by Joeven Calasagsag.  

balita-dot-ph, September 8, 2010 6:37 am



VIRAC, Catanduanes, Sept. 7 – The island province of Catanduanes that has established its name as the Philippines’ typhoon gateway is reeling from soil degradation caused by both natural and man-made calamities affecting its forest and farm resources.

“Those typhoons that have caused massive soil erosions and floods rendered our soils infertile, barren and desolate. As the cutting of forest trees remain unabated and the slash and burn (kaingin) system continues to destroy our remaining forest cover, the degradation of our soil gets more serious,” Governor Joseph Cua said.

He made those statements during the turnover rites over the weekend of the 14 sets of composting equipment provided by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as part of the joint program of the agency and the provincial government in promoting organic farming in the island province.

“We see organic method of farming as an effective measure to restore the fertility of our soil that is why we are all out in supporting the organic agriculture program of the DA,” the governor said.

Provincial Agriculturist Herbert Evangelista said each set of composting equipment consists of a mechanical shredder powered by a gasoline-fed generator worth some P120,000 and two units of compost tea brewer with a capacity of 30 liters each were provided to the provincial government by the Bureau of Soil and Water Management (BSWM) of the DA.

An amount of P4,000 cash was also given to each recipient for the construction of a four-square meter vermiculture bed where 15 kilos of worms also to be provided by the BSWM will be delivered when the vermin beds are set ready for operations.

Evangelista said the shredder can shred up to three tons of waste like grasses and weeds, plant leaves or garbage from households every day on a gallon of gasoline consumption.
The shredded organic waste will be placed into the vermin bed to serve as feeds for the worms which would convert them into vermicast.

The vermicast, Evangelista said would then be sifted from the bed and diluted with water in the compost tea brewer before it is used as 100 percent organic fertilizer that could be applied to plants by way of spraying it into its base.

“With these sets of compost equipment, our farmers can start shifting to organic farming and do away with chemical fertilizers that make the soil acidic and not productive. It would also help in the government’s solid waste management program that bans the burning of wastes from farms, households and backyards,” he said.

It will also be helpful to the global efforts to mitigate the negative effects of climate change and the more waste fed to the worms, the faster it multiplies in number and produce more vermicast, Evangelista said.

The distribution of the composting facilities, he said was pursuant to Executive Order 481 on the Promotion and Development of Organic Agriculture in the country, particularly the production of organic fertilizer.

The program is intended to minimize groundwater pollution, restore soil fertility, reduce the vulnerability of marginal farmers to high cost of chemical fertilizers and promote the gradual adoption of organic-based agriculture nationwide, the provincial agriculturist added.

Last year, nine sets of the same composting equipment were also provided by the DA and distributed by the provincial government to recipients such as barangay councils, non-government organizations and local government units (LGUs).

Recipients of the latest 14 sets were the Deborah Farm of Barangay Magnesia; Borja Farm of Barangay Sinamla; Sinamla Breeding Station; Pajo San Isidro Farmers Cooperative; Barangay Councils of Pajo Baguio, Igang, F. Tacorda, Hicming and Talisoy; and Barangay Tanods of Igang, all in this capital town.

Also given were the Buenavista Farmer-Producer Cooperative in Bato town; Timbaan-Lictin Producers Cooperative in the municipality of San Andres; Barangay council of Guinobatan, Bato; and the Spiritual and Material Integrated Farmers and Fisherfolks Association of Barangay Napo, Pandan town.

These farmer’s groups would be trained on vermiculture production and its effects for the improvement of the agriculture industry in the province that expressly welcome organic farming and other environment-friendly production practices, Evangelista said.

Apart from the benefits that would be derived from the equipments, Evangelista said it could also be another source of income for the recipients who may chose to sell some portion of the organic fertilizer they would be producing.

“We expect them to be engaged in long-term vermiculture projects in their barangays given those benefits. They are also convinced that soil fertility can best be improved using the organic farming technology and farmers in some parts of the country are now benefiting from this type of farming strategy,” according to Gov. Cua.

Science and technology experts in vermiculture, the governor said explain that vermi or earthworm enrich the soil with organic matter coming from biodegradable materials. Casting of earthworm is an excellent soil enhancer and high quality fertilizer for organic farming. Earthworms can be made into vermimeal, a feed for fish and other domesticated animals.

Prolonged used of the vermicompost increases soil life and fertility and is often regarded as "nature's perfect organic fertilizer," which is very appropriate for use by the organic farmers, he added.

Farmers in the province Evangelista added can reduce or minimize use of costly fertilizers on their farms, but could still increase crop yields and this is possible through the balanced fertilization strategy which the DA is also promoting to help farmers boost their productivity.

Cua said the use of bio-organic fertilizers is promoted as inexpensive alternatives to restore the fertility of poor degraded soils. Poor soils are the result of intensive agriculture, forest degradation through relentless cutting of trees as well as slash and burn methods, extensive use of pesticides and chemicals, mining and urbanization.

“Our soil in the province is not spared from this malady that is why we need to work double time to restore its fertility by adopting organic farming. The bioorganic fertilizers that we are going to produce with these new sets of composting tools can supply specific nutrients to plants,” he said.

DA farm technicians have also made Catanduanes farmers aware of the effects of organic fertilizers that include enhancing the supply and total volume of plants' nutritional elements, stimulating of plant growth or stimulating of the plants' absorption of nutritional elements, Cua said.

He added that there are more advantages for bio-organic fertilizers over its commercial chemical counterparts. It involves recycling of nutrients from waste material, it is a cheap alternative or supplement to inorganic fertilizers thus leading to increase in yield and profit and is environment-friendly. Soil tilth and fertility are also mentioned and even enhanced.

The governor cited reports that say with decreasing input price, bio-organic fertilizers can increase farmers' yield and profit by as much as 200 percent. Agricultural and industrial wastes if processed into biodegradable fertilizers and enhanced with microorganisms can continuously improve the growth, protection and productivity of the farms. [(PNA)LAP/LQ/DOC/cbd]

Source: DA provides Catanduanes farmers tools for organic fertilizer-making

by Joeven Calasagsag.  

mb.com.ph, September 4, 2010, 12:06 am

The 3rd Pinoy Aquatic Fair featuring the latest developments in fisheries and related products will be staged on September 10 to 12 at the AANI Herbal Garden and Livelihood Center at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.

The event is under the auspices of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Agri-Aqua Network International (AANI) with the theme focusing on sustainable fish farming. This will be the third edition of this event which aims to promote aquaculture as well as mariculture to increase local food production as well as to create jobs and new opportunities in the fisheries sector.

Fisheries products and services will be showcased in the booths of private entrepreneurs as well as the government. Fresh as well as processed fisheries products will be available for sale to the public.

There will be free lectures on different topics that will include innovative technologies in mariculture, aquasilviculture, fish feed formulation and others. There will be free consultancy on the production of shrimps, tilapia, bangus, shellfishes, crabs, sea cucumber, abalone, scallops, sea urchins, seeweeds, lapu-lapu and many others.

The trade fair will also include exhibits of aquarium fishes, aquatic plants for use in aquariums, fishing equipment and gears.

Source: Aquatic fair set in QC Sept. 10-12

by jojo ocampo.  

China developed its first hybrid rice in the 1970s, which helped raise its food grain output on a significant scale, and contributed to some Asian and African nations in ending their grain deficiency to some extent.

Professor Yuan Rongping, director of the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center (CNHRRDC), and known as a "father of the hybrid rice", started working on hybrid rice in 1964 and developed the world's first hybrid rice and, in 1976, hybrid rice began spreading on a large scale in China, which was the first nation to succeed in taking advantages of different hybrid rice species. Hybrid rice is also called the "Oriental Magic Rice" for its higher per-hectare yields than that for conventional rice seeds.

The hybrid rice was transferred as China's first agro-technology patent to the United States in 1979 and, since 1995 the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have selected a total of 15 countries for assistance funding to popularize hybrid rice. FAO first introduced the large acreage hybrid rice growing to India and Vietnam.

In their talks with their Chinese counterparts, leaders of Southeast Asian nations often asked China to help them with hybrid rice technology for bilateral agricultural cooperation. In May 2000, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo inspected China's fine hybrid rice species exhibition field nursed by Chinese experts, and she soon urged her people to grow hybrid rice. Hence, Professor Yuan was invited to visit the country twice as guests of the Philippine government.

The UNFAO invited Professor and Academician Yuan as chief consultant for the FAO to share his expertise and knowledge with workers from other countries, and more than 10 experts from the Hunan Hybrid Rice Institute, China's top institution in the field of hybrid rice research work, or the CNHRRDC, as international technological advisers. In 1994, China started to cooperate with American Rice Inc. and sent experts to give lectures there, so as to help promote the spread of hybrid rice in the Americas.

Moreover, Chinese hybrid rice experts have time and again gone to such Asian nations as India, Vietnam, Myanmar and Bangladesh, to offer technical guidance. Meanwhile, some 40 international hybrid rice training sessions were held in Changsha, where the CNHRRDC is located, to help train at lease 1,000 special professionals for more than 30 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa.

By the end of 2009, there were 3 million hybrid rice sown hectares outside China. After its initial success in breeding or growing hybrid rice in 1992, Vietnam has extended the acreage under hybrid rice from 11,000 hectares in 1992, to 600,000 hectares in 2003 and 670,000 hectares in 2008.

In 2001, China experimented with and demonstrated the hybrid rice breeding in Pakistan, and "hybrid rice" yields were 30 percent higher yield than those of local common rice strains. Moreover, such Asian and African nations as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and South Africa have all succeeded with the hybrid rice growing.

To date, hybrid rice has been introduced to approximately 110 countries, and the total area planted to hybrid rice outside China however reached only 3 million hectares. So, the development of China's hybrid rice abroad is still in a primary state with a limited scale, and the global annual sales of export hybrid rice seeds is merely about 15,000 tons, mainly in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other Asian nations. In an effort to further spread hybrid rice worldwide, a lengthy circle, a costly input, policy restriction and trade barriers are involved, and these problems demand urgent solutions.

From Embracing Summer

by jojo ocampo.  

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippines plans to take the lead during the annual meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission in December this year to push for the lifting of a high seas tuna fishing ban that was imposed only this year.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources (BFAR) Director Malcolm Sarmiento said the Philippines would spearhead the move which he said would be supported by several other countries.

The Philippines, which has been experiencing a drop in its tuna fishing industry, has been actively negotiating with Papua and New Guinea (PNG) and Tonga for access to their fishing grounds.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission is a body that groups Pacific island nations with fishing countries to agree on measures to conserve what scientists have warned are fast dwindling tuna stocks.

Tuna varieties such as big eye and yellow fin are in great demand for sashimi and sushi, while the skipjack variety is used for canning.

While the Philippines consumes tuna, most of its catch is exported to Japan which accounts for almost 90 percent of tuna consumption of sashimi and sushi.

The Philippine move runs counter to a proposal from a group of Pacific Island nations known collectively as the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) to extend the areas currently covered by the ban.

The PNA includes PNG, Palau, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Solomon Islands.

by jojo ocampo.  

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala (left) explains to United States Ambassador to the Philippines Harry K. Thomas, Jr. the major initiatives the Aquino Administration will undertake to attain rice self-sufficiency by 2013, during the latter's courtesy call August 12, 2010 at the Department of Agriculture central office in Quezon City. Sec. Alcala took the opportunity to thank Ambassador Thomas for the sustained mutual cooperation and trade between the two countries, particularly in the area of agriculture, fisheries, and agribusiness. The country's major agricultural export products to the US are coconut, sugar and seaweeds, while our leading US agricultural imports are wheat, soybean meal and dairy products. They both expressed confidence that the centuries-old RP-US partnership will be further enhanced during the respective terms of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and US President Barack Obama.(Alan Jay Jacalan, DA-Info Service)

From The Department of Agriculture : August 15 2010

by jojo ocampo.  

Not just self-sufficient three years from now, the Philippines, too, is poised to export organic fancy rice three years from now.

This was bared by agriculture secretary Proceso J. Alcala, in an interview with the Davao media yesterday (August 9) at the Kapehan sa Davao weekly forum. "Organic farming is our only entry to the export market. If we wish to penetrate the export area, then we must produce the kind of rice needed by people who have become so health conscious." he said. To achieve this in three years time, the DA will perform several tests to lessen inputs and better the profit margin to benefit local farmers. Alcala supports the stand of President Benigno Aquino III in prioritizing self-sufficiency over importation learning from the 2008 experience of global rice shortage which did not spare the Philippines. DA has recently issued a memorandum order calling the PhilRice to propagate upland rice to be tried out in some areas of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. One of the cited ways to lessen input costs is the DA's plan of re-tooling all technical personnel to help farmers be educated not just on the conventional way of farming but also the introduction of organic farming. All local government units are then obliged to promote and sell over the counter organic inputs so local farmers will have easy access of cheap and affordable input materials for upland rice.


From Daily...

by Marj Malubay.  

www.mb.com.ph, August 11, 2010

A program for the planting of the high-yielding Asha peanut variety was recently launched in the second district of Quezon province with the distribution of 15 sacks of planting materials to 15 smallhold farmers by the Bureau of Agricultural Research headed by Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.

Asha peanut which was introduced from India in 2005 has proven to be highly adapted to local growing conditions. It was brought to the Philippines through the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) headed by Dr. William Dar, a Filipino who once headed the Department of Agriculture.

Although Asha will only be planted for the first time in Quezon, it is now a certified seed and is being widely cultivated in Isabela and Sorsogon. According to Eleazar, as a result of the adoption of Asha by farmers using a developed package of technology, peanut yield in the country has increased dramatically from 600 kilos per hectare to 1,100 kilos. In terms of pesos, the increase in yield mean an additional P15,000 to P27,000 per hectare.

The Asha peanut production program in Quezon is being implemented by the Earthkeepers, an active non-government organization that is advocating organic farming. It is headed by Teresa Perez-Saniano. The Earthkeepers is implementing the project in cooperation with the Cagayan Valley Integrated Agricultural Research Center (CVIARC) which will be providing technical assistance to the farmer cooperators and beneficiaries.

Each farmer-cooperator has allotted an area of 1,000 square meters to plant his Asha peanut. They were provided a one-day hands-on training to technically equip them with the appropriate package of technologies on the production and management of this variety. Rose Aquino of CVIARC, who is the lead person for promoting Asha peanut production in the Philippines, served as the resource person during the training.

As part of the repayment scheme of the project, each farmer-cooperator will have to give back two sacks of seeds after harvest to ensure seed multiplication so that other farmers can also avail themselves of the benefits of planting Asha peanut.

Asha peanut was one of the technologies highlighted at the 6th Agriculture and Fisheries Technology Forum and Product Exhibition held at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

By the way, after its introduction in 2005, Asha was initially field-tested and evaluated to determine and compare its adaptability and agronomic performance with the commercially grown peanut varieties in Region 2. Asha is a big-seeded variety and is known to produce nuts larger than those traditionally grown in the Philippines.

Source: Asha peanut program launched in Quezon

by jojo ocampo.  

www.thepigsite.com, July 29,2010

PHILIPPINES - It is hoped that Mindanao will receive Ebola virus-free status soon, and pork exports to Singapore are expected to resume by the end of this year.

The Philippines may start exporting pork to Singapore before the end of the year as the government expects to establish an Ebola-free zone in Mindanao soon, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said.

Business Mirror of the Philippines reports Dr Reildrin Morales, officer in charge of BAI's Animal Health Division, saying that components of the antigen kits from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, may soon be obtained by the Philippines.

Dr Morales said: "CDC has indicated in a letter that we will already be given [components of the] antigen kits."

He disclosed that the establishment of an Ebola-free zone, specifically in General Santos City, is a requirement of the Singaporean government.

He added that, once the testing kits arrive, the government will begin the process of setting up the Ebola-free zone.

Testing hogs for Ebola Reston, BAI officials said, will increase the confidence of Singapore in the safety of pork products from General Santos City.

In an earlier interview, Mr Morales said: "The Singaporean government is keen on importing pork products from us. They are closely monitoring our progress in the establishment of the Ebola-free zone in General Santos."

BAI noted that Singapore is a lucrative market for pork products as consumption is 5,000 head a day.

In December 2008, the Department of Agriculture (DA) decided to hold the shipment of two 40-footer vans containing some 50,000 metric tons of pork products bound for Singapore as a 'precautionary measure'.

The Matutum Meat Packing Corp. (MMPC) in Polomolok, South Cotabato was set to make its inaugural export of pork and pork products to Singapore on the day the DA and the Department of Health confirmed the presence of the virus.

The DA noted that the Ebola-Reston virus that struck local hogs is entirely different from the three other Ebola sub-types, which are all potentially fatal to humans. Unlike the Zaire, Ivory Coast and Sudan strains, the Reston strain has not been found to be fatal or to have caused illnesses to humans in contact with the infected animals.

So far, only the MMPC was granted accreditation by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore to export pork products.

BAI, however, said Singapore continuously evaluates farms in Mindanao for accreditation.

According to Business Mirror, the Singaporean government was keen on importing pork from Mindanao, an area declared as foot-and-mouth disease-free by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

Meanwhile, Agriculture Undersecretary, Salvador Salacup, disclosed that the DA will ask for a budget of 700 million pesos (PHP) for the sector in 2011. The livestock sector was granted a budget of PHP450 million this year. The funds, he said, would be used mainly to control and eradicate diseases in the livestock population in the Philippines.

Source: Mindanao Close to Ebola-Free Status

(Edited by Marj Malubay - original submission Tuesday, 10 August 2010, 10:26 AM)

by jojo ocampo.  

In Los Baños town in Laguna province, the practice of growing ginger, corn, pepper and other crops in the upland areas of Mount Makiling has been blamed for soil erosion and flash floods during typhoons.

“Parang nagbuhuhos ng semento (Like cement being poured over),” Felino dela Torre said in describing boulders rolling downhill when Supertyphoon “Milenyo” struck four years ago.

A huge rock, the size of a cabinet, had crashed into De la Torre’s shanty and this has been so memorable to him that he has left the relic still jutting inside his home.

The Makiling forest reserve, covering 4,244 hectares of land, is under the jurisdiction of the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME), a unit of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

The center’s director, Jose Sargento, said he had ordered a field investigation into the matter.

Amelia Parchamento, another resident of Barangay Bambang at the foot of Makiling, has gotten used to evacuating every time news of a coming typhoon reaches her.

Her home clings to what was left of a concrete bridge. Portions of the bridge collapsed when Milenyo, Tropical Storm “Ondoy” and Typhoon “Pepeng” came last year, and still more when Typhoon “Basyang” hit early this month.

“How many more typhoons are we expecting to come this year?” Parchamento said.

Annual crops

Residents at the foot of Makiling believe that the flash floods are not only nature’s wrath but also brought about by human activities.

They say the mountain soil is eroded due to the “inappropriate” farming of annual crops, such as corn, pineapple, banana, pepper, and ginger. The crops are harvested seasonally and have shallow root systems that hardly hold the soil.

Trees and other perennial are suitable in slopes because they are deeply rooted to prevent erosion and flood, they say.

“After the crop harvests, the soil becomes idle. It is really forest trees that should be grown (there) instead,” Emiliano Leviste, municipal environment and natural resources officer, said in Filipino.

Santos Berces, who has tilled two hectares of rambutan and lanzones trees on Makiling for more than a decade, defended the practice of growing ginger.

“(Gingers) are rooted only to about six-inches deep. But what we do, we plant them in between the rambutan trees so they do not cause erosion,” he said in Filipino.

Domeng Obosa, president of the farmers’ group Samahan ng Magsasaka sa Paanan ng Bundok Makiling, also said planting ginger in the mountaintop should not be blamed for erosion.

“Naglalagay naman kami ng balabag gaya ng kakawate (We place buffers like madre de cacao trees to prevent erosion),” Obosa said. His group has 250 families as members.

Will power

But a source privy to the Makiling preservation, but who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak, doubted the practice, saying such crops need full sunlight, which was why farmers prefer to grow them in open areas.

“The planting of annual crops, such as ginger, loosens the soil in Mt. Makiling, because the roots are shallow,” he said.

Moreover, these crops are seasonal in nature, thus the tendency to uproot them on a seasonal basis, too.

The source said the practice of growing annual crops was introduced to the farmers under a program of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Research in 2006. This has become detrimental to the mountain, he added.

He expressed alarm that the farmers were practicing “kaingin” (slash and burn) agriculture, and firewood and charcoal making since the early 1990s, resulting in forest degradation.

“Perhaps what we need is a little political will. These farmers have no land titles, but the university could not just drive them away because they have been there and have grown crops for many years. There would also be political implications if you relocate them because they are voters (in local elections),” he said.(By Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon)

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20100809-285716/Upland-farming-in-Makiling-poses-danger

(Edited by Joeven Calasagsag - original submission Monday, 9 August 2010, 02:21 PM)

by jojo ocampo.  

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine coast guard was searching Sunday for a domestic cargo ship with 17 crewmen that disappeared after encountering big waves and reporting engine trouble.

Crewmen aboard the 498-ton SF Freighter radioed the ship's owner, Seaford Shipping, on Saturday to report the problems but shortly after all contact was lost, coast guard chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said.

The owner launched an initial search near the ship's last known location off the coast of Marinduque province and contacted the coast guard, Tamayo said.

A coast guard plane spotted a lone ship Sunday in waters off Marinduque, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Manila, but bad weather forced the plane to turn back before it could make an identification, he said. Another attempt would be made when the weather clears.

Passing ships and coastal communities have been told to be on the look out for the steel-hulled ship, which was en route to Manila from central Cebu province carrying a cargo of steel bars when it went missing.

Gusty wind and waves, meanwhile, pulled up the anchor of a cargo barge in Manila Bay late Saturday, causing the wayward vessel to ram and damage five unoccupied huts and eight fishing boats in a coastal village in suburban Navotas city, Tamayo said. No injuries were reported.

A tropical depression, which has enhanced monsoon rains and winds in northern and central regions, moved away from the country Sunday. Ships have been warned to expect rough seas.

Source: http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/world/article/597531--philippines-searches-for-missing-cargo-ship

(Edited by Joeven Calasagsag - original submission Monday, 9 August 2010, 01:43 PM)

by jojo ocampo.  

In his report to Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, Director Efren C. Nuestro of the DA’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said the law’s implementing rules and regulations, subject to the approval of the DA Secretary, was prepared by the DA Committee on Animal Welfare (DA-CAW), which conducted exhaustive consultations with stakeholders in several public hearings.

The committee is composed of representatives from six government agencies, six professional organizations or associations, and two animal societies.

He said the DA issued an Administrative Order (AO), particularly DA-AO No. 13, Series of 2010, on the “Revised Rules and Regulations on the Euthanasia of Animals.” It states that the person performing euthanasia should have the technical competence to administer it. And the preferred method shall always be by injection. Further, the AO states that euthanasia and slaughter shall always be done away from public view.

Nuestro said the killing of the animals shall be done through humane procedures at all times, using the most scientific methods available as may be determined and approved by the DA-CAW. Only those procedures approved by the committee shall be used in the killing of animals.

He said the DA-AO No. 13 was signed and approved by the majority of the DA-CAW members, including the Philippine Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

He said the DA-AO No. 13 recommends the preferential use of injectable barbiturates, but provides other options for the implementers at Local Government Units (LGUs) to dispose of impounded stray dogs. Barbiturates are regulated drugs, and thus are given only to competent authorities or personnel, Nuestro said.

Source: http://www.da.gov.ph/newindex2.php?pass=News_events/2010/aug/aug05_2010c.html

(Edited by Jose Rey Alo - original submission Friday, 6 August 2010, 03:11 PM)

by jojo ocampo.  

The Philippines may start exporting pork to Singapore before the end of the year as the government expects to establish an Ebola-free zone in Mindanao soon, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said.

Business Mirror of the Philippines reports Dr Reildrin Morales, officer in charge of BAI's Animal Health Division, saying that components of the antigen kits from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, may soon be obtained by the Philippines.

Dr Morales said: "CDC has indicated in a letter that we will already be given [components of the] antigen kits."
He disclosed that the establishment of an Ebola-free zone, specifically in General Santos City, is a requirement of the Singaporean government. He added that, once the testing kits arrive, the government will begin the process of setting up the Ebola-free zone.

Testing hogs for Ebola Reston, BAI officials said, will increase the confidence of Singapore in the safety of pork products from General Santos City. In an earlier interview, Mr Morales said: "The Singaporean government is keen on importing pork products from us. They are closely monitoring our progress in the establishment of the Ebola-free zone in General Santos." BAI noted that Singapore is a lucrative market for pork products as consumption is 5,000 head a day.
In December 2008, the Department of Agriculture (DA) decided to hold the shipment of two 40-footer vans containing some 50,000 metric tons of pork products bound for Singapore as a 'precautionary measure'. The Matutum Meat Packing Corp. (MMPC) in Polomolok, South Cotabato was set to make its inaugural export of pork and pork products to Singapore on the day the DA and the Department of Health confirmed the presence of the virus.
The DA noted that the Ebola-Reston virus that struck local hogs is entirely different from the three other Ebola sub-types, which are all potentially fatal to humans. Unlike the Zaire, Ivory Coast and Sudan strains, the Reston strain has not been found to be fatal or to have caused illnesses to humans in contact with the infected animals. So far, only the MMPC was granted accreditation by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore to export pork products. BAI, however, said Singapore continuously evaluates farms in Mindanao for accreditation. According to Business Mirror, the Singaporean government was keen on importing pork from Mindanao, an area declared as foot-and-mouth disease-free by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Meanwhile, Agriculture Undersecretary, Salvador Salacup, disclosed that the DA will ask for a budget of 700 million pesos (PHP) for the sector in 2011. The livestock sector was granted a budget of PHP450 million this year. The funds, he said, would be used mainly to control and eradicate diseases in the livestock population in the Philippines.

Source: http://meattradenewsdaily.co.uk/news/050810/philippines___pork_for_singapore__.aspx

(Edited by Jose Rey Alo - original submission Friday, 6 August 2010, 02:47 PM)

by jojo ocampo.  

MANILA, Philippines—Multinational confectionary giant Mars Inc. believes the Philippines could still revive its once lucrative cocoa industry to become among Asia’s supplier of cocoa beans—a main ingredient for chocolates.

Peter van Grinsven, cocoa sustainability field-research manager of Mars, said that growing cocoa plants is not an entirely new concept to Filipino farmers, who, for a period, had also delved not only in the production but also in the export of cocoa beans.

“Up until the mid-1980s, local production of cocoa beans was estimated at 50,000 metric tons, of which 27,000 tons were exported while the rest was consumed locally,” he says.

Grinsven says that cocoa beans were produced in huge plantations owned by private Philippine companies that have their own infrastructure, agronomists, nurseries, technicians, pest disease specialists and marketing network.

“But what happened in the Philippines was that with the land reform act, some cocoa farmers became small holder crops and local institutions weren’t ready to provide infrastructure, technical and market support for farmers,” he notes.

Thus, in a very short time, Philippine cocoa production had started to decline to 5,000 tons, all of which are consumed by chocolate makers in Manila.

Growing global demand

Meanwhile, on the regional front, there is a large and growing cocoa grinding industry in Asia but there are insufficient locally grown cocoa beans to feed it.

Combined, China, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia import about 220,000 metric tons of good quality fermented beans from West Africa where 70 percent of the world’s cocoa is currently produced.

According to Mars, this scenario presents a golden opportunity which the Philippines can tap, as it has the potential to produce at least 100,000 metric tons of cocoa, making it the potentially second-biggest farm export-earner, next to coconut.

Based in Virginia, US, Mars produces some of the world’s favorite and leading chocolate brands including M&M’s, Snickers and Mars. It operates more than 100 manufacturing facilities in over 65 countries.

“This is an exciting thing for the Philippines. Asia, in the last 15 years, has seen an enormous increase in cocoa processing firms who buy cocoa beans to make as chocolate, cocoa butter and powder,” Grinsven says.

According to Grinsven, global demand for cocoa has steadily increased over the last decade, and this trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future.

Add to that, he explains, world consumption of chocolate is increasing by 90,000 tons (90 million kilos annually for two reasons—the emergence of new consumers particularly China and India; and a gradual shift in consumption to dark chocolates from milk chocolates in traditional cocoa consuming countries such as United States and in Europe).

Dark chocolates have higher contents of cocoa, so more cocoa beans are needed to produce this kind of chocolate.

“It is also profitable since in the last four months, price has increased by $700. Currently, dry fermented cocoa bean costs $2,500 a ton in the global market,” Grinsven discloses.

Center of excellence

To jumpstart the revival of the local cocoa industry, Mars has launched last month the Mars Cocoa Development Center (MCDC) in Malagos, Davao.

Grinsven says the MCDC will serve as a “center of excellence for sustainable cocoa farming that seeks to demonstrate the positive aspects of cocoa cultivation and the suitability of cocoa for the Philippines.”

Together with non-profit group

ACDI/Voca, CocoaPhil and the Puentespina Farm in Davao, MCDC will validate and implement local and international “best practices” in all aspects of cocoa farming such as germplasm evaluation and breeding, farm rehabilitation methods and good agricultural practices, integrated pest management, and post-harvest practices and quality aspects of cocoa.

He explains that it is imperative to demonstrate to farmers, the government and donor institutions that the Philippines can indeed produce good quality cocoa in sustainable farming practices. Also, as in any other venture, farmers will invest in cocoa farming only after they are convinced that the rate of return on their investments is high enough.

Grinsven says they have decided to put up the center in Davao since the cocoa foundation is quite active in Mindanao, which has suitable conditions for growing cacao.

“In the Philippines, the cocoa industry can be very successful with the quality of the land, climate and the large [hectares] of coconut farms with nothing else on it,” he says.

“To restart the industry, Mars will bring the latest technology on cocoa cultivation to the Philippines; the expertise and experience we have, through the MCDC. What we need to find out is what will work best for a Filipino farmer in his own environment,” Grinsven explains.

He notes that it may take at least three years to get farmers to adopt new farm technologies.

Intercropping

“There is also an assured market for local cocoa beans because Mars will definitely buy from the Philippines at market value,” he adds. “We have a diverse portfolio of cocoa beans we want to use so we would be using different beans.”

As a start, Grinsven says farmers can intercrop coconut lands with cocoa. Currently, there are 3 million hectares of land planted to coconuts, of which, some 2.4 million hectares are monocropped lands.

A hectare of land planted to coconut can be planted with as much as 600 cocoa trees. Cocoa is a shade-tolerant crop and can thus be grown successfully with other trees such as durian and lanzones, aside from coconut.

He notes that if even just 10 percent of these monocropped lands are planted with cocoa, production may reach 200,000 tons, translating into as much as $500 million in export revenues.

More significantly, a huge portion of this amount will end up in rural communities where it will fuel the local economy, particularly in Mindanao provinces.

According to Mars, cocoa can soon potentially answer the Philippine rural population’s need for a cash crop—hopefully in the near future.

by Joeven Calasagsag.  

August 03, 2010

Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Administrator Oscar G. Garin has announced that free comprehensive seminars on the various aspects of the coconut industry from production, product usage, technologies and marketing will be made available to the public for free in connection with the celebration of the 9th Coconut Festival and 24th Coconut Week at the SM Megatrade B Hall 1 of Megamall in Mandaluyong City from August 12 to 15, 2010 with the theme : “NIYOG-YAMAN NG PINOY”

The Administrator said that a coconut forum on industry updates touching on investment, research and development and global trends with speakers from the academe, industry and local and international coconut organizations is scheduled after the opening ceremonies which will be graced by Secretary Proceso J. Alcala the event’s guest of honor and speaker.

The first Tree of Life Award will also be given to distinguished personalities from the industry, government and academe who have contributed their share in promoting the industry Garin said.

He added that experts from various sectors will tackle the following : Filtered Crude Coconut Oil for Power Generation; DOE 2010 – 2030 Biomass/Alternative Energy Program;Bio-ecological Engineering using Coir and Phyto-remediation Intervention; New Direction in the Processing of High Yield VCO, Coconut Concentrate and High Fiber Coconut Milk; Development of Packaging Technology for VCO;Strategic Marketing of Coconut Products; Organic Certifications for Coconut Products, Updates on Phil. National Standards of Coconut Products; VCO Industry Roadmap for 2010-2015; Research Updates on Fermentation Process of VCO as well as on Coconut Water as High Electrolyte Drink’; and Glycemic Index of Coconut Food Products among others.

New coco products from Coconut House such as coco yogurt and coco chill will be introduced while two books done by the Philippine Coconut Authority and the Philippine Council for Agriculture,Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) will be launched.

The Administrator said that the event is supported by media partner Manila Bulletin, Department of Agriculture – AMA, Primex Coco Products,Chemrez Technologies, San Miguel Corporation, CIIF Oil Mills Group, Pure Esence International. Inc., High Value Commercial Crops, Integrated Food Processing Machine and the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community among others. # # #(COCONUT MEDIA SERVICE)

by jojo ocampo.  

PHILIPPINES - San Miguel Corporation says it is close to selling a minority share in its food division, San Miguel Pure Foods Co.

San Miguel Corp., one of south-east Asia's biggest conglomerate, is getting closer to selling a strategic stake in unit San Miguel Pure Foods Co. to two prospective investors, its president said on Friday (23 July).

According to Philstar, the two bidders will "proceed to further due diligence prior to final negotiations" but San Miguel president, Ramon S. Ang, stopped short of disclosing who they are.

Earlier, reports said that among the interested investors were the Gokongweis' Universal Robina Corp., local pharmaceutical giant Unilab and US-based asset management firm, Carlyle.

San Miguel said it would keep a majority stake in San Miguel Purefoods as only a minority stake would be sold. The minority stake however will be "significant".

San Miguel's food unit is involved in the poultry and livestock operations, feeds and flour milling, dairy and coffee operations, franchise operations and animal feed manufacturing and distribution.

The company was formerly owned by conglomerate Ayala group before it was acquired by San Miguel in 2001 in line with its thrust to become Philippines' largest food company.

San Miguel Purefoods has a market capitalization of 57.5 billion pesos (US$1.23 billion), reports Philstar.

ThePoultrySite News Desk

by jojo ocampo.  

Broiler production in the Philippines could grow by 15 to 20 per cent on the back of continuous importation of grandparent and parent day-old chick (DOC) breeders, the Philippine Association of Broiler Integrators (Pabi) said.

"The continuous [entry of] grandparent and parent [DOC breeders] will ensure the increase in [broiler] production for the entire year," said Rita Imelda B. Palabyab, president of Pabi, on the sidelines of the recently concluded Investment Forum for Food Security in Asia and the Pacific, reports Business Mirror.

However, Ms Palabyab did not give estimates as to the number of grandparent and parent DOC breeders that have already been imported by the industry.

The Pabi chief, who is also vice president and general manager of the poultry division of San Miguel Foods Inc., noted that there is a glut in the supply of dressed chicken in the market today.

Ms Palabyab explained: "If you talk to the commercial sector today, [commercial raisers] will tell you that they are losing money. Typically, June is a weak month [so] there are lots of chicken in the market today."

She expects farm-gate prices to improve in two weeks. Earlier reports placed farm-gate prices at around P60 per kilogram.

Earlier, the United Broiler Raisers Association had projected that the industry could grow broiler production by 20 per cent to around 630 million birds.

Figures from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) showed that dressed chicken production in the Philippines grew by almost five per cent to 765,589 metric tons (MT) last year.

Despite this, the United States Department of Agriculture noted that the Philippines imported a total of 61,444 metric tons of chicken meat valued at US$35.14 million last year. In terms of volume, this is higher by 40.42 per cent over the level of importation in 2008.

BAS, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, noted that poultry production for 2009 accounted for 14.33 per cent of total agricultural output.

The poultry sub-sector grossed 144.3 billion pesos (PHP) at current prices in 2009. BAS said this is almost 10 per cent higher than the previous year's record, reports Business Mirror.

ThePoultrySite News Desk

by Joeven Calasagsag.  

July 23, 2010

Bio N is a microbial-based fertilizer that contains Azospirillum as its major component and soil and charcoal as its carrier. This was developed by Dr. Mercedes Umali-Garcia and Teofila S. J. Santos of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in 1985 to lessen the burden of our struggling farmers who are constantly suffering from the high cost of chemical fertilizers. This product which comes in powder form in a 200-gram packet is environmentally safe and is meant for seed inoculation, direct broadcasting, or used as a root dip when mixed with water. Bio N is also capable of supplying 50 % of the nitrogen requirement of rice, corn and other high value crops.

Bio N has been extensively tested in different varieties of rice and corn at BIOTECH demo sites and in various areas nationwide before its commercialization in 2002. Performance of Bio N based on numerous studies and experience of current users of the product, has shown that it could significantly increase production of rice and corn. On rice production, using Bio N alone can boost rice grain yield by an average of 21 percent over no fertilizer while replacement of 50 percent of the required chemical fertilizer with Bio N gives an average of 14 percent higher in rice yield than that of using chemical fertilizer alone. The product’s performance is also remarkable on corn with data confirming that when Bio N is used, corn yield increased by an average of 12 percent over chemical fertilizer and replacing 50 percent of chemical fertilizer with Bio N increased corn yield by an average of 15 percent over the use of the chemical fertilizer alone.

In addition to the increase in yield, by replacing half of the recommended chemical fertilizer with Bio N , rice farmers can save 45 percent while corn farmers can save 38 percent of the cost of recommended chemical fertilizer per hectare and still able to achieve optimal production. Bio N costs PhP 60.00 per packet and 5 to 6 packets of Bio N is enough to replace half the recommended 4 bags of chemical fertilizer per hectare of land planted to rice or corn that cost over PhP 1,000 per bag. Certainly, Bio N is a cheaper alternative to the continuous rising cost of chemical fertilizer and can help boost crop production at a much lower cost and thereby increase farmers’ income. Currently, there area 68 Bio N mixing plants to keep up with the growing demand of our farmers and also to reach out to our farmers nationwide. For further inquiries please call UPLB BIOTECH at (49) 536-1620.(Julieta A. Anarna and Rowena A. Dorado )

Source: BIO N: Response to the High Cost of Chemical Fertilizer

by Joeven Calasagsag.  

mb.com.ph, July 23, 2010, 2:04pm

Different farm animals will be the star of the show dubbed as the Malagos farm fair slated at the Malagos Garden Resort in Davao City on August 7 to 8.

“An animal fair like this is not usually done anywhere in the country but you are going to see this for the first time in Malagos right in Davao City,” says Dr. Bo Puentespina, a member of the family that owns the garden resort.

The Malagos farm fair was conceptualized as an occasion to sell the menagerie of farm animals that the Puentespina family grows. These include dairy goats, cows, sheep, cocks, horses, peacocks, pheasants, ostriches, fancy chickens, dogs and ornamental birds.

Puentesppina said that the focus of Davao, even the country’s tourism, is usually the sun and the sea. This will be another venue to push for another brand of tourism – the agritourism in the region as supported by the presence of the Philippine Airlines at the fair.

Farm fairs like the one set to be held in Malagos in August are regularly held in Europe and the United States but not in the Philippines. Puentespina said they are hoping to make the Malagos farm fair an annual event and make it another attraction for the city.

“City-bred children will have the chance to witness how dairy goats and cows are being milked during the fair. Puentespina, a veterinarian, said this could be an unforgettable experience for parents as well as their children who will visit the fair.

Puentespina said that this event is perhaps the only opportunity for people to see as many as 300 purebred dairy goats in one setting. An additional attraction would be the cows and the ostriches which will also be on display and for sale.

The Malagos Farm is usually closed to the public throughout the year but this will be the first time that they are opening the farmgates to Davaoeños and visitors from other areas.

“Farmers and animal growers can learn a lot just by seeing how Malagos Farm works,” he said. The Puentespina family is a strict observer of sustainable farm management so there is actually zero waste in the farm as everything is re-used, sold and recycled.

Grass from under the coconut and cacao are fed to the goats and cows and with their manure going to the biogas digester or to the vermicomposting bins to become fertilizer that goes back to the soil. Land use is thus maximized responsibly.

Source: Malagos farm fair set in Davao City

by jojo ocampo.  

Aren't there many malunggay plants everywhere already? Hmm... I just thought since we could pick it out by the side street at our place. Anyway...

Malunggay can also be made tea and it's really good for the skin and for digestion. ^^

by Joeven Calasagsag.  

balita-dot-ph, July 21, 2010 12:29 pm

MANILA, July 21 —Senator Loren Legarda pushed on Tuesday for the production, processing, marketing, and distribution of malunggay in all suitable areas of the country to maximize the benefits of the exceptionally nutritious and productive but underutilized tropical crop.

“I filed Senate Bill No. 1349 tasking the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, farmer’s groups, local government units, and the private sector, to formulate a five-year Framework for Development focusing on developing malunggay for food, medicinal, health, and commercial needs,” Sen. Legarda said.

“Malunggay is one of the most useful tropical trees. The relative ease with which it propagates through both sexual and asexual means and its low demand for soil nutrients and water after being planted makes its production and management easy,” Legarda added.

“Malunggay’s young leaves are edible and are commonly cooked and eaten like spinach or used to make soups and salads. They are an exceptionally good source of provitamin A, vitamins B, and C, minerals (in particular iron), and the sulphur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine,” the lady lawmaker also stressed.

She added the dry seeds can be ground to a powder and used for seasoning sauces. The roots from young plants can also be dried and ground for use as a hot seasoning base with a flavor similar to that of horseradish. The flowers can be eaten after being lightly blanched or raw as a tasty addition to salads.

“For industrial purposes, the oil content of de-hulled seed (kernel) of malunggay is approximately 42%. The oil is brilliant yellow. It is used as a lubricant for fine machinery such as timepieces because it has little tendency to deteriorate and become rancid and sticky,” Loren pointed out.

“Malunggay is also useful as a vegetable cooking oil. It is also known for its capacity to absorb and retain volatile substances and is therefore valuable in the perfume industry for stabilizing scents. The protein from the extracted malunggay oil is a natural polypeptide for sedimenting mineral particles and organics in the purification of drinking water, for cleaning vegetable oil, or for sedimenting fibers in the juice and beer industries,” Legarda explained.

“Malunggay when pressed can be used in the form of a foliar spray to accelerate the growth of young plants to be firmer, with larger fruit, and more resistant to pests and diseases.”

Loren also cited that at Biomasa, a Technical University based in Nicaragua, studies have been conducted using the seeds from malunggay for the final treatment in wastewater treatment units.

“To avoid eutrophication of rivers or lakes, the malunggay seeds can be used to coagulate algae and remove them by sedimentation. The algae recovered by sedimentation after drying and pulverization have a protein content of about 46 % and can be used as a protein supplement for cows, pigs, chickens and even shrimps thereby reducing the cost of feeding substantially. Up to 98 % of the algae can be removed by this treatment,” she added.

Legarda asserted that in the Philippines, aside from these benefits that can be derived from cultivating malunggay for agricultural and industrial purposes, studies have been made that bolster the use of malunggay for medicinal purposes.

“Malunggay leaves are good for headache, bleeding from a shallow cut, bacterial and fungal skin complaints, anti-inflammatory gastric ulcers and diarrhea, malnutrition. Malunggay pods are dewormers, good for treating liver and spleen problems, pain of the joints, and malnutrition. Likewise, malunggay seeds treat arthritis, rheumatism, gout, cramp, STD, boils and urinary problems, and is a relaxant for epilepsy,” the lady lawmaker pointed out.

Legarda said malunggay seed producers can amass a net income of approximately P218,000 to P521,000 per hectare a year at P20 per kilogram of seeds if the malunggay trees are planted 2×2 or 3×3 meters apart.

“Malunggay leaves producers can expect an estimated income of P1.43 million per hectare a year at P5 per kg. of leaves. Overall, malunggay cultivation for commercial use can generate an estimated 10,000 jobs per 3,000 hectares for Filipinos,” she added.

“At present, there is a Biotechnology Information and Organization Network (BIONet) for Malunggay in Laguna, Quezon, Negros Oriental, CARAGA, Tarlac, CAR, Region 3 and Ilocos Region.”

“We need to activate more malunggay nurseries and repositories all over the country. Senate Bill 1350 tasks the Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the municipal government concerned, to identify the broad areas suitable for the planting and propagation of malunggay. “Continuous efforts linking growers with markets through contract to buy arrangements should be pursued,” Loren also explained.

“Along the same spirit, I laud the use of malunggay for government’s feeding and nutrition programs. “Malunggay can be the solution to many of our country’s problems. Malunggay feeds, oils, fertilizes, heals, purifies and can generate income. Let’s take malunggay seriously, “Legarda stressed.[(PNA)
V3/rudyma ]

Source: Malunggay, the health crop that generates income for farmers