Thursday, May 11, 2017

Sen. Grace Poe Encourages “Agripreneurship”


The Philippines has a population that is dependent on the agricultural sector for its livelihood. 60% of the Philippine population lives in the rural areas where the prevalence of poverty is the highest. The only way to bring inclusive growth t many Filipinos is by boosting the agriculture industry.

Sen. Grace Poe noted that the average age of the Filipino farmer is 57 years old. “If no one would go farming anymore in the next generation, where shall we get our food and how about the food security in our country?,” Sen. Poe said during the 17th Mango and Bamboo Festival helt at San Carlos City, Pangasinan last April 25, 2017.

Sen. Poe said that we need to raise a new generation of farmers that will employ modern technology and boost crop yields. This also dovetails with her encouraging farmers to be “agripreneurs” themselves so as to earn more revenues for themselves.

The festival was a good way to promote farming and agricultural ingenuity and Sen. Poe cited San Carlos City as one of the primary  trading centers in bamboo products as well as one of the top producers of the “Kalabaw” mango variety.

In order to provide the necessary help to agriculture, Sen. Poe has filed the Corporative Farming bill (Senate Bill 341) which seeks to boost public-private partnerships to enhance productivity in the agriculture sector,  as well as the proposed Integrated Urban Agriculture Act that aims to promote food production in urban areas, and the Credit Assistance to Farmers and Fisherfolks which seeks to amend the Agricultural Land Reform Code by requiring the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to reserve 10 percent of its loan portfolio for agricultural projects.

The livelihood of the people in the rural areas will benefit if such assistance is provided particularly to small farmers and micro, small and medium-scale enterprises. 

Sen. Poe stated that “This, my citymates, is what I want for our country: that all shall benefit from the resources of the country, all are robust and healthy and everybody is capable to achieve his or her dream because the government is concerned and gives what’s due them”.

Only if the rural population have gainful employment and livelihood in the agricultural sector will there be tru inclusivity in the growth of the economy and will drastically reduce the incidence of poverty nationwide aside from giving national food security.





Thursday, May 11, 2017 , , ,

DA Launches Farm Assistance Program

Farm inputs being distributed during SAAD Launch


In fulfillment of his campaign promise of helping the farmers of Mindanao, President Rodrigo Duterte through the Department of Agriculture (DA) launched the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program.

This was launched by Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu and Agriculture Assistant Secretary Lerey Panes jointly launched in Buluan, Maguindanao.

In acknowledging that agricultural productivity goes hand in hand with peace and order especially in conflict torn areas where the ordinary farmers bear the brunt of violence and aggression, SAAD is the answer. This program seeks to address poverty and underdevelopment in rural areas.

Included in the SAAD is the funding for socio-economic interventions worth Php150 million will be made available to farmers in Mindanao. According to Governor Mangudadatu, this was also a way of President Duterte to give thanks for the overwhelming support given by the people of Mindanao during the 2016 elections wherein Duterte swamped his rivals.

The SAAD launch was also attended by DA Region 12 Director Milagros Casis and DA officials from the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). 

The event also included the turn-over of farm inputs and farmer beneficiaries from Maguindanao. 

“We are thankful to President Duterte and Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol for this good tiding,” Governor Mangudadatu said.

The SAAD program include technical support, educational interventions and socio-economic packages that will enable farmers to boost their production and crop yields.

Educational interventions include training in crop diversification so that farmers can supplement and increase their income by planting diverse crops aside from their traditional crops with proper environmental management practices.

The SAAD program is also being implemented in Apayao, Western Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, North Cotabato, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Sarangani.

In ethnic Maranaw, “saad” means equitable distribution”.  





Thursday, May 11, 2017 , , ,

Board of Investments Approves Coco Processing Plant


The Philippines is now the top coconut producer in the world. It has overtaken Indonesia in the production of coconuts. Coconut has a variety of uses ranging from food, cosmetics, industrial use and even pharmaceuticals.

While the Philippines continues t be the top coconut producer in the world for almost a century, the industry has been beset by problems ranging from ageing coconut trees to systemic industry uncertainty brought about by the Coco Levy issue for 4 decades now. This is also compounded by 2 years of Coco-Lisap infestation that has spread from Luzon all the way to the coconut plantations in Mindanao.

In order to optimize the coconut industry, efforts are being undertaken to enhance processing of coconut products within the country itself. This entails the creation and establishment of coconut milling and processing plants.

In this regard, the Board of Investments (BOI) approved a Php391 million coconut processing plant which is a project of the Ahya Coco Organic Food Manufacturing Corporation. 

“With growing demand for coconut products abroad, the country, as one the world’s largest coconut producers, hopes to address such demand,” Trade Undersecretary and BoI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo said.

The project is included in the exports category of the Investment Priorities Plan (IPP). This is in line with the continued leadership of the country in coconut exports worldwide. 

Ahya is engaged in the production of canned coconut milk with an annual output of 7,286 metric tons annually, canned coconut water that has an annual production of 6,970 metric tons, Virgin Coconut Milk that accounts for 485 metric tons per year and coconut flour with a yearly production of 1,061.  

Ahya’s main source of coconuts are from the coconut farmers of Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao del Sur. Production is geared towards exports to the US, Europe and China where demand has continued to increase.

The company sources its coconut requirements from the farmers in Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley Province and Davao del Sur. It will export 100 percent of its products to the United States, China and Europe.

Exports of coconut products amounted to $1.41 billion in 2016, a .4-percent increase from $1.4 billion in 2015, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.





Thursday, May 11, 2017 , ,

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Research by DLSU to Fight Cacao Pests

 

The Philippines has the optimum soil conditions and climate to cultivate cacao. The country exports and imports cacao and cacao products which includes chocolate confectionery containing cocoa in various forms and sizes, other food preparations containing cocoa in various forms and sizes, other than chocolate confectionery containing cocoa in various forms and sizes, and other than chocolate confectionery containing cocoa in tablets or pastilles.

Total imports of cocoa and cocoa products in 2012 amounted to 3,662 tons, with CIF value of almost US$ 12 million. On the other hand, total exports in 2012 is 512 tons, with a total FOB value of US$ 1.8 million.

Cacao is produced by small farms and then supplies these to processors and manufacturers. The Department of Agriculture (DA) with its Philippine Cacao Roadmap estimates that by 2020, the Philippines can produce 100,000 Metric Tons.

But the nascent cacao industry is beset by problems caused by diseases and insect infestations that accounts for 30 to 40 percent in losses. This was disclosed by the International Cocoa Organization.

De La Salle University (DLSU) is leading the research in addressing the concerns of the industry. DLSU will explore, identify, mass rear, and release biological control agents against cacao pod borer (CPB) and cacao mirid bug (CMB).

Cacao beans become malformed because CPB feeds on the cacao bean pulp that also results on the bens being undersized. The results of severe infestation includes small flat and stuck together beans, yellowing, uneven or premature ripening of pods.

Funding for the project is being provided by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development.

Traditional cures for infestation has been chemical pesticides but in this case biological controls will be utilized in arresting the infestations.

With biological control, natural predators to the insects will be introduced, the use of natural parasites to the pests as well as other natural bio-controls.


The project will cover Quezon, Bicol and Davao, regions which reported infestations. 




Wednesday, May 10, 2017 , ,

Thursday, April 20, 2017

PH Scientists tackle Aquatic Resources Sustainability


The Philippines being an archipelago makes fishing and aquaculture as one of its main industries. This does not only apply to coastal communities but also in lakeshore communities and inland waterways, fishponds in brackish water and other aquatic food sources. Thus, a big portion of the population rely on aquaculture and fisheries.

What is alarming is that the value being produced has been declining since 2013 wherein it posted revenues of Php244,551,675.07 for 2013; Php241,943,849.72 for 2014 and Php239,702,373.57 for 2015. 

This alarming decline was acknowledged by the relevant government agencies and that will explore various opportunities in the fisheries industry.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) conducted a meeting in Cebu that included 300 scientists, researchers, academics and government agency representatives that will be the precursor of a larger scientific confab on July 2017.

It will focus on the two-fold sustainable development goal of conservation and sustainability of the aquatic industry in the short and medium term.

This was composed of presentation of researches in fisheries and aquatic resources. Speakers include academics Rhodora Azanza and Gisela Concepcion who discussed seaweed culture and quality education for sustainable development.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was represented by Usec. Marlo Mendoza discussed clean water and sanitation is fishing while DENR biodiversity management bureau executive director Vincent Hilomen tackled climate change and fisheries.

The wholistic approach also included disaster resiliency since the aquatic industry is one of the most affected by disasters and climate change. This was presented by DOST Undersecretary for disaster risk reduction Renato Solidum. 

“At the end of the two-day event, there will be a consolidation of all discussions and recommendations that will be presented to policy and decision makers for further consideration in line with the national agenda of the government towards achieving the sustainable development goals,” the DOST statement concluded.





Thursday, April 20, 2017 , , , , ,

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Boosting the Philippine Salt Industry


During ancient times, salt was equivalent in its weight in gold. The Romans paid their legions in the form of salt, that is why we have the word “salary” today. Salt was not just a flavor enhancer, it was a means of preserving meat and fish before the age of refrigeration. It was also used to clean food since bacteria and viruses cannot live in a salt environment.

The means to get salt then was to mine it from underground. That was why the term “back to the salt mines” became synonymous with hard work. Now salt is not only mined, it is harvested in salt beds wherever there are geographical conditions that allow for it. Salt harvested from the sea also contains iodine that is not present in salt that is mined. Iodine is a much needed nutrient for the human body.

The Philippines, being an archipelago is abundant with the geographical means to harvest salt. In this endeavor, Rep. Josephine Sato asked the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to create research and development programs that will increase the income and productivity of salt farmers.


“It is time we put more science to salt production. We are rich in saltwater, but we need to get a clear and more accurate picture of how the government can help boost the industry. This is where research and development should come in,” said Rep. Sato who hails from Occidental Mindoro.

Occidental Mindoro accounts for 40% of the Philippines’ salt production. The DOST is active in assisting her province’s salt farmers but she also sought that salt production be increased in all other regions in the country. This can be done systematic assessment of the salt industry, identification of the proper technology and much needed technology transfer.

The DOST can assist in modernizing salt production with regards to new technology in crystallizing salt that will increase salt production and income by salt farmers.

Budget allocation can also be streamlined and enhanced so as to optimize productivity as well as legislation to promote and protect the industry.

“Being an island archipelago surrounded with abundant saltwater, our country has the potential of developing a dollar-earning industry through science and technology,” Rep. Sato said.

The government can be instrumental in offering production incentives and help the industry in marketing and distribution. 






Wednesday, April 19, 2017 , , ,

Sunday, April 9, 2017

PHL Pineapple Production Boosted


The Philippines is the 2nd largest pineapple producer in the world. Philippine pineapples are exported to China, Japan, South Korea, Middle East (Sharjah, Jabel Ali, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait), New Zealand, Hong Kong, Qatar, Canada, Guam, Russia and Germany. 

Currently the largest plantations are found in Mindanao run by two transnational corporations. These are the biggest contract growing plantations in the country. The non-contract growers are found in Cavite and Camarines Sur.

Del Monte Pacific Ltd. (DMPL) is one of the two transnational corporations with the biggest plantations and it is planning to increase production by one million tons in the next five years. The target for 2017 is 750,000 metric tons.

 “We continue to expand our production facility. We will do 750,000 metric tons (of pineapple),”  said DMPL chief operating officer Luis Alejandro during the  listing of the company’s dollar-denominated preferred shares on the Philippine Stock Exchange last April 7, 2017.

Initially, DMPL’s Cagayan de Oro plantation was at only 23,000 but has now increased to 450,000 metric tons. 

Pineapple production at DMPL’s Cagayan de Oro plantation has grown from 23,000 MT to 450,000 MT.

Aside from the Philippines, Del Monte intends to increase its production in the US, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

"There is a huge demand now for fresh pineapples in China prompting agribusiness companies based in Mindanao to expand their capacities," disclosed Francisco A. Ramos, the agriculture marketing assistance service director.

According to the Philippine Postharvest Industry, a huge percent of total production is lost due to damage sustained by crops during hauling, transporting, and rat infestation. Other major problems facing the Philippine pineapple industry are the high cost for sorting, unstable prices during trading, the seasonality of harvest, and the limited extent of village-level processing activities.

The plantations in Mindanao account for 90% of Philippine pineapple production.






Sunday, April 09, 2017 , ,

Seaweed Production to Increase


The Philippines used to be the number 1 producer of seaweed or carrageenan since the early 1990s. Seaweed farms ranged from Northern Luzon to Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. The sea between Cebu and Bohol had seaweed farms in the middle between the islands.

Seaweed production was hampered starting in the early 2000s when funding from financial institutions shrank. The Development Bank of the Philippines (DPB) with its Export Finance Unit used to finance seaweed farms and processors based on Letters of Credit. The dynamics of financing and economic policy took its toll when Indonesia overtook the Philippines in carrageenan output in 2008.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aims to increase output by 5% annually from 2017 to 2022.

“We want to bring back the country as the world’s leading producer of seaweeds such as Euchema and Kappaphycus,” National Seaweed coordinator Irma Ortiz disclosed.

Limited access to financing and credit, dependence on just supplying raw dried seaweed, stunted research and development that benefits seaweed production, lack of market promotion on seaweed products, poor aquaculture support infrastructures and mechanisms and climate resilient technology are cited for the decline in seaweed production. 

BFAR intends to meet these challenges via a 3 point program.

1. Training for seaweed farmers
2. Climate resilient species propagation
3. Training in entrepreneurship for farmers with the aim of being Export Champions

Carrageenan has also been developed into organic fertilizers for rice fields. Now, carrageenan are planned to be used for animal feeds.

This will boost the demand for seaweeds products making the sector more productive and adding to the income of the farmers.

The seaweeds for animal feed come from Pangasinan, La Union and Ilocos Norte. The by products are already being used in the United States and Canada.

Last year, the country’s seaweed production slid 10.3 percent to 1.4 million MT due to the unavailability of planting materials of Cottonii variety, occurrence of disease, decreasing price from traders and high cost of planting materials.

As with regards to the environment, seaweeds contribute to carbon dioxide capture and oxygen generation. The presence of abundant seaweeds reduces organisms that infest other marine life.

Seaweeds are used as extenders, suspenders in beverages and is also utilized for bio-medical requirements





Sunday, April 09, 2017 , ,

Climate Change Resilient Hybrid Rice


The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Annually, an average of 20 tropical cyclones affect the country making floods and landslides a yearly event. Owing to its geography, the most productive areas are of course the plains that is also flood plains that floods exacerbate due to the deforested mountains surrounding them.

Its agricultural sector is the worst hit by these climate related phenomena such as severe floods and periods of drought. Rice production is thus one of the hard hit sectors in agriculture. 

The traditional varieties of rice planted can no longer cope with the change in climactic and environmental conditions and the losses suffered by the farmers themselves only contributes to their economic distress. 

Current rice varieties suffer due to lack of irrigation or floods that reduce rice ready for harvest reduced to black grains. By then it is already too late. The farmers endure losses and national rice production, rice being a staple in the Philippines critically affected. This result in importation of rice that also affects the balance of payments of the country notwithstanding food security for the entire population. 

Scientific and technological advances call for a rice variety that is resilient to these factors. Taipan Brand Farm Inc. recently launched PAC 801, a hybrid rice seed from Advanta Seed International (ASI), in several provinces across the country.  This is part of TBFI and ASI’s commitment to providing high quality agricultural seeds to the Philippines.

These hybrid rice varieties were distributed in in Luzon, Occidental Mindoro, Bicol, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela, Pangasinan, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, Leyte and Iloilo, Lanao del Norte, Agusan del Sur and North Cotabato.

TBFI disclosed the advantages of the hybrid rice variety PAC 801 Hybrid Rice. These are:

1. Adaptable to wet and dry seasons. The potential of 220 cavans per hectare even through all weather conditions.
2. Longer and slender grains adding to quality

These went along with knowledge dissemination on seedling care, water management, pest and infestation management and even harvesting techniques.





Sunday, April 09, 2017 , , ,

Saturday, April 8, 2017

Food Lane Project in Metro Manila


The traffic situation in Metro Manila has gone from bad to worse. Billions of pesos are lost because of traffic in terms of lost man – hours at work, fuel wastage and reduced ability to transfer goods and service. 

The economic effect also include the transport of perishable agricultural and aquacultural goods. The spoilage of these products are due to increased transport time as a result of traffic.

In order to address this problem, a memorandum of agreement has been signed by the Department of Agriculture (DA), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)  establishing food lanes for carriers of these products in Metro Manila.

These food lanes will be located along designated thoroughfares, streets and highways in Metro Manila.

 According to Department of Agriculture Secretary  Emmanuel Pinol, these designated food lanes aims to ensure efficient delivery of agri-fishery commodities, reduce post-harvest losses and transportation costs through eliminating additional fees and unnecessary checkpoints.

“The project is in line with President Duterte’s campaign against corruption and kotong cops by ensuring the elimination of additional fees and checkpoints which actually add to the cost carried by farmers and fisherfolk,” Secretary Piñol disclosed.

The memorandum of agreement among the different government agencies will accredit transport firms, individuals and companies that transport farm and fishery products to enable them to use the food lanes and will be exempted from the currently implemented truck ban.

The Bureau of Animal Industry will register carriers and transports of livestock, poultry and meat products as a requirement for food lane accreditation.

Current data cited that the project will decrease post-harvest losses and other informal transport costs.

There is a need to institutionalize distribution of goods from production sites to the markets in the National Capital Region and adjacent regions.  

The DILG will work with local government units so as the food lane project be given proper cooperation between the national and local governments.

The agri and aqua products covered by the project include fresh fruits and vegetables, livestock and poultry and by-products, eggs, fresh and frozen meat, fish and marine products, processed food products, feeds, fertilizers, seeds among others.





Saturday, April 08, 2017 , , ,

Kalinga Coffee Industry gets Boost from the World Bank



The Philippine Coffee industry started in 1740 when the Spanish colonists planted coffee beans from Mexico. The first coffee plantations were located in Lipa, Batangas. The coffee plants were then introduced in other adjacent areas such as Cavite.

By then, the Philippines was the 4th largest coffee producer in the world. When coffee rust infested the plantations in Brazil and Africa, between 1886 to 1888, the Philippines was the only source of coffee in the entire world. Lipa, Batangas was then the coffee capital of the Philippines.

But the coffee rust infestation reached the country by 1891 and devastated the huge plantations and caused the coffee industry to collapse since coffee farmers resorted to planting new crops. 

It was only in the 1950s that coffee plantations started to recover when Americans introduced new strains of coffee that was resistant to pests and coffee rust. But by then, the Philippines, once ranked at No. 4 has now slipped to No. 110 in worldwide coffee production.

Coffee has been diversified into other regions in the country and is no longer concentrated in the Southern Tagalog Region. One of these regions that plant coffee is the Northern Luzon province of Kalinga.

With the aim of assisting and boosting the coffee industry in the province, the World Bank (WB) has identified five coffee cooperatives that will be the recipient of Php14.8 million in financial assistance.

The five cooperatives are the Dupligan Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Tanudan Savings and Lending Coop, Mananig Multi-Purpose Coop, Gawidan Malin-awa Marketing Coop, and Nambucayan Agricultural Cooperative.

The P14.8-million project cost was approved by the Kalinga Coffee Cluster (KCC) as sub-project under the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP)’s enterprise development component that covers production, pre-processing and consolidation of green coffee beans and unroasted coffee.

This is also done in cooperation and coordination with the national government, provincial government that also contributed into providing the funds for the project. 





Saturday, April 08, 2017 , ,

Monday, April 3, 2017

Land Conversion Leads to Rural Poverty


The Philippines is reliant on its agricultural sector even if it has a vibrant BPO industry and Services sector. The Agricultural sector accounts for 11% of the country’s GDP and employs 30% of the workforce.

The country is the No. 8 producer of rice in the world, the top coconut producer in the world, the No. 1 pineapple producer and one of the largest sugar producers in the world.

But the reality is that the Philippines is the No. 1 importer of rice globally. 60% of its population lives in the rural areas where agriculture is the main industry. Also, the rural areas account for60% of national poverty incidence.

One of the reasons for shrinking agricultural productivity and its inability to generate jobs in the rural sector is conversion of agricultural lands to other uses. This is brought about by population pressure for more residential areas but also a skewed economic policy that works to the detriment of the agricultural sector.

According to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), between 1988, when the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL) took effect, and 2016, a total of 97,592.5 hectares of agricultural land were approved for conversion to nonagricultural purposes. This is comparable to the combined size of the National Capital Region (NCR) and Metro Cebu.

There are also pending applications for further land conversions. It should be noted that the CARL has failed to alleviate the plight of farmers. The law has a poor support structure to the farmer beneficiaries of the law so that in order to be able to plant their crops, the farmers would then get financing with their land as collateral for the farm inputs. But the economies of scale militated towards the farmers losing money I the transaction and their lands will be forfeited by the lending institutions. 

This led to the lending institutions being awash with real estate assets but the rules of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has strict liquidity level requirements for these institutions. In order to meet those requirements, the institutions had to liquidate the assets and a big portion of these lands were then converted for other uses.

The DAR is now contemplating a two-year ban on land conversions. This will arrest the shrinking of lands devoted to agriculture and together with a comprehensive agricultural policy from the Department of Agriculture, it is hope that the agricultural industry will be revived and will be able to be competitive. This will result in the “inclusion” of the rural poor I the economic development of the country.

(To be continued…) 





Monday, April 03, 2017 , ,

Friday, March 31, 2017

More than 100 thousand coconut trees infested



The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) disclosed that more than 100,000 coconut trees are infested by the “cocolisap” in Zamboanga.

At least 100,000 coconut trees here had been infested with “cocolisap” as farmers struggle to secure chemicals to fight it, according to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

Farmers depended on the rains to retard the onslaught of the pests but summer is already here and the  problem is expected to worsen as evidenced by the leaves of coconut trees turning to yellow and then brown.

The PCA in the locality is acting on the problem but infestation has already affected 112,117 coconut trees. This represents 51 villages out of 98 that are already affected.

A state of calamity needs to be declared said Joselino Mirabuena, a PCA agriculturist. They are now limited to disseminating information and recommending that pruning be done by the coconut farmers.

Systematic application of pesticides are the only known solution to combat the infestation. The downside is the cost.  A sachet of the pesticide, which can be used on five coconut trees, costs P280. For the 112,117 infected trees, at least P6.3 million worth of pesticide is needed. Currently, the PCA has no funds set for the acquisition of pesticides.

Another solution is offered by City Agriculturist Diosdado Palacat “We have made a local concoction, from vegetable oil and liquid detergent,” he said. “All you need is power spraying, long sturdy bamboo tubes and farmers who can climb coconut trees,” Palacat added.

The Philippines has been experiencing the “cocolisap” infestation since the year 2014 and has spread to other areas of the country.

The Philippines is the leading copra producer in the world and has already overtaken Indonesia in that category.

This compounds the problem of the coconut industry since the average age of the coconuts have exceeded 20 years old. The planned replacement planting has fallen short of target and a long term crisis is being forecasted if these problems go unchecked.





Friday, March 31, 2017 , ,

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Northern and Eastern Samar farmers severely affected by crop infestation


The Eastern Visayas office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) disclosed that at least 4,000 farmers are experiencing losses due to pest attacks on their crops. 

Nine towns in Northern Samar and seven in Eastern Samar are affected by the infestation.

According to the DA report, bacterial leaf blight and brown plant hoppers have infested 10,291 hectares of rice farms.

The DA according to U-Nichols Manalo, the regional DA head has already offered help to the farmers by sending teams to deal with the infestation.

The teams advised that initial response be that palays that are unaffected be harvested immediately and the ricefields be drained of water.

The infestation has already costed at least 10,57 metric tons of palay that was planted on 3,935 hectares of farmlands. The farmers numbering 3,607 from the towns of San Julian, Sulat, Taft, Dolores, Arteche, Oras and Jipadpad of Eastern Samar were the worst hit by the infestation. The farms of Palapag, Las Navas, Victoria, Allen, Lavezares, Rosario, San Jose and even the provincial capital of Catarman in Northern Samar were also severely affected by the blight.

Some 375 farmers that planted palay to 309 hectares of land saw 234 metric tons of palay destroyed by the infestation.

Farms in the Samar provinces are ravaged by these infestations is due to use of nitrogenous fertilizers, high humidity, indiscriminate use of pesticides that causes ecological imbalance. The pesticides kill even the natural predators that kill the pests.

Northern Samar has 34,988 hectares of land while Eastern Samar has 26,737 hecatres devoted to rice farming.





Tuesday, March 28, 2017 , , ,

Monday, March 27, 2017

Quandary of the PH Sugar Industry


Agriculture PH reported in February this year that the long drawn out issue about High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) importation that is highly damaging to the local sugar industry has been addressed by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA). This was a result of pressure exerted by farmers and sugar industry associations.

The issue stemmed from the importation and use of HFCS in the softdrinks industry. The backdrop of farmers and sugar industry stakeholders having losses worth Php10. Billion annually since 2011 prompted the action. The SRA issued SO 3 that called for the implementation of guidelines in regulating the importation of HFCS.

In a sudden turnabout, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol ordered SO 3 deferred since the SRA did not consult stakeholders, such as softdrinks manufacturers prior to its issuance of SO 3. 

“There’s a problem with SO 3 of the SRA because it regulates the importation of HFCS, which Coca-Cola uses in producing its soft drinks. Now, Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola appealed to me, saying  they were not properly consulted,” the DA Secretary said.

 It was added that this will also affect the country's ties with China since HFCS were imported from China.

But it is not only with regards to its industry opponents that HFCS is the subject of recent controversy, another dimension is about its effects to health.

HFCS causes the following: 

1. Weight Gain – A Princeton University study discovered that HFCS causes more weight gain than use of refined sugar
2. Cancer – American Association for Cancer Research found that fructose in HFCS promotes cancer growth specifically pancreatic cancer.
3. Fatty Liver and Liver Stress – Fructose causes fat accumulation in the liver. Fructose also overwhelms the liver’s processing capacity. 
4. Increased Cholesterol Levels

Aside from an ambiguous agricultural industry policy that is detrimental to the local sugar industry, the health issue is also a significant and crucial factor to be considered.

Given such, the importation and use of HFCS comes with too high a cost for the country.





Monday, March 27, 2017 ,

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Dagupan City to be an Aquaculture Zone


Dagupan City, known as the bangus capital in Northern Luzon is now being considered as an aquaculture zone by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

PEZA officials led by Emmanuel Lopez discussed the hosting of an aquaculture zone by the city with Dagupan City officials. 

Dagupan City known for its Bonuan Bangus may enter into packaging and branding the bangus as Dagupan’s Best.

This is but one step in strengthening the aquaculture industry of the city and synergizing the other strengths of Dagupan that includes its current demographic sweet spot in human resources that is backed up by its reputation as a center of education in Northern Luzon owing to the 3 universities, several colleges and other educational institutions in its premises.

He said strengthening the city’s aquaculture industry was a step in the right direction.

This will enable Dagupan City to be technically prepared to meet the demands of the future owing to economic, technological and social dynamics that are ever changing. The technical skills improvement required will be provided by the educational institutions.

This is complemented by the Comprehensive Land Use Plan CLUP of the city that was developed and crafted by the city administration led by Mayor Belen Fernandez. The CLUP is just awaiting approval by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

A CLUP guide the city in maximizing its land utilization by assigning areas that will complement each other with regards to human settlement, economic development, disaster risk reduction and management, utilization of natural resources and general economic improvement.

This also addresses on how to optimize the human resources of the city not only for the present but also for the future.  “Sooner or later, artificial intelligence will replace the traditional call centers and we need to be ready for it,” Lopez discloed.

 At the end of the day, what Dagupan needs is a system that works to be a potential economic zone, Lopez said. 





Wednesday, March 15, 2017 ,

Friday, March 10, 2017

Conference for Small and Family Farmers


The 1st National Small & Family Farmers; New & Beginning Farmers Conference will be held on March 20-21, 2017 at SEARCA at UPLB Laguna. This is for all small farmers and farms that are family run.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) the average small scale farms have an average size of 1.29 hectares. Even so, of all the 5.56 million farms 38% are half a hectare or less in size. 

Given this backdrop and also according to the PSA, 60% of the Philippine population resides in the rural areas and thus have agriculture as the main industry for their livelihood, the economic upliftment of the country is now dependent of how the agricultural sector contributes to the national economy.

This serves as the impetus in having a comprehensive developmental plan for the agricultural sector with emphasis on small and family farms of the above mentioned scale. 

Thus, the The 1st National Small & Family Farmers; New & Beginning Farmers Conference, brings together for the first time stakeholders of this very important yet often neglected segment of our agricultural industry. 

Historically, agriculture or farming started out even in pre-historic times wherein the pressure of population gave the necessity of having farms together with the hunter-gatherer segments of a tribe and even a family so as to sustain its food supply.

This changed the usual nomadic existence to a more stable gathering of people for common security and food supply sustainability. Early farms were family owned and run farms. Owing to the size of the family, they can only manage efficiently a relatively small piece of land for their food needs. This form of subsistence farming still continues to this day in the Philippines.

The current small and family farms are run not only for family subsistence but also in integration with a modern economic system and thus also in the context of a modern social and cultural system that integrates domicile, recreation and even education.   

The objective of this conference is promote the creation of systems of farming capable of maintaining their productivity and usefulness to the community. The central theme of this conference is how to mobilize our small and family farmers; new and beginning farmers for food security, sustainable tourism and rural development.

This conference is organized by a network of family farmers advocating promotion of family farming.

The conference aims to bring together a diversity of stakeholders primarily from the grassroots farming community together with professionals and leaders from academia, non-governmental organizations, governmental agencies and policy makers, whose goals and activities support the sustainability of small & family farmers and encouragement of new & beginning farmers. The conference aims to strengthen collaborations and partnerships among stakeholders, and will provide an opportunity to share new ideas in research, extension, and outreach that aim to build resilient farming systems and the quality of life within communities. 

The conference will have plenary sessions, breakout sessions, poster, exhibits and success stories presentation. Pamiliyang Magsasaka Nights

For online registration, please follow this link : http://www.smallandfamilyfarmersconference.com/online-registration






Friday, March 10, 2017 , , , , ,
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