft Haven International Port
Bunawan District, Davao City

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6232/6324727909_db5fcb770d_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6222/6325465700_6f575be693_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6325478978_9bf37e052e_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6096/6324732441_6c86135e99_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6236/6325442210_d614d3e2f5_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6325343432_bcfb8f2e80_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6117/6324611437_8809f2a363_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6096/6324653987_4c77462b39_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6231/6325398326_afcd094a34_b.jpg

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6224/6325368572_f7251487fe_b.jpg

hakz2007

April 25th, 2012, 05:07 PM

WHICH 11 COUNTRIES STILL EAT DOG MEAT?
Eleven countries around the globe still eat dog meat. They are: China, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Polynesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Arctic and Antarctic and two cantons in Switzerland.

China: Although the Chinese were the first to domesticate the dog and keep them as pets, dog meat has been a source of food from at least the time of Confucius, and possibly even before.

Indonesia: Eating dog meat is usually associated with people from the Batak Toba culture, who cook a traditional dish named saksang that is like a dog-meat stew.

Mexico: Dogs were historically bred for their meat by the Aztecs. These dogs were called itzcuintlis, and were often pictured on pre-Columbian Mexican pottery.

Philippines: In the capital city of Manila,the law specifically prohibits the killing and selling of dogs for food except in certain circumstances including research and animal population control.Read more (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2134969/The-ultimate-dogs-dinner-Hundreds-caged-canines-saved-cooking-pot-Chinese-activists.html)

The ultimate dog's dinner: Hundreds of caged canines saved from the cooking pot by quick-thinking Chinese activists
Dogs destined to be slaughtered and served up in China's restaurants were saved when the truck transporting them was intercepted by animal rights activists.

The vehicle, carrying 505 canines packed into just 156 tiny cages, was stopped on Yunnan Province's highway from Fumin to Kunming after other drivers spotted its sickening cargo.

A number posted pictures and comments about the load on the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, Weibo, prompting the police to stop the lorry at the next toll gate.Read more (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2134969/The-ultimate-dogs-dinner-Hundreds-caged-canines-saved-cooking-pot-Chinese-activists.html)

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/25/article-2134969-12C222C1000005DC-206_634x436.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/25/article-2134969-12C224DB000005DC-458_634x461.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/25/article-2134969-12C2275F000005DC-951_634x433.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/04/25/article-2134969-12C22723000005DC-629_634x431.jpg

KulasKusgan

April 25th, 2012, 05:12 PM

Davao Cocoa

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XGyUK4uL1rM/TsjInrBEDzI/AAAAAAAAD9o/iamI0F3jEnc/s1600/Cocoa-trees.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ae0uz1nXoLg/TtHlyllr1JI/AAAAAAAAD_I/qBK-qdkYXeY/s1600/Cacao+Farm%252C+Mars+Cocoa+Development+Center+%2528MCDC%2529%252C+Malagos%252C+Davao+City.jpg

http://www.mindanews.com/wp-content/plugins/dynpicwatermark/DynPicWaterMark_ImageViewer.php?path=2011/10/03cacao3.jpg

http://anartechoke.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/dsc_1197-3.jpg

http://www.cardullos.com/images/generate/600/0/askinosie_white_nibble.gif
Silky smooth white chocolate popping with bright sensational bits of Davao roasted cocoa nibs. (3 oz. bar) The main ingredient in Askinosie's white chocolate is 34% natural, non-deodorized cocoa butter. The cocoa butter is pressed in their factory and they are the first small-batch chocolate maker to do this. After pressing the Davao, Philippine beans to create the cocoa butter, they combine it with goat's milk powder and organic cane juice, and then craft it for days in an 85-year old German melanguer, making it one of the only single origin white chocolates in the world. Lastly, they add in Davao Roasted Cocoa Nibs to make this bar crunchy and divine.

http://www.cardullos.com/images/generate/600/0/askinosie_darkmilk.gif
This dark milk chocolate bar is made with cocoa beans from Davao, Philippines and contains 62% cocoa liquor. They add organic sugar, goat's milk powder and a touch of Fleur de Sel sea salt. Dark enough to satisfy your dark chocolate craving with a smooth and rich finish. This bar won a Silver Award from the London Academy of Chocolate in 2011 for Best Bean to Bar Milk Chocolate!

amigo32

April 26th, 2012, 12:09 AM

aahhhh, tablea:D

KulasKusgan

April 26th, 2012, 05:11 AM

aahhhh, tablea:D

opo. meron din.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/580175_2988499952971_1276240976_32126135_678437117_n.jpg

amigo32

April 26th, 2012, 12:09 PM

imbutido ata yan eh:D

sana hindi manufactured, para namng Made in China:D sana product of:D na lang.

yung supply pala namin ng cacao beans galing na ng Davao, nagkakasakit kasi mga puno ng Cacao dito sa amin eh.

Parchie

April 26th, 2012, 02:50 PM

amigo32

April 26th, 2012, 02:59 PM

Bakit? High-blood pressure ba ang mga puno ng cacao sa nyo?:nuts::nuts::nuts:

anemia :rofl:
kinakain kasi ng uod ang puno.

Yre

April 27th, 2012, 01:43 PM

amigo32

April 27th, 2012, 02:10 PM

ay ganun:D hindi bagay sa isang agriculture product na manufacture ang nakalagay, parang ewan:D

Yre

April 27th, 2012, 05:52 PM

ay ganun:D hindi bagay sa isang agriculture product na manufacture ang nakalagay, parang ewan:D

considered proccessed food na siguro ang tableya even though binilad at nginuya..este ni grind lang ng pinong-pino. :D

the glimpser

April 28th, 2012, 06:27 AM

PH to receive largest assistance fund from S. Korea

The Philippines and South Korea are set to sign an agreement that will cover an P11.21-billion irrigation project during the 45th Asian Development Bank (ADB) Annual Meeting of the board of governors in Manila.

According to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Iloilo project will be the largest to be supported by the Korea Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) worldwide.

In a statement, the NEDA said that concerned Philippine and Korean agencies have wrapped up meetings on the second phase of the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project in Iloilo and are ready to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on May 4.

Of the project’s total approved cost of P11.21 billion, some P8.95 billion will be financed through an official development assistance (ODA) loan from EDCF.

Implementing agencies of the project are the Department of Agriculture and National Irrigation Administration.

“The Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Phase II is one of the first batches of projects, and biggest of the three irrigation projects, approved by the NEDA board this year. It is a ground-breaking venture in terms of scale and importance in facilitating the increase in food production and ensuring food security in the country,” NEDA Deputy Director-General Rolando G. Tungpalan said.

In a statement, the NEDA said that concerned Philippine and Korean agencies have wrapped up meetings on the second phase of the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project in Iloilo and are ready to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on May 4.

The Jalaur River Multipurpose Project Phase II involves the construction of a storage dam, a high dam, and reservoir across the Jalaur River. Other structures will be established in support of a hydroelectric power plant to be built in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo, for a potential bulk water supply connection with the Metro Iloilo Water District.

The project is expected to irrigate 22,340 hectares of farmland, thereby increasing yields of palay and other crops in the area.http://business.inquirer.net/55979/ph-to-receive-largest-assistance-fund-from-s-korea

jpdm

April 29th, 2012, 02:58 PM

PH to receive largest assistance fund from S. Korea

http://business.inquirer.net/55979/ph-to-receive-largest-assistance-fund-from-s-korea

Kaya pala may special privilege ang Hyundai at Kia vehicles sa Pinas kumpara sa locally assembled (japanese, US and Chinese brands but Philippine made cars) at iba pang brand ng kotse from other countries. May sinuhol na pala ang South Korea.:lol::lol:

Anyway, thank you na rin basta this will benefit alot of local farmers and our agri sector.

amigo32

April 29th, 2012, 03:07 PM

tuwid ang daan sobra:D

Parchie

April 29th, 2012, 05:04 PM

tuwid ang daan sobra:D
Malapit sa puso ko ang mga kompaniyang iyan

Christian_123

April 29th, 2012, 05:26 PM

^^Lakas talaga ang hatak ni grace lee kay abnoynoy........Keep up the good work Grace lee ! :lol:

Askal82

April 29th, 2012, 06:20 PM

Well, if they do decide to get married, we will have the first non-Filipino native first lady. :lol:

amigo32

April 30th, 2012, 01:44 AM

kawawa sya, imagine tinitigasan ba yang manok natin pag kasama ang Grasya:lol:

Pagamitin natin ng korean bug:lol:

jpdm

April 30th, 2012, 02:04 AM

Buti na lang nandyan si DA Secretary Proceso Alcala kundi bokya ang Pnoy government sa economic performance.

Ruffy Biazon tatanga-tanga sa Customs at ilan opisyal ng Dept. of Agriculture, lumala ang smuggling ng mga dangerous imported meat. Tuloy nagalit mga local raisers.

Nabartek

April 30th, 2012, 02:28 AM

^^Lakas talaga ang hatak ni grace lee kay abnoynoy........Keep up the good work Grace lee ! :lol:

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Kung may Pinay legislator ang Korea, may quasi-First lady tayo na Koreana :lol:

Parchie

April 30th, 2012, 03:59 AM

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

Kung may Pinay legislator ang Korea, may quasi-First lady tayo na Koreana :lol:

Bunsong anak ba yan si Grasya? Yun daw ang patakaran ng mga pamilya--> tagapag-alaga ng matatanda ang bunso!:lol::lol::lol::lol:

DisGrasya ang kalalabasna niya!:):):):)

jpdm

May 3rd, 2012, 01:52 PM

Mabuhay ka Secetary Alcala! Buti nandyan ka Pnoy government kundi puro bopols na lang nagpapatakbo ng gobyerno lalo yung economic team!:cheers::cheers:

Kailan kaya sisipain si bobo at tangang DTI secretary Domingo, Energy secretary Almendras, NEDA sec. Paderanga at DOTC sec. Moron Roxas?

AGRI EXECS SACKED OVER MEAT IMPORTS

Posted May 3rd, 2012 by Christine F. Herrera & filed under Feature.

List of importers also purged to curb smuggling

THE government acceded to the demands of the hog and poultry industries Wednesday by replacing the head of the Bureau of Animal Industry and purging the list of authorized importers.

That was after the local growers complained that smuggled meat was killing their business.

Relieved from office were the bureau’s director, Efren Nuestro, and Jane Bacayo, director of the National Meat Inspection Service, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dave Catbagan said.

He said Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala also held in abeyance the implementation of Administrative Order 5, which the hog raisers have criticized as favoring meat importers.

“Secretary Alcala also ordered a stop to accrediting new importers, and the existing list of importers is being reviewed for purging,” Catbagan told the Manila Standard.

The purge comes after the Swine Development Council said one of the top 10 importers only had a paid-up capital of P31,000 but managed to import pork and chicken meat amounting to P650 million.

Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon also said the bureau had started implementing 100-percent inspection of imported meat.

Abono chairman and Swine Development Council director Rosendo So said the hog and poultry growers welcomed the news with reservations.

He said the council had not dropped its threat to go on a week-long pork and chicken holiday until the government had officially put in place measures to save the dying backyard industry.

“We welcome the good news, but this is just a partial victory because until we see the government level the playing field, we cannot be complacent. We want smuggling completely eradicated,” So told the Manila Standard.

He said Alcala had also told him that Nuestro could not be sacked. He was merely removed from his post because he was a career executive service officer.

“We are still worried because the smuggling syndicate in the Agriculture Department and Customs is well-entrenched as Commissioner Biazon himself admits,” said Freddie Dy, another council director and president of United Agri Producers Group.

“Nuestro’s influence cannot be underestimated.”

“How can we trust that no hanky-panky is going on when the Customs and NMIS examiners are inspecting the imports in the owners’ cold storage areas, outside of Customs jurisdiction?” So said.

We demand that the inspection be done before the release of the imports.”

The council will hold a press conference at the Sulo Hotel today to firm up their position against the smuggling syndicate that they said had cost the government some P3.7 billion in revenues last year alone.

Romeo Evangelista, legal counsel of the Samahan Walang Iwanan Farmers Cooperative in Pangasinan, hailed the relief of Nuestro and Bacayo as an initial victory for backyard raisers who comprised some 70 percent of the country’s hog output.

“These officials should not be given any assignment in the DA that can influence the on-going probe on support personnel assigned at the Bureau of Customs who are believed to be in cahoots with smuggling syndicates,” he said.

Agham partylist Rep. Angelo Palmones also hailed the ouster of the two meat inspection officials.

“Malacanang should now start looking into the involvement of corrupt ranking Customs officials,” he said. With Orlan L. Mauricio and Othel V. Campos

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2012/05/03/agri-execs-sacked-over-meat-imports/
(Published in the Manila Standard Today newspaper on /2012/May/03)

Parchie

May 3rd, 2012, 02:14 PM

amigo32

May 3rd, 2012, 03:42 PM

naku masama sa panot pag natalsikan o naambonan, kailangan maligo na baka magkasakit:lol:

rain34

May 4th, 2012, 12:37 AM

the glimpser

May 5th, 2012, 04:18 PM

'PH to become rice self-sufficient in 2014'

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has pushed back a 2013 target to become self-sufficient in rice, but remains optimistic it can at least start exporting rice next year.

"We'll achieve rice self-sufficiency after 2013, so beginning 2014. Next year, we anticipate na kulangin tayo konti na lang. We'll start to export next year," Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told ANC.

The government will still import rice next year but at lower levels than this year's importation of 500,000 metric tons. The Philippines, the world's biggest rice buyer in recent years, slashed its imports to 500,000 tons in 2012 from 860,000 tonnes last year and a record 2.45 million tonnes in 2010.

He said the country will stop buying rice from Asian neighbors by 2014.

However, Alcala pointed out the government won't wait to become self-sufficient in rice before they begin exporting the staple.

Earlier on Friday, President Benigno Aquino said in a speech at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that the Philippines will become a net exporter in less than a year's time.- ANC

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/05/04/12/ph-become-rice-self-sufficient-2014

Christian_123

May 5th, 2012, 08:13 PM

^^Ang masasabi ko nalang dyan ay....COOL STORY BRO :crazy:

jpdm

May 6th, 2012, 02:43 AM

nanddu

May 6th, 2012, 05:59 AM

barbas_bigote

May 7th, 2012, 01:22 PM

Kaya pala may special privilege ang Hyundai at Kia vehicles sa Pinas kumpara sa locally assembled (japanese, US and Chinese brands but Philippine made cars) at iba pang brand ng kotse from other countries. May sinuhol na pala ang South Korea.:lol::lol:

Anyway, thank you na rin basta this will benefit alot of local farmers and our agri sector.

lol okey rin ang SK ah. Esp. mag babaeng Kpop!

Nabartek

May 10th, 2012, 10:51 PM

The Philippines may not be able to send more vessels to Scarborough Shoal, but it can fence off its fishing grounds in waters near the disputed area.

Agriculture officials Thursday said the Philippines would expand the number of fish aggregating devices called payao in the waters off the coast of western Luzon, including Zambales province, where China and the Philippines are disputing possession of Scarborough Shoal.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Asis Perez said the Philippine government recently ordered new payaos to be placed in the open sea. As such, fishermen would not have to venture out to the ocean to fish and risk their lives.

A payao is made of hooks attached to a sturdy rope that can be lowered as deep as 1,500 meters under the sea. A buoy is attached to the top end of the line to mark its location for fishermen. Most payaos in the Philippines are anchored to the sea floor.

Perez said the plan was to scatter 160 shallow-water and deep-sea payaos from La Union to Zambales. While there are fishermen who harvest fish in the waters around Scarborough Shoal (also called Panatag Shoal in the Philippines), Perez said the government would not put a payao there because it is too far from the coast.

He said the area is a seasonal fishing ground, where waves become too rough for small boats by July.

Agriculture Undersecretary Joel Rudinas said payaos would help increase the catch and income of marginal Filipino fishermen, who use handheld lines and nets in catching certain fish, such as tuna.

Perez said Filipino fishermen were not banned from the waters near Scarborough Shoal.

Perez explained that the fishermen were advised not to go to the disputed area when tensions between the China and the Philippines broke out in April. “We didn’t know what could happen,” he said.

Since then, Filipino fishermen have been returning to the area, Perez said. “There are four fishing boats [there] now,” he added.

Shoals, reefs and rock outcroppings are home to marine plants and animals, which provide food for fish. Thus, Scarborough Shoal teem with fish and Filipino fishermen frequent it despite the distance—220 kilometers from the nearest landmass, Rudinas said.

Because the West Philippine Sea is rich in marine life, it is not unusual to see fishermen from China and Vietnam poaching there in the past, he said.

“But they were not as belligerent as these ones,” Rudinas said, referring to the Chinese vessels facing off with Philippine vessels at Scarborough Shoal.

‘Extractive’ technique

Rudinas noted that Chinese fishing vessels use “extractive” techniques when harvesting fish in the West Philippine Sea.

Rudinas said Chinese fishers use longline fishing, a commercial technique that employs baited hooks attached to a line that could stretch out for kilometers over the water. Longlines can be floated near the surface using buoys or set on the sea floor.

Conservation groups oppose longline fishing because it increases bycatch, or marine species unintentionally caught by fishermen.

Chinese fishermen also use bigger vessels, which put pressure on the marine resources, Rudinas said. In contrast, Filipino fishermen use motorized outriggers, he said.

The Scarborough dispute began on April 8 with the seizure by Philippine authorities of Chinese ships carrying illegally harvested turtles, baby sharks, giant clams and corals. A Philippine Navy warship was sent to the area to tow the poachers’ vessels to shore but they were blocked by two Chinese ships.

The two countries have refused to withdraw their ships from the area. There are now 33 Chinese vessels at the shoal facing off with two Philippine ships.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/36401/bfar-plans-to-scatter-160-%E2%80%98payaos%E2%80%99-off-western-luzon