Agriculture.ph Blog

Growing cassava for food, profit

LOCALLY known as kamoteng kahoy or balinghoy, cassava (scientific name: Manihot esculenta) ranks second only to sweet potato in hectarage among root crops produced in the country. It is mainly grown for its tubers which are a rich source of carbohydrates. Unknowingly, it is a good source of calcium and ascorbic acid.

However, there are many reasons why Filipino farmers should plant cassava. Let’s start with its food uses, which include confectionaries, native pastries like suman and bibingka, sago, vegetables, food seasoning, noodles and flour.

Although not the staple of Filipinos, cassava feeds about 800 million people around the world, according to the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).

Another important product is cassava starch, known in the world trade as tapioca flour. Extracted from the tuber, it is used by a wide variety of industries — food, pharmaceutical, paper, adhesive, textile, mining and other manufacturing industries.

In the food industry alone, the uses for cassava flour are numerous.

Studies have shown that cassava flour can substitute for wheat flour in baked products, as much as 10 percent in bread and can be higher in other baked products. It is utilized as thickener for soups, baby food, sauces and gravies.

Cassava flour is excellent filler that could supplement the solid contents of ice cream. It is also a good binder for sausages and other processed meat products to prevent these from drying up during cooking.
The use of cassava as livestock feed in the country has been investigated. Studies at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) have shown that cassava meal can be used as a substitute for feed grains in compounded animal rations. On the other hand, cassava leaf meal contains 18-20 percent protein, so that it is a good livestock feed not only for poultry but also for other livestock.

Cassava can also help control erosion. “Farmers can grow cassava and control, even prevent, hillside erosion by following simple methods,” said Dr. Mabrouke Elsharkawy, CIAT cassava physiologist. This can only be attained if farmers shift their method of farming to minimum or no tillage, “and protect the soil with live, permanent mulch like a forage legume.”

He added, “Farmers can also fertilize cassava to make it grow faster, and to cover and protect the soil from rain.”

Cassava is an easy-to-grow crop. “The crop grows well on poor soils found on eroded hillsides because it resists adverse conditions such as drought,” Dr. Elsharkawy pointed out. When farmers can’t grow corn or beans in depleted soils, cassava is their only choice.

In the Philippines, cassava is best grown in deep soil with friable structure such as light sandy loams of medium fertility. Top soil should be 30 centimeters in depth. Successful use of almost all soil types is possible, provided that they are not waterlogged, shallow or stony.

Growing a cassava crop entails simple farm operations such as land preparation, planting, replanting, weeding, fertilization, irrigation, and harvesting.

Small-scale production requires 51 man-days to operate a hectare of land. The plantation type of production needs 55 man-days per hectare to undertake all the necessary farm operations.

Cassava is grown mostly in Central Visayas, Bicol, and Central Mindanao. They are also an important crop in Eastern and Western Visayas, Western and Southern Mindanao, and Southern Tagalog.

The Bureau of Agricultural Research said the provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Misamis Oriental, General Santos City, and Zambales are good sites for cassava production. Potential areas of plantations are Bukidnon, Negros, North Cotabato, and Davao.

Written by By Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

There’s money in growing calamansi

THERE’s money in growing calamansi, whether in your backyard or in your farm. After all, it bears fruits throughout the year and there is always a ready market for the crop.

The edible fruit is small and orange (when ripe), about one inch in diameter, and resembles a small tangerine. In the Philippines, it is the most important citrus juice source, which is fair in calcium, phosphorus and potassium. Thirty-five pieces of calamansi are enough to satisfy a person’s daily requirement of 100 milligrams of vitamin C.

The juice has acidic properties resembling lemons and limes and can be used in the same manner. It is used to make beverages, flavoring fish (particularly kinilaw), and used as an added flavoring in cakes, pies, preserves, sauces, and marmalades. It can also be used in soups and teas.

Calamansi fruits, fried in coconut oil with various seasonings, are eaten with curry and vegetables. On the other hand, the rind of calamansi is used as flavoring. In some instances, the juice is used to bleach ink stains from fabrics. It also serves as a body deodorant.

Calamansi is also noted for its medicinal properties. To get rid of dandruff, the fruits may be crushed for shampooing the hair, or the fruit juice applied to the scalp after shampooing. Doing so also eliminates itching and promotes hair growth. Rubbing calamansi juice on insect bites banishes the itching and irritation. For problems with constipation the juice is warmed and diluted with water.

If you have nausea, just squeeze rind near nostril to inhale (the same technique applied for those fainting). For those with cough, colds, and sore throat, just drink warm kalamansi-ade. The leaves are good for aromatic bath: two handfuls of chopped fresh leaves are boiled in a big pot of water. The water is then cooled and strained. The decoction is used as bath for the sick person or a mother just delivering a baby.

In some parts of the world, calamansi is prized more for its ornamental value rather than for its fruit. It is often used as a dooryard tree and can tolerate being in a tub or container. This allows people in colder regions to be able to enjoy them as well.

Calamansi was formerly identified as Citrus mitis and more recently as Citrus madurensis; now it has been given the hybrid name: X Citrofortunella mitis. Among alternate common names are: calamondin orange; Chinese, or China, orange; Panama orange; golden lime; scarlet lime; and, in the Philippines, kalamondin, kalamunding, kalamansi, limonsito, or agridulce. Malayan names are limau kesturi (?musk lime?) and limau chuit. In Thailand it is ma-nao-wan.

“You can have a year round supply of this versatile citrus fruit by growing it in your backyard,” suggested Roy C. Alimoane, the director of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

It is easy to grow calamansi. Generally, a climate with low rainfall and plenty of sunshine is good for the crop. It promotes good flower differentiation, flower and fruit development, and fruit quality.
Calamansi can grow and produce well in a wide variety of soil types, except very light, sandy soils, and heavy clay soils. In general, most fruit trees prefer the soil ph to be between 5.5 and 6.5.

Like most citrus, there are several ways of propagating calamansi: budding, cuttings, marcotting, or grafting. When buying planting materials, MBRLC urges to buy only from reliable sources. The planting materials must be free from diseases.

“If you are planting grafted calamansi, dig a hole at least 40 centimeters in diameter and 40 centimeters deep,” Alimoane instructed.

“Set the seedlings into the hole and put back the soil mixed with compost. Water the plants daily.”

To produce big, luscious fruits, the plants must be fertilized regularly. One month after planting, 50 to 100 grams (about one handful) or urea and 16-20-0 (mixed) are applied around each tree. Fertilization is done every four months. Starting on the second year, the fertilizer requirement is increased to 200 to 300 grams (Urea and 16-20-0 mixed) per tree.

The tree bears fruit after one to two years. By that time, the plants are supplied with complete fertilizer like 12-24-12 NPK at the rate of 1.5 kilograms per tree to increase fruit yield. By the time the tree is 8-10 years old, the fertilizer to be applied should be increased to two to three kilograms per tree. Fertilization is done three times per year.

Here’s one pointer when applying fertilizer: Apply the fertilizer properly by mixing it with the soil. Cover the soil around each tree with dry leaves to conserve moisture. Uproot weeds when necessary.

Another one: Apply fertilizer to producing trees three times a year: first, during the rainy season before flowering; second, two months after flowering; and the last, after harvesting.

To keep the calamansi trees healthy, they must be protected from pests and diseases. To control citrus bark borers, the trees are sprayed with EPN 300 solution. Copper fungicide may also be used for the same problem.

To prevent the disease from spreading, the infected parts are cut off and burned.

The aphid is another harmful pest. To control aphids, the trees are sprayed with either Malathion solution (three tablespoons in 5 gallons water), Methyl Parathion (two tablespoons in 5 gallons water), or Diazinon (three tablespoons in 5 gallons water). If aphids have already attacked, the infected portions can be cut off and burned.

Citrus Production: A Manual for Asian Farmers shares this information: Maintaining good sanitation in orchard is very important in citrus health management. Twigs and fallen leaves should be collected from under and around the trees, and either buried or burned.

“Covering the soil surface with a grass or straw mulch is an effective way of reducing levels of disease, as well as improving the soil. Covering the soil within 30 centimeters of the trunk with a layer of straw helps prevent infection of the roots with fungus diseases,” it added.

In harvesting, Alimoane advises to detach the fruits from the branches either manually or using a scissor. “Take care not to damage the branches or the leaves,” he cautioned. “You will have better quality fruit if you leave a portion of the stem attached to the fruit and do not tear the skin of the fruit when you harvest. You can sell the extra fruits in markets, hotels or restaurants.”

Written By Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

Growing own fertilizer, feeds

THEY are not given much attention by farmers. In fact, some people consider them as wastes and of no value at all.

But at the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation Inc., azolla, nitrogen-fixing shrubs like kakawate and ipil-ipil, and even earthworms are turning them into something useful: as source of fertilizer and feeds.

“We found that by growing them in the farm, we can lessen our expenses,” said Roy C. Alimoane, who directs the non-government organization based in the southern part of the Philippines. “Also, in a way, we are helping our environment since we don’t throw anything — including our garbage.”

All the garbage in the farm “excluding non-biodegradable” are gathered and placed in the vermicompost area. The collected garbage is used as feed for earthworm. Earthworm castings or vermicompost is one important form of organic fertilizer, which farmers can readily use in their farms.

“We found out that vermicompost is good for vegetables and even fruit trees,” said Ian Ogatis, who manages the area. He also conducts vermicompost experiments and teaches farmers who are interested to learn how to raise earthworms and produce their own vermicompost.

“While low in major plant nutrients compared to chemical fertilizers,” pointed out Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, who popularized vermicomposting in the country, “vermicompost supports microorganisms, which make nutrients more readily available to plants and produce substances that promote plant growth and health.”

Studies on the use of vermicompost for crop production show that application of chemical fertilizers can be reduced up to 100 percent for certain vegetables and corn, and by 50 percent for rice and sugarcane. A field experiment using vermicompost with corn at five tons per hectare increased ear lengths of plants by 114 percent, with the total yield comparable to that of plants fertilized at the recommended rate of inorganic fertilizer.

In a recent pot experiment conducted on eggplant, results showed that a combination of vermicompost at 100 grams per pot (6.2 tons per hectare) and 50 percent of the recommended chemical fertilizer application gave a significantly higher yield (15 percent more) of eggplant fruits, compared to that with 100 percent chemical fertilization, after 120 days from planting.

At the MBRLC farm, vermimeal (biomass processed into meal form as a source of animal protein in the diet of fish, poultry, and livestock) is still not used. On a dry weight basis, vermimeal contains 64 to 70 percent protein, 7 to 10 percent fat, 8 to 20 percent carbohydrate and 2 to 3 percent minerals. It is also rich in long-chain fatty acids and vitamins.

Another natural source of feed is the floating fern called azolla.ÿIt is very rich in proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B12 and Beta- Carotene), growth promoter intermediaries and minerals like calcium, phosphorous, potassium, ferrous, copper, and magnesium, among others.

On a dry weight basis, azolla contains 25-35 percent protein, 10-15 percent minerals, and 7-10 percent of amino acids, bio-active substances and bio-polymers. The carbohydrate and fat content of azolla is very low.

“We raise azolla in our ponds using nets,” said Alimoane. “Every afternoon, we collect them and use them as feed for our tilapia. In only a matter of minutes, the azolla are immediately gone. Tilapia loves to eat them.”

Azolla can also be used as feed for dairy cattle, pigs, ducks, and chickens. Studies reported of increases in milk production, weight of broiler chickens and egg production of layers when these are fed with azolla as compared to conventional feed.

Azolla is also an excellent source of fertilizer. Studies show that azolla contains 4-5 percent nitrogen, 1-1.5 percent phosphorus, and 2-3 percent potassium. As such, it can be applied as organic fertilizer in fresh, dried, or composted form. If composted alone, decomposition takes about two weeks.

Rice farmers should consider growing azolla in their fields. “Any rice plant, modern or traditional, requires one kilogram of nitrogen to produce 15 to 20 kilograms of grain,” said Dr. Iwao Watanabe, former head of the Soil Microbiology Department of the International Rice Research Institute. “Most tropical soils absorb enough nitrogen naturally to grow about one ton or 1.5 tons of rice per year. To increase yields above that, nitrogen must be supplied.”

Rice farmers who grow azolla can grow their own fertilizer. For only three hours labor per hectare, a farmer can grow enough azolla to increase yields by 1.5 tons per hectare. “Azolla growth does not interfere with normal rice cultivation,” Watanabe said. “In fact, it helps control weeds and improves soil texture.”

In the upland areas, the natural source of fertilizer would be ipil-ipil as its foliage rivals manure in nitrogen content. One study showed that ipil-ipil leaves were comparable to ammonium sulfate in supplying the nitrogen requirement of rice plants in flooded and non-flooded soil conditions.

Corn grain yields were equally as high whether fertilized with herbage from intercropped ipil-ipil in single hedgerows or with commercial fertilizer.

But there’s more to ipil-ipil than just fertilizer. Its aggressive root system “breaks up impervious subsoil layers, improve ng moisture penetration and decreasing surface runoff,” to quote the NAS report. “Nutrients from deep strata are gradually deposited on the surface through decay of the leaves and other plant parts; soil organisms increase, topsoil humus rebuilds.”

At the MBRLC, leaves of ipil-ipil are used as green manure for vegetable crops grown in its Food Always In The Home (Faith) gardens. The leaves are placed inside the basket or trench composts. In addition, it is used as a hedgerow species to control erosion in its famous Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (Salt).

But due to psyllid (Heterophsylla cubana) infestation, the MBRLC recommends other species. These are Desmodium rensonii, Flemingia macrophylla, Indigofera anil, and Gliricidia sepium. All these species are introduced, excluding the latter which is locally known as kakawate.

“We recommend that farmers plant these four species in their farm. If one species is attacked by pests, there are three other species left,” said Alimoane.

All the species are also utilized as feed for their dairy goats. On the other hand, the goat manure are collected and used as fertilizer for the hedgerow species and other crops in the farm.

(Readers who want to know more about what have featured in the article can reach the MBRLC by sending an e-mail to mbrlc@mozcom.com. You can also call them at this number: (064) 533-2378.)

Written By Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

Malabon fishing firm forms storage and delivery unit

THE OWNERS of Malabon-based fishing firm Royale Fishing Corp. have incorporated a new company that plans to provide cold storage services, documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission showed.

The new firm, Royale Cold Storage, Inc. will operate cold storage facilities and refrigeration facilities. It will deal in fresh and processed fisheries products and sell ice for commercial, domestic and agro-industrial use.

Royale Cold Storage has P150 million in authorized capital divided in 150 million shares worth P1 each, a quarter of which was subscribed to. Its top shareholders are Royale Fishing President Crispulo S. Pangilinan (P18.75 million), Treasurer Mariettta S. Pangilinan (P16.5 million), Melencio E. Pascual, Jr. (P11.25 million), Fernado S. Verzosa (P750,000), and Christian Daniel S. Pangilinan (P375,000), documents showed.

Royale Fishing Corp. has been in the deep-sea fishing business since 1985.

Source: www.bworldonline.com

Banana exporter to expand operations

A MINDANAO-based banana producer is aiming to expand operations this year to cater to the increasing demand for the high-value crop abroad, the company chief said.

“As we generate more cash, we can have additional planting,” Senen C. Bacani, president and chairman of La Frutera, Inc., said in an interview.

The fruit exporter might increase its 1,000-hectare plantation by 50 to 100 hectares in the second half of the year, added Mr. Bacani, who was Agriculture secretary during the Aquino administration.

The Maguindanao-based La Frutera, which was established in 1997, exports about 60% of its more than five million boxes of cavendish banana output to Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran and the remaining produce to neighboring Asian countries like Japan, Korea and China.

“We export everything that we produce,” he said, adding that La Frutera records $14 million to $15 million in sales every year.

With the additional plantations, the company might increase revenues by a tenth, Mr. Bacani said.

The Philippines, which accounts for almost a fifth of world banana exports, increased exports of banana and banana preparations like banana leaves and banana chips by 6.7% to 537,095 metric tons (MT) worth $101.267 million, without freight, in the first quarter. During the same period last year, exports reached 503,198 MT, worth $93.414 million, data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics showed.

Banana output, which accounts for 4.36% of total agriculture production, increased by 5.04% to 2.024 million MT, valued at P3.683 billion in the first quarter.

There are about 50,000 hectares of banana plantations in the country.

La Frutera employs more than 1,800 workers. — Neil Jerome C. Morales

Source: www.bworldonline.com

Davao NGO pushes ‘vertical farming’ to increase production

DAVAO CITY — An agricultural group here is pushing “vertical farming” to enhance food security in conflict-affected areas.

Bahay Kubo Foundation head Jose Pepito M. Cunanan said his group has taught such communities “vertical farming,” which makes use of trees like acacia, cacao, and talisay in place of trellises, saving on cost and land, since the grower needs only a two-square meter space surrounding the tree. “You just use rope, preferably abaca fiber, and tie it to the branches for the vegetable climbers.”

Crops that grew well through this system were bottle gourd (upo), cucumber, string beans, and bitter gourd, he noted, adding that this method can provide farmers’ basic food needs until the harvest season. — JBE

Source: www.bworldonline.com

Local inventor’s poultry equipment can trigger backyard businesses

An incubator for custom hatching of poultry eggs and another more sophisticated one for those of ostriches, or cages for chicken brooding, growing and laying at every possible scale.

These are just examples of the many poultry gadgets and equipment of Filipino inventor Jose Abellar, owner and president of Abellar Equipment Philippines.

“There are a number of doable businesses in poultry that even small-scale entrepreneurs can do, be it in the rural or urban areas, or in a big farm setting or simply at the backyard,” said Abellar.

One such business is backyard poultry raising through the use of a steel cage module called “Brooder, Grower, Broiler Cage Assembly” or simply BGB cage, which is made of sturdy welded wire.

“Growing the birds in BGB cages is more beneficial than growing them in a colony system. The metal cage is very hygienic. The birds have a better feed conversion because they are confined in a small area where movement is limited. There are usually no runts in each batch because of enough feeding space and ventilation,” Abellar explained.

Two feet wide, 1.5 feet tall and 16 feet long, the BGB cage, with its steel support, stands two feet from the ground and has four compartments, each with an area of two feet by four feet for a combined 100-bird capacity.

Thus, brooding can be done right in the cage. Then, when the chicks are about three or four weeks old, 25 can be placed in each of the four compartments, where they will be raised for about 35 to 40 days.

The divisions prevent the overcrowding of chicken at any one part of the cage and make it convenient to handle them during medication and other procedures. Feeders on both sides of the cage are very convenient to fill and refill.

Using the same cage module, an entrepreneur can also grow pullets for egg production. After brooding, the birds will be raised in this cage until they are 16 weeks old and ready for transfer to the layer house.

The module can also be expanded to raise capacity since the cages can be joined together forming a straight line. At 100 birds per module, it will take only 100 modules to expand that capacity to 10,000. For this purpose, Abellar has a rail-based feed dispensing system that can distribute feeds in just 10 minutes.

Moreover, the BGB cage can be used to house ready-to-lay pullets of 16 weeks old. Day-old chicks usually cost R30 each, and after raising them for 16 weeks, they are usually sold at only R160 each. Thus, many egg producers buy ready-to-lay pullets since these are supposed to have been fully vaccinated and will start generating income in just a few weeks.

Another possible business is custom hatching using Abellar’s incubator, which caters mostly to fowl breeders. This incubator, with a capacity of 360 eggs, can hatch different batches of eggs of various quantities in a continuing operation.

Abellar’s another line of incubators is for ostrich eggs. “This incubator features a digital thermostat, the first of its kind introduced in the Philippines,” Abellar said. “It has a fully automated egg turner that operates according to the time programmed by the owner, depending on his requirements. This machine also includes such other features as electronic thermostat, heater pilot lights, built-in water pan, external water refill receptacle, magnetic door locks, panoramic glass viewing doors, fiberglass housing and low wattage.”

Abellar’s products will be showcased with those of various firms from around the world during the staging of Agrilink, Foodlink and Aqualink 2009 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila on October 8-10. “This international event, the country’s best agri trade fair, not only helped me meet clients, but also offered me insights on how I could further contribute to the industry,” Abellar stressed.

Supported by some 20 national trade associations with ABS-CBN as media partner, Agrilink, Foodlink and Aqualink constitute the country’s biggest and most prestigious annual international trade show on agribusiness, food and aquaculture.

Email frld@pldtdsl.net for more information from event organizer Foundation for Resource Linkage and Development.

Source: www.mb.com.ph

Organic farming is talk of the town

We have been traveling throughout the country the past several months and everywhere we go, everybody seems to be getting into some kind of organic or natural farming. It is the same in Iloilo, Negros, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Mindoro, Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Bicol, Davao, General Santos – everywhere. Farmers are growing crops as well as livestock and poultry the natural farming way.

Even in Metro Manila, interest in natural farming is growing. In fact a group of professionals have asked Andry Lim of Davao City to conduct a seminar on natural farming on August 1 at the Cancio Calma compound in Pasong Tamo, Makati City. He will also conduct a similar one at the Clark Development Zone in Pampanga. Previously, he and wife Joji had been invited to Bicol to conduct similar trainings.

Andry Lim focuses his natural farming on the use of beneficial microorganisms and herbal extracts to nourish his crops as well as his farm animals.

On the other hand, in General Santos City, Capt. James Fos Reamon, a commercial pilot who is doing his own brand of organic farming, uses a lot of vermicast and vermicompost to grow his high-value vegetables. His farm was one of the places visited by attendees of the recent vegetable congress held in General Santos City. He is also the inventor of the prize-winning brewer for making vermi tea used as foliar fertilizer. He reports that a farmer in Nueva Ecija fertilized his 30-hectare rice farm with nothing but vermi tea last year and got an average of 100 cavans per hectare. Total expense for fertilizer was only R2,000 per hectare.

Because of the growing interest in organic farming, we have gathered that Wellington Chanlim who operates a big poultry farm in Bantayan Island and who is into many other businesses has greatly expanded his production of the bio-organic fertilizer Durabloom. Besides his factory in Bantayan, he has put up another big factory in Consolacion. He now has a total production of 60,000 bags of Durabloom per month which are sold to corn planters in Panay island, sugarcane plantations in Mindanao, oil palm plantations in Bohol, Mindanao, Palawan and many other places in the Visayas and Mindanao.

In Mindanao, we gathered that 50 perccent of the rice farmers in Trento, Agusan del Sur, are already into organic farming. Also pushing for organic farming is the Catholic Relief Services based in Mindanao. Recently, it put out a book on Natural Farming Technology Systems in English and Visayan. The processes in making different organic farming inputs are well illustrated. And stories of successful organic farmers are featured in the book.

Written by Zac Sarian

Source: www.mb.com.ph

DA and Nestlè to promote coffee farming

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been forged between the Department of Agriculture and Nestlè Philippines, Inc. to promote coffee production in the Phhilippines.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap and Nestlè chairman and CEO Nandu Nandkishore led DA and NPI officials in signing the MOU at the Nestlè Experimental and Demonstration Farm (NEDF) in Tagum City, Davao del Norte recently.

The MOU sets the foundation for a nationwide coffee development program.

Under the program, the DA will provide appropriate coffee services that will improve farm productivity, profitability, market competitiveness and long-term sustainability.

Nestlè in turn will support the DA’s development program through technical assistance in the areas of coffee production and post-production, including green coffee technology and training.

The MOU states that the DA and NPI will undertake a “joint technical and commercial cooperation and scientific exchange program that encompasses projects for the development of the coffee industry.”

These would include the joint development of green coffee production and marketing; expansion and development of areas for new coffee plantings; rehabilitation of coffee farms; establishment of coffee gardens and nurseries; and tissue culture centers for somatic embryogenesis.

Both parties have also agreed to work together in establishing a coffee institute or center. This will serve as the hub for technical and training support to various coffee stakeholders, including farmers under the mentorship of local and international coffee experts..

After the MOU was signed, guests attended a video presentation that showcased several NPI initiatives that are helping the Filipino coffee farmer and the whole coffee farming industry.

These initiatives include establishing Nestlè’s nationwide buying stations which buy coffee farmers’ harvests at world standard prices; the Nestlè Experimental and Demonstration farm which provides free training on the scientific methods of growing quality coffee. These methods also teach the importance of good crop management, among others.

Guests later toured the NEDF facilities and participated in a ceremonial tree planting activity with the DA, local government officials, and NPI executives. At the end of the program, coffee planting materials were handed over to Davao’s coffee farming communities.

Source: www.mb.com.ph

RP eyes to regain world coffee market dominance

The Philippine Coffee Board will begin massive replanting of former coffee plantations with new trees and developing new ones to ensure that the country will regain its dominance of  the world coffee market at the soonest time possible.

To ensure the undisrupted tree planting, the board has also mobilized local government units in various coffee growing areas of the country to spread the word about planting 1,000 hectares to new coffee trees.

The board also declared July 22 as the start of the coffee month, which will be highlighted by a nationwide tree planting with coffee beginning in Bukdinon and then Mendez, in Cavite on July 24 to be followed on July 27 by the Benguet State University in La Trinidad Agro Forestry area and another 500 trees to be planted in Barotac Viejo in Iloilo on July 30.

The PCB entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Agriculture, supervised by High Value Commercial Crops Director Rene Rafael Espino and assisted by HVCC coordinators in 5 areas: North Luzon, South and Central Luzon, Visayas, Northeast Mindanao, and Southwest Mindanao.

We fervently hope that every July our coffee farmers will plant more coffee trees to address the shortfall in local coffee production, states Pacita Juan, PCB Co-Chair. The country  presently imports more than 30,000 metric tons worth P3 billion yearly of coffee from Vietnam and Indonesia and the only way to mitigate the problem is to increase the land area devoted to coffee.

North Luzon and Southwest Mindanao will concentrate on the Arabica variety which grows at over 1000 meters above sea level while the other areas will plant Barako (liberica variety) and Robusta, the country’s biggest variety on demand. Iloilo is a virgin area for coffee, says Nicholas Matti, co chair of the PCB.

“We have a lot of farmers interested to go into coffee production again due to the high demand even just in the domestic market. In the Visayas, the Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental communities have also  awakened to the renewed interest in coffee farming,” he added.

New nurseries are also being established with the assistance of the Philippine Coffee Board in preparation for planting of more trees next year. This activity is aligned with the Board’s plan to reach self-sufficiency in coffee by 2015 through coffee rehabilitation, rejuvenation and new plantings.

Interested parties may email philcoffeeboard@gmail.com.

The Board welcomes new investors and private individuals looking for investments in the robust coffee industry.

Source: www.mb.com.ph