Agriculture and Aquaculture Industry

[tonight]

DA exec backs aerial pesticide spraying
By Dennis Jay Santos

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – (UPDATE) A government expert defended the aerial spraying of pesticides in banana plantations, saying it was the only viable means for the industry to thrive.

“The lifeline for many of the banana companies rest on eradicating the most common problem in banana production, which is the fungal Sigatoka disease and pesticides use is but indispensable,” Dario Sabularce, deputy executive director of the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA) under the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

In an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) on the sidelines of a biotechnology workshop at the University of the Philippines-Mindanao here, Sabularse said aerial spraying was the only viable way to rid banana plantations of pests since these cover huge tracts of land.

Sabularse said aerial spraying has always been an “approved procedure” and that the pesticides used were not dangerous to humans or to the environment. He dared critics to prove otherwise.

“If there is a concern, why don’t you show us your studies? (The FPA) is the proper agency that should look into this matter,” he said.

Sabularse added: “These are hard times and if we don’t allow aerial spraying, we are at risk of losing the market to neighboring countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, which are also into banana production.”

Sabularse's statement in favor of aerial spraying came after the Court of Appeals decided in favour of trashing a city ordinance that banned the practice.

The city council had banned aerial spraying after studies revealed that the practice had been endangering the health of residents living near banana plantations here.

The study was conducted by both government and non-government health organizations in 2006.

The ban on aerial spraying in banana plantations here was the second of its kind in Mindanao, after Bukidnon province.

The Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA), a grouping of banana companies here, had asked the CA in January to rule against the ban, enraging residents.

"It was as if heaven fell on us,” said Rosita Bacalso, a member of the Davao-based Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (MAAS).

“The CA only proved that they take good care of the welfare of the rich and powerful, never mind us poor," Bacalso said.

Sister Esperanza Magana of the Association of Women Religious under the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro called the court's decision “a work of evil.”

"Anything that lessens the quality of life, anything that curtails life is evil. In that context we are against aerial spraying," Magana said as soon as the Court of Appeals handed down the decision.

Erminstan Pimentel, vice-president for administration of the Xavier University in Cagayan, said he could not understand how the Court of Appeals found the ordinance banning aerial spraying as unconstitutional.

"Aerial spraying goes against sustainable development. One cannot help but question the wisdom of the justices in favoring its continued use," he said.

Wendell Avisado, Davao City administrator, said the fight was not over yet because the city government filed an appeal against the Court of Appeals ruling.

[tonight]

Fishery group eyed in BIMP-EAGA states
By Noel Adlai O. Velasco

CHA-AM, Thailand — Four member countries of the BIMP-East Asean Growth Area -- Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines -- have agreed to form a fisheries consortium to accelerate the development of the region, a senior Cabinet official of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has announced.

The President proposed the establishment of a fisheries consortium during the 5th BIMP-Eaga summit here with her counterparts in the region, said Press Secretary Cerge Remonde Sunday.

The consortium will enable the Philippine fishing industry to widen its fishing grounds, Remonde said.

“This is very significant to the Philippine tuna industry, especially those based in General Santos City,” he said.

Ms Arroyo also proposed the adoption by the BIMP-Eaga countries of a roll-on roll-off (Roro) network similar to the nautical highway that she instituted in the Philippines to further enhance the flow of goods and services in the region, he said.

Both proposals were accepted by the BIMP-Eaga leaders who attended the summit on the sidelines of the 14th Asean Leaders Summit, Remonde said.

“This is the biggest development in the BIMP-Eaga and is a very concrete step and also very much in line with the objectives of the Asean,” he said.

The BIMP-Eaga was launched in 1994 with the goal of increasing trade and investments in the region.

Ms Arroyo encouraged the private sector to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the enhanced cooperation in the subregion, Remonde said.

With the establishment of the consortium, the four BIMP-Eaga countries will have a common fishing ground, he said.

“This is significant for us because our Gensan tuna fishermen have a problem because our bilateral agreement with Indonesia has expired already,” he said.

A technical working group will study the details of the fisheries consortium, he said.

During the BIMP-Eaga summit, the leaders also assessed the progress achieved since the adoption of the 2006-2010 Roadmap to Development, and discussed future direction for BIMP cooperation, he said.

They also acknowledged the steady progress in carrying out priority roadmap projects, the gains in transport connectivity, tourism development and trade facilitation, and initiatives to formulate agreements to facilitate the movement of goods across borders, he said.

The proposed nautical highway in the BIMP-Eaga will enable people in the region to travel by land from one country to another.

The leaders also cited the potential of BIMP-Eaga to become the food basket for Asean and the rest of Asia given its natural resources, Remonde said.

[venntro]

P32 billion allotted for rice imports
By Marianne Go Updated March 02, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Finance (DOF) is allotting P32 billion for the National Food Authority’s rice importations this year using the Tax Expenditure Fund (TEF), Finance Undersecretary Jeremias Paul said.

Paul said yesterday the P32 billion is the initial allocation made by the DOF.

However, the DOF is in the process of reviewing the amount following changes in the figures submitted by the NFA regarding its planned importations this year.

The NFA had previously said it was eyeing only 1.5 million metric tons of rice imports this year.

However, the NFA recently opened a new window allowing the private sector to import up to 300,000 metric tons of rice through the NFA utilizing the TEF.

The TEF is a subsidy released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to government-owned and controlled corporations and state-run companies mainly to settle customs duties and other taxes arising from the importation of goods.

Last year, the NFA utilized P39 billion TEF for its increased rice importations as a result of the global rice crisis.

Paul was surprised by the NFA action allowing the private sector to import an additional 300,000 MT of rice this year utilizing the TEF.

“We were not informed about that. That’s why we have to meet with them to reconcile our numbers,” Paul said.

He said the DOF, likewise, has to verify with the NFA its projections for palay purchases this year.

NFA administrator Jessup Navarro has said that the NFA would purchase 3.21 million bags of palay this summer.

Navarro said the NFA is targeting to buy 939,200 bags of palay in March, 1.1 million bags during the peak of harvest in April and 889,800 bags in May.

Another 232,300 bags of palay are expected to be bought in June from an extended summer harvest in some regions.

Navarro said that farmers find it more profitable to sell their palay to the NFA.

Aside from the support price of P17 per kilogram, the NFA has increased the additional incentives for cooperative development to P0.30 per kg while the drying and transport incentives are now at P0.20 each per kg.

“This translate to P17.70 per kg the effective price of NFA for clean and dry palay,” Navarro said.

In January, the NFA bought 798,519 bags of palay or more than 100 percent of the month’s 796,900 bags target.

The NFA sets this year’s palay procurement target at 14 million bags, approximating last year’s 13.2 million bags procurement.

[venntro]

CBCP keeping scorecard on lawmakers' stand on CARP extension
By Helen Flores Updated March 02, 2009 12:00 AM


MANILA, Philippines - As more lawmakers back the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has said the Church would not give up the fight for land reform for the sake of poor farmers.

CBCP spokesperson Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III said the Catholic Church is keeping track of the lawmakers in favor and those against House Bill 4077.

As of Feb. 18, Quitorio said they were able to identify 80 congressmen in favor of CARP.

“We have a list on that. We have a scorecard for us to know who among our lawmakers are in favor and against,” Quitorio said.

Among the congressman who are supporting the bill are Roque Ablan (1st district, Ilocos Norte), Ronald Singson (1st district, Ilocos Sur), Eric Singson (2nd district, Ilocos Sur), Arthur Celeste (1st district, Pangasinan), Victor Agbayani (2nd district, Pangasinan), Jose de Venecia (4th district, Pangasinan), Carlo Diasnes (Batanes), Florencio Vargas (2nd district, Cagayan), Manuel Mamba (3rd district, Cagayan), Edwin Uy (2nd district, Isabela), Giorgidi Aggabao (4th district, Isabela), Carlos Padilla (Nueva Vizcaya);

Junie Cua (Quirino), Anna Bondoc (4th district, Pampanga), Eduardo Joson (1st district, Nueva Ecija), Rodolfo Antonino (4th district, Nueva Ecija), Ma. Victoria Sy-Alvarado (1st district, Bulacan), Pedro Pancho (2nd district, Bulacan), Lorna Silverio (3rd district, Bulacan), Reylina Nicolas (4th district, Bulacan), Arturo Robles (San Jose del Monte), Joseph Abaya (1st district, Cavite), Justin Chipeco (2nd district, Laguna), Maria Arago (3rd district, Laguna), Edgar San Luis (4th district, Laguna), Wilfrido Enverga (1st district, Quezon Province), Proceso Alcala (2nd district, Quezon Province), Danilo Suarez (3rd district, Quezon Province), Lorenzo Tañada III (4th district, Quezon Province), Liwayway Vinzons-Chato (Camarines Norte), Edcel Lagman (1st district, Albay);

Reno Lim (3rd district, Albay), Salvador Escudero (1st district, Sorsogon), Rizalina Seachon-Lanete (3rd district, Masbate), Exequiel Javier (Antique), Niel Tupas (5th district, Iloilo), Orlando Fua (Siquijor), Emil Ong (2nd district, Northern Samar), Glenn Chong (Biliran), Belma Cabilao (1st district, Zamboanga Sibugay), Ann Hofer (2nd district, Zamboanga Sibugay), Yevgeny Emano (2nd district, Misamis Oriental), Rufus Rodriguez (2nd district, Cagayan de Oro), Teofisto Gungona III (2nd district, Bukidnon), Pedro Romualdo (Camiguin), Arrel Olaño (1st district, Davao Norte), Marc Cagas (1st district, Davao Sur), Franklin Bautista (2nd district, Davao Sur);

Datu Mangudadatu (1st district, Sultan Kudarat), Darlene Antonino-Custodio (1st district, South Cotabato), Arthur Pingoy (2nd district, South Cotabato), Guillermo Romarate (2nd district, Surigao Norte), Florencio Garay (2nd district, Surigao Sur), Elias Bulut (Apayao), Cecilia Seares-Luna (Abra), Manuel Agyao (Kalinga), Solomon Chungalao (Ifugao), Faysah Dumarpa (1st district, Lanao Sur), Pangalian Balindong (2nd district, Lanao Sur), Yusop Jikiri (1st district, Sulu), Nur Jaafar (Tawi-Tawi), Del de Guzman (2nd district, Marikina);

Roman Romulo (Pasig), Ma. Laarni Cayetano (1st district, Pateros/Taguig), Ronaldo Zamora (San Juan), Teodoro Locsin (1st district, Makati), Mar-Len Binay (2nd district, Makati), Roilo Golez (2nd district, Parañaque), Benjamin Asilo (1st district, Manila), Jaime Lopez (2nd district, Manila), Bienvenido Abante (6th district, Manila), Alvin Sandoval (Malabon/Navotas), Magtanggol Gunigundo (2nd district, Valenzuela), Rozzano Biazon (Muntinlupa), Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel (Akbayan), Mujiv Hataman (Amin), Edgar Valdez (Apec), Irwin Tieng (Buhay), Leonila Chavez (Butil), and Joel Villanueva (Cibac).

Quitorio said despite the opposition by some lawmakers, the Church would continue with its advocacy for agrarian reform as long as the government continues to refuse to give attention to this issue, which is “very legitimate and constitutional.”

[tonight]

PCIC signs MOU and MOA with agri-business, banks and coop

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) signs three (3) Memorandum of Understanding and Agreements with Land Bank of the Philippines, Palm Inc., and a local cooperative worth more than P60-Million to highlight the Board of Directors' meeting and other activities held in Cebu City recently.

PCIC-7 regional director Antonio Uy told the media in a press conference that PCIC's role in all of these undertakings is to provide insurance coverage to protect the agriculture sector in Central Visayas.

Uy said, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and Palm Inc., is a financing scheme package worth P60-Million that will be extended to various Palm oil growers in towns of Danao, Buenavista, Mabini, Trinidad, Talibon, Pilar, Candijay, Inabanga, Alicia, Ubay, Carmen, Sagbayan, San Miguel, Getafe, and Garcia Hernandez, all in Bohol Province.

Palm Inc. is a private company engaged in Palm Oil processing located in Sagbayan, Bohol. With the P60-Million loan package, Palm Inc. will provide its growers with planting materials and technical aspect of the business. It will also serve as the marketing arm of the products of the Palm Oil growers.

PCIC's role, according to Uy is to provide crop insurance coverage of the palm oil plants under the high value commercial crop insurance program.

Uy added that the palm oil plants are insured against natural calamities with accidental fire rider. It will be PCIC that will indemnify claims to LBP for the account of Palm Inc. and or Palm Oil plant growers.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between PCIC and Catmon Community Multi-purpose Cooperative (CCMPC) on the other hand insure its coop borrowers to PCIC under the Loan Repayment Protection Plan (LRP2) of the Term Insurance power packages.

The Catmon cooperative has about 3,810 members who are themselves borrowers of the coop's agricultural loans that include livestock production, fishing, vending and coop production, specifically corn and vegetables.

In the MOA, CCMPC is the underwriting agent of PCIC. As such, it can collect and remit insurance premiums of various PCIC's insurance services or programs that they solicit and underwrite.

Another agreement signed between PCIC and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Cebu Field Office calls for NIA-Cebu to act as underwriter for PCIC to extend crop, livestock, HVCC, Non-Crop and TIPP insurance services to farmers who are affected or relocated due to the construction of NIA Irrigation facilities as well as those farmers who are recipients of foreign funded loans.

In the same developments, PCIC also awarded indemnity checks worth P72,500 to a farmer in Catigbian, Bohol who died with hypertension and three (3) livestock raisers from Carcar, Cebu.

According to PCIC, Renato Cano was covered under PCIC's Term insurance Power Packages-Loan Repayment Protection Plan (TIPP-LRP2) that included life insurance coverage for the farmer.

Cano died of hypertension on January 11, 2009 and he was a member of the Mantacida Unified Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative in Catigbi-an, Bohol that got a loan of P50,000.00 for agricultural loan purposes.

Under the TIPP-LRP, the loan is deemed erased if the debtor dies. "The loan will die with the debtor and PCIC guarantees to pay the involved lender or lending institution the actual loan amount released to the farmer," this was learned from PCIC.

According to PCIC, this strategy is pro-farmer. It relieves the co-makers and the heirs in assuming or inheriting a loan obligation.

Individual checks of P7,500 each were also released to livestock raisers Nelson Miralles, Girlita Elarcosa and Gina Cananea. They are recipients of the NIA livestock swine fattening livelihood program in Carcar, Cebu where the swine were covered under the PCIC's Livestock Insurance program.

[tonight]

Insurance coverage helps ensure agricultural productivity in the country

The Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) helps ensure agricultural productivity in the country through its insurance package services to all farmers nationwide, specifically subsistence farmers.

PCIC president, Atty. Jovy Bernabe in a press conference in Cebu recently said, the corporation has paid more than P82-Million to about 14,500 farmers in the country as of December 2008.

Bernabe added, PCIC gives insurance packages to the agriculture sector that are cheap and affordable to farmers.

"We are continuously trying to educate and inform the farmers on the importance of having crop and non-crop insurance and its benefits to the agriculture sector," Bernabe said.

He went on that PCIC covers all kinds of agricultural products that include rice, corn, high-value commercial crops to livestock and others.

This will protect the country's agricultural producers, particularly the subsistence farmers against losses caused by natural calamities such as typhoons, floods, drought, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as well as plant diseases and pest infestations.

PCIC also covers non-crop insurance that include agricultural machineries, warehouses, tractors, rice mills, irrigation facilities and other farm equipments to protect them against fire, lightning, theft, earthquakes and other calamities that may befell the farmers, Bernabe added.

The PCIC president was here in Cebu to preside over the PCIC Board of Directors (BOD) meeting and officiate the signing of Memorandum of Understanding and Agreements with Land Bank of the Philippines, Palm Inc., Catmon Community Multi-purpose Cooperative and NIA-Cebu and other activities that were held on Feb. 26 at the Crown Regency Hotel, Cebu City.

In the same press conference, David Villanueva, representative of the subsistence farmers in the Visayas area told the media that his group has benefited well from PCIC's insurance coverage because it is very accessible.

"PCIC operates in all regions of the country and it can directly pay the farmers in cases of losses and damages," Villanueva said.

He added that the premiums paid by farmers are in a sense subsidized by the government because they are very affordable to subsistence farmers, who are their main clients.

According to Villanueva, PCIC's insurance services are very accessible because it has accredited underwriters from local rural banks, LBP, cooperatives, DA offices in towns, and irrigators' associations in all regions in the country.

In similar developments, PCIC-7 regional director Antonio Uy also reported that in Central Visayas alone, more than P2.682-Million worth of claims had been given to some 9,071 farmers and that PCIC-7 has covered a total of P173,578,210 worth of claims in 2008.

[venntro]

Expert urges growing smaller mango trees


DAVAO CITY: Dr. Calixto Protacio, a leading plant breeder, has urged government to lead in the massive cultivation of smaller but more productive mango trees to raise yields and improve the country’s share in the expanding export market.

Dr. Protacio made the proposal when he delivered the David Murdock/Dole Asia professorial chair lecture on Wednesday, February 25 in a forum organized by the Initiative for Farm Advocacy and Resource Management (IFARM) and Croplife Philippines at the campus of University of the Philippines-Mindanao here.

He stressed that reforming the mango industry is needed now to maintain the country’s position as the world’s second biggest mango exporter and possibly eat into the lead of Mexico.

Dr. Protacio explained that big mango trees are harder to manage and large plantations require more workers during harvest time.

Scientific advances also make it possible for more small fruit-bearing trees to occupy each hectare of land, he added, and the increase in yield will naturally skyrocket, he argued.

No less than 90 percent of the country’s mango exports are in the form of fresh fruits. The Philippines enjoys a 65 percent market share in Hong Kong and controls 24 percent of the Japan market, he added. The mango expert said South Korea is starting to become a major market like the United States.

A survey conducted by the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) in 2007 showed that a total of 184,174 hectares of land are devoted to mango production. There are a total of 8,115,899 fruit-bearing mango trees all over the country.

Output-wise, the Philippines harvests an average of 913,000 metric tons of the fruit, which makes it the eighth biggest player in the global market.

Only 6 percent of the total output is exported, Dr. Protacio revealed, and the country must increase its share of the export market by raising production and achieve inclusion in the list of countries that conform with the standards of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), which is required if the Philippines wants to penetrate the big European Union market.

He noted the mango production system in the country is largely “parochial and is thus limited in range and scope.”

Dr. Protacio said the Philippines could cash in on smaller mango trees inasmuch as Thailand stopped its mango production from smaller mango trees two decades ago.

The expert stressed that big trees have canopy diameters of up to 20 meters and grow up to a height of buildings four storeys high.

Following current practice of planting a mango tree in a 20m by 20m square, only a total of 25 trees can be accommodated in one hectare, with the yield ranging from 400 kilos to 1,000 kilos per hectare.

Dr. Protacio also doubted the range of average mango yield from six to 10 tons per hectare, saying “it is probably an overestimate.”

He stressed that workers risk injury when climbing trees to harvest the fruit and spray the leaves with pesticides and nematicides.

[venntro]

RP offers Samal as invest site for poultry, mariculture
03/02/2009

The government has offered to big-time Thai businessmen the Island Garden City of Samal in the Davao Region as an ideal investment site for poultry and mariculture projects.

“President Arroyo and Secretary Arthur Yap of the Department of Agriculture had briefed a visiting delegation of Thai businessmen on the rich investment potentials of this island off the Davao mainland during the Chief Executive’s recent visit to Mindanao,” said DA Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup.

“The 38-member business delegation was led by Dhanin Chearavanoni, chairman and chief executive officer of the Bangkok-based Chaoroen Pokphand Group Co. Ltd., which is the biggest agribusiness conglomerate in Thailand and the fifth largest feed mill operator in the world,” Salacup said.

Salacup said Arroyo and Yap had accompanied these potential investors to the island city to tour them around a 2,000-hectare area in Talikud Island that is ideal for a poultry project and a sizeable portion that is still available for development in the 200-hectare mariculture park in the island that is jointly run by the DA’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the city government of Samal.

Only 20 hectares of the 200-hectare mariculture park has thus far been developed by Davao-based agribusinessmen into fish cages for bangus and other high-value marine species, he said.

Salacup, who is in-charge of this project proposal, said Arroyo and Yap had told the Thai businessmen that Talikud Island was an ideal location for a poultry project because it was a relatively pristine island with wide and open flat and rolling highlands that is outside the country’s typhoon belt and very accessible to the Davao economic hub as well as to its international airport and international seaport.

Moreover, he said, Arroyo and Yap cited raw materials and other supplementations locally available, farm equipment and other logistics that can be easily obtained, abundant skilled labor, and a stable peace and order situation.

The most preferred location among several options was Barangay Cogon, Kaputian District, on the southernmost tip of Talikud Island, very far from tourism facilities.

As for the mariculture park, Salacup said Arroyo and Yap had told the Thai businessmen that the Samal Island Mariculture Park facility was an excellent location with clean water and away from the typhoon belt, with reasonable rental rates plus available technical assistance from BFAR and the local government.

Arroyo and Yap also cited the availability of marketing assistance from BFAR, local governments and non-government organizations; the availability of feeds, fingerlings, fish cages, trained manpower and other ancillary services; and the availability of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points-accredited fish processing plants.

[tonight]

Depopulation of hogs until Wednesday—DA
By Izah Morales

MANILA, Philippines – The depopulation of hogs in Bulacan province is expected to be completed by Wednesday, an official of the Department of Agriculture said Monday.

The piglets in a farm in Pandi were stunned and burned for two and a half hours on Sunday, said Davinio Catbagan, director Bureau of Animal Industry.

The culling was witnessed by the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, and animal welfare groups such as the Philippine Animal Welfare Society and Animal Kingdom.

Anna Cabrera, program director of PAWS, said that the culling was done humanely but admitted that the transfer of the carcasses from the pigpens to the truck was mishandled.

“Some of the pigs loaded into trucks were handled by one leg, one ear. We talked with BAI Director Davinio Catbagan to ask the workers to refine the handling of pigs and we appreciate that he acted on it,” said Cabrera.

In a phone interview, Cabrera told INQUIRER.net that the hogs were crying out of hunger when they arrived.

“We asked the farm owner why they were crying. We learned that Tuesday last week pa sila hindi kumakain. Only water was given to the pigs. We appealed that they give food and pinakain naman sila kahapon before they were killed [We asked the farm owner why they were crying. We learned that they have not eaten anything since Tuesday last week. Only water was given to the pigs. We appealed that they give food and they were fed yesterday before they were killed],” said Cabrera.

“We understood the farm owners. They lost an estimated P52 million but according to good husbandry, food and water should still be given until the death of the animals,” said Cabrera.

Aside from feeds for the pigs, Cabrera said they were appealing for the repair of some captive bolts that have malfunctioned during the killing.

“Dahil nagmalfunction ‘yung ibang captive bolts, gumamit ng 22 caliber rifles ‘yung mga pulis. [Because of the captive bolt that malfunctioned, police used 22 caliber rifles to shoot the other pigs],” said Cabrera.

[tonight]

200 farmers at OSG over Arroyo land
By Janie Christine Octia

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) At least 200 farmers from Negros Occidental picketed the Office of the Solicitor General in Makati City Monday to protest a local court decision stopping the transfer of ownership of the land belonging to First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo to the tillers there.

The farmers, led by Task Force Mapalad, said that while the TRO issued by Branch 63 of the La Carlota court in Isabela town, was expected to lapse this Monday, a petition for a preliminary injunction against the transfer of the lands was filed by the Arroyos, through lawyer Ruy Rondain.

The farmers appeared at the OSG but was met only by lawyer Joel Villaseran, assistant solicitor general, who told them that they have until Wednesday to file their opposition to the pending petition for a preliminary injunction.

Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera is in Singapore, said Villaseran.

[venntro]

RP culls 6,000 pigs to contain disease
Updated March 02, 2009 01:47 PM


MANILA, Philippines (AP) -Workers in protective suits have begun culling 6,000 pigs at a northern Philippine farm to prevent the spread of the Ebola Reston virus that has infected some of the animals.

Health officials say six farm and slaughterhouse workers in Bulacan province had developed antibodies to the virus after coming in contact with infected pigs but none of them have had any serious illness in the last 12 months.

Provincial health officer Dr. Jocelyn Gomez today said it would take about a week for all the farm hogs to be slaughtered at a rate of 1,000 a day.

The rare virus was first discovered in monkeys south of Manila in 1989. Out of at least 25 people who had been infected at the time, only one exhibited mild flu-like symptoms.

[venntro]

Mining firm eyes fertilizer production
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/02/2009 1:22 PM


To help the country meet its fertilizer requirements, mining and exploration company Intex Resources Phils. Inc. has redesigned its nickel processing facility in Mindoro province to be able to produce fertilizer as a by-product.

In a statement, Intex President Atty. Leo Cleto Gamolo said the company's move to produce ammonium sulphate and cobalt compounds will also result in foreign exchange savings "in terms of fertilizer that will no longer have to be imported."

Citing data from the National Statistics Office, Intex said the country has imported some $524.02 million worth of fertilizers for the first 11 months of 2008. Of the total amount, $182.1 million represented importations of urea fertilizer, while the remaining $341.92 million were for non-urea fertilizers, under which ammonium sulphate is categorized.

"In addition to ammonium sulphate, the reconfigured Mindoro Nickel Project will be able to produce another by-product: cobalt compounds in the form of sulphates, carbonates, hydroxides and oxides," Gamolo said.

In agriculture, cobalt compounds can be blended with fertilizer or used as a dietary supplement for livestock. The substances are also used in the production of rechargeable batteries for cellular phones: a consumer product that is in great demand especially in countries like the Philippines.

In producing nickel and by-products, Gamolo said Intex will be generating its own power in an environment-friendly manner, mostly using carbon-free energy instead of using fossil fuels. This means Intex will not be depending on Mindoro's power for its plant requirements.

"In fact, there is the possibility that we will be generating more power than we actually would need. Initially, we will be generating around 50 megawatts, which will subsequently increase to 80 megawatts. The excess can be passed on Mindoro's powergrid," Gamolo said.

[tonight]

Originally Posted by venntro

RP culls 6,000 pigs to contain disease
Updated March 02, 2009 01:47 PM


MANILA, Philippines (AP) -Workers in protective suits have begun culling 6,000 pigs at a northern Philippine farm to prevent the spread of the Ebola Reston virus that has infected some of the animals.

Health officials say six farm and slaughterhouse workers in Bulacan province had developed antibodies to the virus after coming in contact with infected pigs but none of them have had any serious illness in the last 12 months.

Provincial health officer Dr. Jocelyn Gomez today said it would take about a week for all the farm hogs to be slaughtered at a rate of 1,000 a day.

The rare virus was first discovered in monkeys south of Manila in 1989. Out of at least 25 people who had been infected at the time, only one exhibited mild flu-like symptoms.

buti na lang inaksyonan nila, nakaktakot naman ng virus

[venntro]

Farmers from Cagayan province arrive in Manila
03/02/2009 | 02:11 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Farmers from Cagayan province arrived in Manila Monday to push for genuine land reform, a radio report said.

Radio dzBB reported that the farmers arrived in Muntinlupa City at 8 a.m. and reached Las Piñas City at 10 a.m.

They had planned a stop over at a Parañaque City church before proceeding to Baclaran and then to the De La Salle University campus in Manila.

Several groups of farmers from the provinces arrived in Manila in past weeks to push for genuine land reform. - GMANews.TV

[tonight]

Philippines’ coconut oil shipments shrink 45%
By Luzi Ann Javier Bloomberg

EXPORTS of coconut oil from the Philippines, the world’s biggest supplier, plunged 45 percent this month as the global recession sapped demand for the commodity from chemical makers, an executive said.

Shipments fell to 33,000 tons from 59,505 tons a year ago, said Yvonne Agustin, executive director of United Coconut Associations of the Philippines Inc.

Sales in the January to February period slumped 68 percent to 57,292 tons, she said, citing preliminary data from members.

Slowing global demand for coconut oil, the Philippines’ biggest agricultural export, may curb farmers’ income, pushing them deeper into poverty after fertilizer costs more than doubled last year.

Coconut oil averaged $734 a ton in January, down 43 percent from a year ago, according to data from the Foreign Agricultural Service at the US Department of Agriculture.

“There was reduced demand due to a slowdown in operations at oleo-chemical producers as a result of the global recession,” Agustin said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Oleo-chemicals, made from vegetable oils, are used in soaps and beauty products.

The contract for delivery in March and April fell to $670 a ton on Feb. 26, against $675 on Feb. 23, according to the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community comprising 15 producing countries that account for about 90 percent of global supply. Back to top

[venntro]

BAI: Problems to delay depopulation in Bulacan farm
03/03/2009 | 08:11 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Defective stun guns and other problems have forced authorities to further move back their timetable in the depopulation of 6,000 hogs in Pandi, Bulacan.

Bureau of Animal Industries (BAI) head Davinio Catbagan would only hint early Tuesday the timetable will go beyond Thursday this week.

"Kagabi ay medyo hindi kaya kaya ang target natin malalampas sa Huwebes [With the problems we encountered last night, we may go beyond Thursday]," Catbagan said in an interview on dwIZ radio.

Authorities initially expected to finish by Wednesday night the job of depopulating some 6,000 pigs believed infected with the Ebola Reston virus.

Earlier, dzBB radio reported a defective stun gun delayed the depopulation process that started late Sunday.

Catbagan said the BAI could only assure the public it is finding ways to speed up the process.

"Marami pa dapat improve sa proseso [There is much room for improvement as far as the procedures are concerned]," he said. - GMANews.TV

[venntro]

Bulacan hog industry will recover after culling -- gov

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/04/2009 9:45 AM


Bulacan Governor Joselito Mendoza on Wednesday said he is optimisticthe that the dying hog industry in the province will recover as soon as the government finished the culling of the Ebola Reston-infected pigs in Pandi town.

"Just like in the past when pigs were struck by FMD (food and mouth disease), the hog industry was able to recover," Mendoza told ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda."

Mendoza on Tuesday said that the already troubled hog industry in the province was aggravated by the Ebola Reston scare, bringing down the sales of pork by 50 percent.

"When I went around [public markets] yesterday (Tuesday), vendors told me that pork sales dropped by 50 percent. Market vendors selling eight pigs a day are now selling only four," the governor said.

Mendoza said hog traders around the province told him that pork sales have been cut to half since the Department of Health (DOH) revealed the Ebola Reston infection in pigs from farm in Pandi town.

The governor, however, said that he is expecting the hog industry in the province to recover as soon as the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) finishes the culling of the Ebola Reston-infected pigs in Pandi town this week.

He said a total of 2,662 pigs have been killed and he expects the BAI to finish the culling of more than 3,000 more infected pigs by Friday.

Pigs shot if stunning fails

Dr. Joy Gomez, provincial health officer and spokesperson for the depopulation committee, reported Tuesday that they were able to speed up the culling due to the adjustments and lessons learned from the procedures in last Sunday's dry-run.

Gomez said depopulation teams started working around three in the afternoon on Monday and ended at past 8 p.m. with 795 pigs culled.

Stunning, through the use of a captive bolt, is still the method used to cull the pigs. He said if pigs survive the stunning, they are shot by policemen with a 22-caliber gun.

"Kasama naman yung sa mga napagkasunduan nung pina-plano pa lang namin ito" said Gomez.

New photos and videos were also released to media showing workers unloading pigs on the pit, workers taking tissue samples on pigs' carcasses, and the actual burning of culled pigs. With a report from Jorge Cariño, ABS-CBN News

[venntro]

DA announces 7-point plan to shield economy from crisis
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/04/2009 12:26 PM


A seven-point blueprint has been proposed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday to shield the economy from the effects of the global crisis.

Centered on irrigation and post-harvest facilities for the farm and fisheries sector, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the plan is expected to result in a 4-percent growth rate in gross agricultural output for 2009.

"An aggressive rural infrastructure program is a vital component of our plan to inoculate the economy from the impact of a global recession," Yap said in a statement.

The blueprint involves the rehabilitation of small water impounding facilities and related projects, the involvement of schools in education and extension programs, the shift of fertilizer subsidies from direct procurement to helping farmers produce their own, and support for the P3.68-billion Agricultural Guarantee Fund Pool.

In addition, the plan includes boosting production of certified seeds, the establishment of post-harvest dryers and milling centers for palay and corn, as well as ice-making machines, chillers, and ports for the fisheries sector, and ensuring reasonable farm gate prices through local palay procurement and distribution.

With the program, aquaculture and banana sectors are seen to lead production at 8.2 percent and 6.2 percent, respectively. Poultry, on the other hand, is expected to grow at 5.4 percent, while municipal fisheries at 4.7 percent.

Paddy rice, meanwhile, is seen to have a 4.4-percent growth rate through the program, higher than its average annual global growth of below 2.5 percent.

From 1990 to 2000, the Gross Value Added in Agriculture (GVAA) has only registered an average growth rate of 2.23 percent. However, it has grown to an average of 4.1 percent since 2001.

[jpdm]

Finally, Australia is allowing philippine banana exports.

But the "protectionist advocates" of Australia are not giving up. If the Australia government will succumb from the pressure of their farmers the Philippine government should not take this sitting down just like when Angara was the DA secretary he disallowed the importation of Australian beef when Australia ban Philippine banana export.

This Australia is a double crossing free trade advocate.

Manila Standard

It’s now safe to import Philippine bananas — Australia

March 4, 2009


THE Australian government has decided that it is safe to import Cavendish bananas from the Philippines, opening up a market that Filipino growers have sought to enter since 1995.

The decision by Biosecurity Australia, a federal agency, sparked an angry backlash among Australian growers and has become a campaign issue in the Queensland election, Farm Weekly reported.

In a statement on its Web site, the agency said banana imports from the Philippines may be permitted “subject to the application of phytosanitary measures,” and that was after it conducted an import risks analysis in response to a request from Manila.

The Australian Banana Growers’ Council said it was “profoundly disappointed” by the decision and would take its concerns to a Senate committee hearing in Canberra next week.

[tonight]

PHILIPPINES: Dwindling tuna catch in Mindanao hits local livelihoods
Source: IRIN

GENERAL SANTOS - Captain Eric Inong is very worried - after nearly a month at sea, his men have returned with only enough catch to break even. He is not even sure if they will earn enough to cover the cost of fuel.

In General Santos city on Mindanao Island, southern Philippines, tuna fishing has evolved as a significant industry supporting half a million people, the local government says.

Local fishermen told IRIN the tuna have migrated beyond the reach of Inong's boat - one of thousands of wooden-hulled vessels known as 'pamariles'.

"We've travelled as far as 300km from our shores, and the great fish is still difficult to find," Inong told IRIN. "We caught fewer than 40 tuna, and we have to share the profits after deducting our expenses."

His 15-man crew looks exhausted as they take turns hauling the fish from the cargo hold. Fish brokers will later dispatch them to traders and buyers who will then clean and ship them to markets around the world.

"I do not know what global warming is, but what I know is that it suddenly rains and the weather changes quickly. When that happens, the tuna swim deep and migrate to other parts, making it difficult for us to chase after them," said Inong, a 36-year-old father of three and third-generation tuna fisherman. His boat, the Lenneth-Jane, is the family lifeline. Anxious to earn more income, he says: "Maybe we will only stay on land for two days before we ship out again while the weather is still on our side."

Just moments later unseasonably heavy rains delayed their plans to put to sea.

Falling exports

Tucked in the mouth of the Sarangani Bay on the southern edge of Mindanao, General Santos used to be a backward fishing port before foreign buyers discovered the high quality and quantity of the tuna catch in the 1970s. A 20-year boom followed, with major canneries and export markets to Europe and the US established.

The tuna industry contributes about 60 percent to the economy of General Santos city, generating employment for nearly 100,000 people. Average daily storage capacity of tuna has topped 750T, and the government, with official development assistance from Japan, in 1999 built a 32ha fish port that is now the Philippines' second largest.

While ships laden with tuna continue to arrive at the port, the catch has been dwindling and the city is beginning to feel the pinch. Tuna canning factories say a drop in orders from the US last year due to the financial crisis had added to the concerns. Industry groups have started looking at other markets.

"I would like to believe this is seasonal, and they will come back to our rich fishing grounds," city mayor Pedro Acharon said. "These are very mobile fish. They are also affected by the weather; if it becomes too hot on the surface they dive to depths that are difficult to reach, and if it is cool they normally surface, but that also means it is difficult to catch them because of storms and heavy rain."

A major factor in the decline in the catch may be depleted stocks.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's annual report for 2008, the State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report [see: http://www.fao.org/docrep/011/i0250e/i0250e00.htm] released on 2 March, "Analysis of survey information for some countries in the region [Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam] have shown considerable degradation and overfishing of coastal [tuna] stocks, most dramatically in the Gulf of Thailand and along the east coast of Malaysia."

Acharon said many tuna fishermen have had to chase the fish to boundaries near Indonesia and some had been detained there for illegal fishing. He said the Philippines' tuna production used to rank fourth in the world, averaging 500,000T, or 8 percent of the total annual catch in 2006. As of last year, the Philippines ranked seventh, a marked slowdown.

Bayani Fredeluces, executive director of the Socksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries, and an expert in tuna migration patterns, said the fish were increasingly seeking cooler seas away from the Philippine territorial waters. He said global warning affected ocean currents, and the tuna would naturally follow temperatures that best suited them.