Agriculture.ph Blog

Poverty and lack of education should not hinder a man’s quest for success.

This was proven by 48-year old corn farmer Edilberto “Alou” Bitacura from Zamboanga Peninsula who bagged the Most Outstanding Corn Farmer award during the 2008 Gawad Saka of the Department of Agriculture.

Having attained only a secondary level of education, Alou learned to till the land at the age 17. When kids his age were hanging around with their friends as what normal teenagers do, he was busy tending their land, helping his farmer-parents with their daily farm chores.

“Sa kanila ako natutong magsaka,” he said referring to his parents who have been planting corn for more than six decades.

“Sa simula, mais lang talaga ang itinanim ko. Kasi, iyon ang nakagisnan ko sa kanila,” he added. Throughout his farming life, Alou has been planting traditional corn varieties.

It was not until 2005, when he embarked on planting hybrid corn. While a new technology for him, he did not hesitate to try it.

And it paid well.

From an average of 4.5 tons per hectare, he was able to raise his yield to 10.5 tons/ha in the first cropping of 2007 then to 11.2 tons/ha in the 2nd cropping.

Alou did not limit himself to planting corn. He embarked on other agri projects not only to maximize his five-hectare land area but more so to earn income on a regular basis as well.

Nowadays, his farm is a paradise for corn and rice production intercropped with cutflowers, vegetables and calamansi. He has also established a piggery, poultry and other livestock projects within his farm for additional income. From all of these, he is grossing more than P1.5 million annually.

With increased earnings, he and wife Jorgie were able to purchase farm equipment such as thresher, sheller, and hand tractor. They were also able to send their five children to school and build their dream house.

For a man who does not say much, quiet and unassuming Alou has a lot to boast about. For one, he now belongs to the distinguished list of agricultural achievers of the country who have continued to contribute to the country’s economy through advancement in the field of agriculture.

His passion to uplift not only his personal economic status, but those of his fellow farmers as well, has led to numerous innovations that in turn established a more progressive corn-producing community. – Adora D. Rodriguez

Source: www.philstar.com

Scientists in Bukidnon recently discovered that crop wastes from cabbage, cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables mixed with the soil can effectively control soil-borne diseases such as bacterial wilt and root knot, which affect potato plants.

According to the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), the approach of using crop wastes from crucifers – plants with four-petaled flowers and long, narrow seed pods – is anchored on the concept of biofumigation.

“Biofumigation is a process by which soil-borne pests and pathogens are suppressed by naturally-occurring biocidal compounds called isothiocyanates,” PCARRD said, adding that the ITCs “are released into the soil when the tissues of crucifers such as brocolli, radish, cauliflower, (and) cabbage” decompose.

PCARRD said bacterial wilt caused by soil bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum and root knot caused by nematodes are “major constraints” in potato production.

“In Benguet, Bukidnon and Davao del Sur, bacterial wilt infection can reach up to 90 percent, while root knot accounts for 25 to 50 percent yield loss in many crops, including potato,” PCCARD said.

Following a PCARRD survey, which found that 60 to 80 percent of crucifer stems and leaves are left in the field after harvest in Bukidnon, Abragan’s team sought to evaluate the potential of these crop wastes as biofumigants against bacterial wilt and root knot.

They gathered and shredded the leaves, stems and roots of crucifers left over from the previous harvest, then mixed the shredded plants into the soil at a ratio of five kilos per square meter.

Abragan’s team found out that when a mix of different crucifers is incorporated into the soil, the incidence of bacterial wilt could be as low as 21 percent and the potato crop yield as high as 11 tons per hectare.

The incidence of bacterial wilt in untreated soil could be as high as 58 percent, and potato crop yield as low as six tons per hectare.

The results of farm trials in Lantapan, Bukidnon showed the use of mixed crucifers as biofumigants resulted in yields of eight to 11 tons per hectare, a net income between P198,000 and P286,000 and a return on investment (ROI) of 133 to 193 percent.

Without biofumigation, Abragan’s team found that the yield was at 6.67 tons per hectare, net income at P166,750 and the ROI was at only 114 percent. – Dulce Arguelles-Sanchez

Source: www.philstar.com

The National Land Use Committee (NLUC), chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), will promote idle land taxation as a long-term measure to address food self-sufficiency in rice.

The imposition of idle land tax is mandated in the Local Government Code (LGC) and Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA), enabling Local Government Units (LGUs) to push landowners to put their agricultural lands to productive use.

The agreement was reached upon clarification that there is no inconsistency between the two laws with regard to idle land taxation. The LGC considers idle land tax as a revenue-raising measure while the AFMA treats it as a form of a penalty for agricultural inactivity.

In both laws, the idle land tax is collected primarily by the municipal treasurer. However, the municipality does not retain the proceeds as these accrue to the general fund of the province, in the case of the LGC-mandated idle land tax, and to the national treasury, in the case of AFMA.

To encourage the municipality to collect the said tax, the NLUC also agreed to push for the amendment of Section 273 of the LGC and Rule 11.3 of the AFMA’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR) to provide for municipal share from the proceeds of idle land tax.

The NLUC will also advise the Leagues of Provinces and Municipalities to bilaterally discuss possible tax sharing schemes as an interim measure.

Since April this year, the NLUC has been discussing long-term policy measures that could increase rice production. Foremost among these is the measure initiated by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to declare all rice lands as protected areas, which has been accomplished with the President¢s issuance of Administrative Orders 226 and 226-A last May and July, respectively.

Another long-term solution identified was monitoring the LGUs¢ reclassification of agricultural lands. Land reclassification is the first step towards land use conversion, which is a deterrent to increased rice production.

An interagency technical working group (TWG) headed by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) will review the current agricultural land reclassification process, determine gaps, and recommend an effective monitoring and evaluation system for land reclassification.

Chaired by Deputy Director-General Augusto B. Santos, the NLUC is an interagency committee composed of NEDA, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), DA, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC). Recognizing the need for local inputs to proposed policy measures, the NLUC has recently been inviting the Leagues of Provinces, Cities and Municipalities in its regular meetings.

Source: www.mb.com.ph

BANANA producers in Mindanao and elsewhere in the country should expand plantation areas to take advantage of the supply gap in Japan reportedly triggered by the so-called “Banana Morning Diet” there, a lawmaker from a banana-producing province in the southern Philippines urged.

North Cotabato Representative Emmylou Tali¤o-Mendoza said the growing popularity of the diet over the past six months has sent bananas flying of supermarket racks in Japan faster than they could be replenished.

“The Banana Morning Diet has become fashionable in Japan on account of strong endorsements by celebrities there who have attributed their sudden weight loss to the regimen,” she said in a statement last week.

Conceptualized by a pharmacist in Osaka, the regimen reportedly starts with a banana (or as many as desired) with a glass of room temperature water for breakfast and anything for lunch and dinner.

However, desserts are disallowed after meals, while a mid-afternoon snack is fine. One must have dinner by 8 p.m. and go to bed before midnight.

Mendoza said that more than half of annual Philippine banana exports are bought by Japan, which in 2007 imported 970,000 metric tons coming mostly from the country and partly from Taiwan.

Most of the country’s bananas are produced in Mindanao, where the Davao Region accounts for 42.49 percent or a volume of 3.18 million metric tons in 2007 for all varieties, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics’ (BAS) Major Crops Statistics of the Philippines 2002 to 2007 said.

North Cotabato produced last year 579,274 MT of bananas out of Central Mindanao region’s 935,565 MT total production volume, the same report added.

One of the key banana producers in North Cotabato is the Standard Philippines Fruit Corp. (Stanfilco), a subsidiary of Dole Philippines Inc.

In pushing for banana production expansion, she said that under the Japan Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa), Philippine bananas would gain more access to the Japanese market.

She noted that Japan “agreed to eliminate import duties on small bananas over 10 years” under the agreement.

Mendoza added that bilateral trade agreement also provides tariff reduction for other kinds of bananas, offering an advantage to Philippine exporters.

She believed that the Philippines could still substantially grow banana exports by enlarging market share in Japan and other parts of the world.

“We are definitely counting on growing banana exports to provide increased employment and livelihood opportunities moving forward, not just in [North] Cotabato but in other Mindanao provinces as well,” Mendoza said.

After Ecuador, the Philippines is now the world’s second biggest banana exporter, with a global market share of 16 percent.

Last year, the country shipped out 1.905 million metric tons of bananas worth $440 million, or P18.1 billion based on the $1:P41.14 exchange rate at the end of 2007, Mendoza reported.

However, Mendoza said that the Philippines’ 2007 banana export volume was only 40 percent of the 4.65 million metric tons shipped out by Ecuador that year.

Ecuador cornered 34 percent of the global banana export market in 2007, she noted.

Source: www.sunstar.com.ph

Agriculture experts have recently released some 11,000 spider mites in 12 pilot areas for organic strawberry farming to combat the usual crown mites which affect strawberry fruits, said Benguet provincial governor Nestor Fongwan Monday. He said the biological control of the usual pest which affect strawberry fruits was jointly researched by the Benguet State University (BSU) and the Washington State University (WSU).

“We want all our farmers to succeed in organic farming so that they shall no longer be using any chemical pesticide or fertilizer. In this way, we can further improve our competitiveness in the world market,” said Fongwan. As explained by the experts, the spider with scientific name ” Neoseiolus congispinosus” act as a predator to the crown mites.

The spider had been noted to be indigenous in Benguet farms and orchards and had proven helpful in controlling pests.

Source: balita.ph

A recent study done by the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) found cashew nut extract as an alternative water softener. Researchers from the FPRDI, an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology, found that liquid from cashew nut shell or CNSL can be converted into a biopolymer resin to soften the water fed into boilers in different industries. “CNSL is a viscous dark liquid found in the thin honeycomb structure between the softer outer skin of the nut and the harder inner shell. The biopolymer resin developed from this liquid can be an affordable substitute to imported chemical water softeners,” the DOST said.

Water softening is an important process because the hardness of water in different applications is reduced during this process. When water is hard, it can clog pipes, damage boilers, heat exchangers and many other devices.  It has also damaging effects on household machinery such as laundry machines. “Results of the FPRDI study showed that CNSL biopolymer resin is as effective as commercial synthetic resin,” the DOST said.

Moreover, the biopolymer resin can be washed with a slightly acidic solution and reused for boiler water treatment, it said. “It is a natural resource that could help industries reduce their energy and maintenance cost. The material is environment-friendly, as it helps reduce the accumulation of cashew nut shells normally regarded as waste,” the DOST said. Water has many impurities in the form of minerals or salts, acids, organic matter, oil, grease, and others. These cause sludge or deposits, scales, corrosion, priming, foaming, and make boiler metal brittle.

Removing these impurities is necessary especially to manufacturing industries. When impurities precipitate on hot boiler tubes, scales and deposits form and these insulate boiler tubes requiring more fuel to generate the same amount of steam.
Lime-scale deposits build up and block pipes and thus lower the efficiency of boilers and tanks. They reduce the efficiency of heat exchangers and other equipment and raise energy use.

Source: philstar.com

When I went to Thailand, I noticed there were so many fruit carts around the city and provinces. This is one business idea that can be adopted in the Philippines to make more diversity to fruit traders and give more employment. This is also a healthy business idea because you are selling fresh fruits that can be eaten right away without slicing them. You just only need to customize the fruit cart.

Fruit Cart in Phuket, Thailand

Davao City — The public should know that the Philippines is number 1 in the world in terms of banana chips business. It is a good business for we have no competition, said Mindanao Business Council (MBC) vice chair Romy Serra.

Gracing the Minsupala press conference at Mandaya hotel anchored by Ben Diansay, Serra said Southern Mindanao is expected to have an edge in Cardaba exports because it has the largest Cardaba area in Mindanao.

Davao region contributes about 60 percent of the total share of Mindanao which amounts to about 70% of the total 320,000 hectares planted with the commodity in the entire country.

MBC is working on a fund facility for the upgrading of Cardaba farms in Mindanao and be able to financially help farmers in Mindanao.

We are hoping to generate more jobs, at least 10,000 employment opportunities on the project for the next two years, he said.

Farmer groups are also bent on winning the export and local markets of Cardaba while other members of some cooperatives are now expanding production area to meet the growing demand of said commodity.

Cardaba is being exported in major markets in Japan, Africa and Europe as banana chips.

Based on a data regarding yield performance vis-à-vis demand, about 2,000 hectares more are needed to satisfy the increasing demand of Cardaba for banana chip production.

Written By:  Rose B. Palacio

Source: www.pia.gov.ph

Tacloban City — Gone are the days when pandan’s use is limited to giving distinct aroma to rice, curry dishes and desserts and sweet beverages.

Pandan prop roots may now be used by handicraft producers, a result of a study of the DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute bared.

A report from FPRDI research specialist Arlene G. Torres showed that researcher Simplicia B. Katigbak found of the 40 pandanus species in the Philippines, those with specialized prop roots can be tapped as an alternative material for handicrafts.

These species are sabotan, pandanus alasas and pandanus pangdan which are widely distributed in the country.

Ms. Katigbak said that chemically treated prop roots from three pandan species were highly resistant to the attack of fungi and powder-post beetles. Stripped samples were dipped in 0.2% thiocyanomethylthio-benzothiozole (TCMTB) fungicide and 0.1% Deltamethrin insecticide, then dried to 18% moisture content. The material was also pliable – it could be easily woven into a 23.40-cm long, 17.78 cm-wide and 9.52-cm deep jewelry box costing PhP 38.28 on a laboratory scale.

This is good news considering that the Philippines is one of the world leaders in the handicraft production, with exports averaging USD 676,832,244M from 2001-2002. Philippine handicrafts are chiefly made from non-timber raw materials such as rattan, bamboo abaca, buri, woody vines and pandan.

Pandan is popular due to its varied uses. Its leaves are woven into mats, hats and bags and baskets. Its prominent aerial or prop roots are made into thread, rope for fishing lines, and tying and plating material for chairs. If moderately harvested, the use of prop roots for handicrafts will not affect the plant’s growth, Ms. Katigbak assured.

Pandan is a tropical plant which is an erect green plant with fan-shaped sprays of long narrow bladelike leaves and woody aerial roots. The leaves are used in Asian cooking to add a distinct aroma to rice, curry dishes and desserts and sweet beverages.

Pandan trees provide materials for housing, clothing and textiles, food, medication, decorations, fishing, religious uses and manufacture of handicrafts, among which are the mats which are handwoven from the dried leaves.

It is also said to have flavonoids which are believed to have a variety of healthful properties including antiviral, anti-allergen, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

Interestingly, the leaves of the plant has been known to repel cockroaches.

For more information on the results of this study, interested parties may contact FPRDI at tel. no. (0063-49) 536-2377, email: fprdi@laguna.net or visit the website: http://www.uplb.edu.ph/fprdi. FPRDI is located at the UPLB-College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR) Campus, College, Laguna.

Source: www.pia.gov.ph

“Rubber is a plant that is forever.” This statement was popular during the centennial celebration of the rubber industry and the first International Rubber Conference held in Davao City on 22-24 November 2005.

With the upsurge of demand for rubber and its price escalating in the world market, it is easy to understand why scientists, smallholders, researchers, private sector, government agencies, and local government units (LGUs) as well as the international delegates during these two events were all dedicated in imparting valuable knowledge and experiences in planting and marketing their most important commodity—rubber.

Getting ahead

Fifty years into rubber industry, Mr. Onofre T. Griño, president of a Filipino private corporation, recalled how rubber production developed into a significant industry since its introduction in Mindanao.

“Rubber was introduced in the Philippines in the early 1900’s when the country is going through a difficult agricultural phase. The rubber manufactured as tires and shoes mostly came from Indonesia and Thailand. In the early 1920’s, rubber mills were established in Basilan, but it was only in the 1950’s when local private corporations embarked on setting up rubber processing plants in Mindanao. Today, large-scale rubber plantations such as Goodyear, Goodrich, and Firestone are well established in the country along with our local corporations such as the Menzi Corporation.”

Mr. Julian G. Sampayan, a rubber smallholder, has an inspiring story. He started planting rubber when he was already at a retired age of 65. Unimpressed by his pursuit, he was ridiculed by the locals, saying he cannot make it. Still, he persevered and exerted his best efforts to prosper in the rubber industry. Today, at 95, he remains as one of the most successful rubber growers in the country.

The case of North Cotabato
North Cotabato in Mindanao is one of the major rubber producing provinces in the Philippines. As one of its priority crops, Governor Emmanuel F. Piñol expressed the province’s commitment to expand the production of rubber. He stated that 25 million seedlings good for 50,000 hectares, are due for budding in their province.

The case of North Cotabato

North Cotabato in Mindanao is one of the major rubber producing provinces in the Philippines. As one of its priority crops, Governor Emmanuel F. Piñol expressed the province’s commitment to expand the production of rubber. He stated that 25 million seedlings good for 50,000 hectares, are due for budding in their province.

rubber treeIn his speech, he announced that he was able to convince President Arroyo to recognize rubber as one of the priority crops in the country. “There are one million hectares of idle land in the country; about 500 million rubber trees can be planted in that expanse. This could mean a great deal for the country’s bid to compete in the global market. There would be about $2 billion of farm earnings and P2.5 billion in local taxes per year, not to mention the thousand jobs it can generate for the locals.”

He acknowledged the support extended by the Department of Agriculture (DA) in promoting rubber production in the country particularly in North Cotabato and Zamboanga Sibugay. In addition, he announced that the government of France through its ambassador is willing to renew its support to the rubber expansion program of North Cotabato.

As the Philippine’s dollar earner

The LGUs and the Department of Agriculture are one in saying that rubber is one of the most profitable agro-industrial crops in the Philippines and has a promising potential to be globally competitive.

“From 1991 to 1995, the rubber industry garnered 17 percent of the annual sales for agricultural products, contributing from P5.1 to P9 billion in total sales. In 1996, 40 percent of our natural rubber production was exported which raised our income from $10 million in 1986 to a whooping $34 million.

In 2000, we produced 6.6 million tons of natural rubber and by the year 2010, it is predicted that we could produce as much as 9.1 million tons”, reported Dir. Nicomedes P. Eleazar of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR).

rubber tapping- closer lookAgriculture Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban, on the other hand, stated that the DA strives to increase rubber production by 10 percent annually to expand our market. It also recommends integrated farming systems approach to achieve a 10 percent yearly raise in the income of rubber smallholders.

Demand for rubber

Dr. Eugenio A. Alcala, executive director of the Philippine Rubber Board, Inc. (PRBI) and over-all chairman of the event’s organizing committee, reported that there are more than 50,000 uses of rubber.

There are two kinds of rubber used in the manufacture of products:  synthetic and natural rubber. Natural rubber is preferred since it is more durable, adhesive, and impermeable. The most popular product derived from natural rubber is of course automobile tires. According to Director Eleazar, 70 percent of the rubber industry supplies the tire sector.

Dr. Abdul Aziz Kadir, secretary general of the International Rubber Research and Development Board (IRRDB), Malaysia, asserted that the future is bright for the rubber industry because of its wide product range. He highlighted the market for birth control (condom), rubberwood (furniture), and the niche market for rubber-based products such as medical products (surgical gloves), foam mattresses, and even artificial flowers (roses).

Moreover, Dr. Ramli Othman of the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) said that there is an increasing demand for rubberwood as source of latex and timber. “We are promoting the planting of latex-timber clones in both conventional and forest rubber plantations. This will make rubber production a more competitive and attractive industry.”

In the study of rubber economics presented by Dr. Hidde Smit, secretary general of the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) based in London, he reported that the Philippine rubber industry would be soaring high in the world market by the year 2020 compared to other rubber producing countries in Asia and in other parts of the world. This is because of our high production and consumption of natural rubber.

He also asserted that we could produce as much as 250-350 million tons of rubber in the coming years. “We expect prices to remain high”, said Dr. Smit when asked about the stability of the price of rubber in the world market.

According to his report, the competition would be up between the Philippines and Vietnam, which also shows a great potential in the rubber industry. On the other hand, China turns out to be the major consumer of rubber. Apparently, one-third of the world rubber production goes to the most populated country.

Strengthening alliances

Given the impressive potentials of Philippines rubber in the global market, it is surprising to note that the country is not a member of the two largest organizations on rubber in the world, the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANPRC) and the IRSG. However, it is a member of IRRDB. DA-BAR’s Director Eleazar and PRBI’s Dr. Alcala sit as members of the board since 2000.

The ANRPC is an organization of the eight countries producing 80 percent of rubber in the world. These are Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand. It conducts world studies on rubber, coordinates international forum, and maintains the natural rubber statistics in the world.

The IRSG, on the other hand, provides a forum for the discussion of the world’s supply and demand for rubber. Its functions extend as far as studying the marketing, shipping, distribution, and trade of rubber. At present, it comprises of 16 member countries.

Re-assess, resolve, revive

After a hundred years in the industry, rubber as a priority commodity in the country has still plenty to accomplish. Critical issues are to be addressed to sustain the supply and demand of natural rubber and get a bigger slice of the cake in the global market.

The continuous support to rubber research, development, and extension needs to be intensified. In a survey conducted by Dr. Tenny Alcala of the University of Southern Mindanao among smallholders, majority of them gave a positive response to the prospect of establishing a Philippine Rubber Research Institute.

According to her, rubber stands out as a commercial crop in the Philippines because it is highly profitable, versatile, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. However, there are still several hurdles in the growth of our rubber industry, which we need to attend to. Some of these are the low yield per hectare due to poor management practices, poor nutritional condition of trees, lack of training for proper tapping (the method of extracting rubber sap from the tree), and poor infrastructure and marketing systems.

n the Philippines, 95 percent of rubber growers are smallholders. However, Dr. Tenny Alcala explains that only a fraction of these farmers receives suitable information about rubber production technologies through trainings, seminars, and meetings given by the local government and extension workers. It was also found that only a meager 2.4 percent of rubber tappers in the country are female, while in other rubber producing countries in Asia (Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam) majority of the tappers are women, who are believed to be fine tappers because of their efficiency and diligence.

In the conference, our local participants were able to mull over other options presented by other rubber producing countries such as the use of yield stimulants, recommended rubber clones, and other rubber processing technologies that can boost our own industry.

During the centennial celebration, Director Eleazar received an Outstanding Services Award under the category of Research and Development and another award for BAR under the category of Outstanding Institution/Agency.

The conference served as an opportunity to strengthen our existing alliance with the member countries of IRRDB and open our doors to new partnerships that will give us further access to the global market. The local participants especially the LGUs expressed their eagerness to pass a resolution for the Philippines to become a member country to these organizations, as these would trigger the promotion and development of our rubber industry.

Written by: Miko Jazmine J. Mojica

Source: www.bar.gov.ph