Agriculture.ph Blog

Weather-sensitive crops thrive in demo farm

LEGAZPI CITY—Aquinas University of Legazpi (AUL) has implemented a project, dubbed “Urban Agriculture through the High-Value Commercial Crops Techno-Demo Farm” within its expansive campus here.

The project features a 60-square-meter greenhouse where vegetables highly sensitive to rain and changes in temperature like broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower and honeydew melon are being propagated.

Gardens for more hardy vegetables such as squash, eggplant and watermelon have also been established in an open area of 1,000 square meters which perimeters were planted to root crops like ube and sweet potato.

Cucumber and sweet corn are being intercropped with those plants during the dry season. A 5,000-square-meter farm for upland organic rice is also being established.

Adjacent to the demo farm, organic fertilizers will be produced soon through vermiculture using earthworms in the decomposition process of rice hull and coconut peat.

The first phase of the project started late last year with the establishment of a “techno-demo” farm in the Rawis Campus with a timetable of one year, after which it will be replicated on an expanded version in a larger property of the university in the upland village of Banquerohan, also here.

The replication will be the second phase of the project and is being supervised by Antonio Payonga of the Bicol University College of Agriculture and Forestry based in Guinobatan, Albay.

This phase would start before the end of the year and managed in such a way that it becomes self-sustaining.  The income derived from the sale of products will be plowed back to the project for continuous production. A part of the money will be saved for future expansion and development, Payonga said.

Vegetable production within the urban farm could be done continuously in a year with two or three cycles while upland organic rice and root crops will be produced once a year, he explained.

The demo farm is a project conceived by the Aquinas Center for Continuing Education (CCE) in response to the challenges of the prevailing food crisis felt with the dwindling supply of agricultural crops in the local market, Susan Cabredo, the CCE head, said.

The challenge is directed not only to the agriculture sector, but to all sectors of society, including academe, as the problem is exacerbated with the increases in prices of oil that directly affects food production and distribution, Cabredo said.

“Thus, it behooves academic institutions like AUL to transform from being mere consumers of food products to growers and suppliers, especially of high-value commercial crops, the technology of which could be shared with communities, particularly those in the urban areas,” she explained.

Related activities could also provide students in science, engineering and commerce hands-on experiences that dovetail classroom learning about state-of-the-art urban-farming technology. In fact, the AUL College of Business Administration has already prepared a business plan that would help the project earn revenue, Cabredo said.

Aside from alleviating poverty and improving the well-being of Legazpeños and Albayanos in the long-term, the project could also improve the quality of urban environment through “greening,” and thus help reduce pollution, she said.
Considering the university’s proximity, the demo farm could spur agro-tourism like the strawberry fields of La Trinidad, Benguet. It would also enhance or reinvigorate the entrepreneurial skills of the Aquinians while building stronger linkages with the communities it serves, Cabredo said.

AUL owns several parcels of land within the city, such as the downtown Political Science Campus, the Aquinas Peak in barangay Taysan and a vast agricultural estate in Banquerohan, among others. Close to the business district, the main campus in barangay Rawis is more than 30 contiguous hectares.

Written by Danny O. Calleja

Source: Business Mirror

Pag-asa Farms: A haven amid banana farms

FAST becoming a famous landmark in the municipality of Kapalong and in Davao del Norte is Pag-asa Farms, an experience of nature conveniently located amidst lush banana plantations just 10 minutes ride away from the town center.

The ranch features a five-hectare orchid garden of varied species, different trees and shrubs, a mini-zoo boasting of exotic birds and animals.

The Cabana function hall, an open building allowing the cool breeze to carry in the sweet fragrance of flowers, can accommodate at least 100 people and is ideal for seminars and conferences.

Pag-asa Farms boasts three classy rooms good for three persons each available for overnight accommodations. A very affordable price of P750 per room includes free breakfast which includes their specialties like lechon de leche, spare ribs and other mouth-watering cuisine depending on the client’s choices.

If you’re lucky, you might be fortunate to dine on ostrich meat and eggs.

Evelyn Mercado, sister of Toy Mercado who owns and manages Pag-asa Farms, said they are targetting Cabana to be complete and fully operational by November in time to accommodate the holiday visitors. It is presently undergoing renovation.

Pag-asa Farms is also home to the largest of all the bird species in the world, the ostrich. There are about 48 ostriches here and an ostrich egg incubator.

Alfonso Biñan Jr., one of the staff of Pag-asa Farms, explains that an ostrich can lay as many as 30 eggs in a year and it hatches within 42 days in an incubator.

Survival rate however, is only around 50 percent of the eggs.

The price of ostrich meat hovers from P900 to P1,000 per kilo while an ostrich egg can fetch a market price from P600 to P800 each.

“You can cook ostrich meat with recipes like steak, salpicao with mushrooms, adobo, and other ways of cooking it and it is fat-free, definitely no cholesterol,” Ms. Pardo said.

An ostrich egg, which is equivalent to ten or 11 chicken eggs weighs about 1.5 kgs. Hard boiling an ostrich egg though, will take more than three hours as the shell is very hard. An ostrich egg omelet would be enough to feed 8 men or 10 women, Ms. Parcon said.

Pag-asa Farms is worth a visit, a place ideal for agro-forestry educational tours, fieldtrips and visits. In fact, a trip to Kapalong will not be complete without dropping by. To get there, one has board an hour’s trip in a jeep from Tagum City to Kapalong. From there, get in touch with the Kapalong tourism office at tel. nos. (084) 371-0703 or (084) 371-0661 and contact Edna Bernardino-Parcon.

Written By Raquel C. Bagnol

Source: Sun Star

The beauty of Aurora’s natural parks

With the dwindling number of provinces that can claim purity in air, water, and land, it is a wonder that a province so close to Metro Manila can still boast of these attributes. Aurora Province, once part of Quezon province, is bent on flaunting these virtues. It is also determined to protect them.

It is in recognition of Aurora’s growing reputation in eco-tourism that it was picked by the organizers of the Mutya ng Pilipinas beauty pageant as the venue for this year’s competition.

Aurora Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo would be the first to admit that even after three decades, many Filipinos are still not aware of Aurora’s independence from Quezon province. It is classified as a fifth class province and is among the 10 smallest in the country with a population 187,802 (as of 2007).  It has just eight municipalities and one congressional district.

The people of Aurora are proud of the fact that 76 percent of its area is covered with forests. The people governing the province are determined to preserve these forests. The governor says, “Here’s a province that remains green and would like to stay green for the rest of our stay in this world.”

Aurora also has tremendous potential for wind, solar, and water power that could save the environment and country from dependence on oil.  As its natural wonders begin to gain attention, there is the danger of having tourism destroy its pristine nature. Governor Bellaflor assures us she has also out-ruled the construction of hotels and resorts that would not blend with the environment.  She has also apparently seen what has happened to other wonderful natural destinations and would want to avoid the mistakes made there.

Those who have visited speak of endless diving and surfing areas, swimming and snorkeling in water so clear one can see the marine life at the bottom. One can also swim with the whale sharks, and view the dolphins. Catching of small fish has been prohibited and fishermen may be seen gathering their daily catch of large fish near the shore.

Others prefer to trek the virgin forests, bathe in mountain springs and waterfalls, and walk through a 400 year old balete tree that is the oldest and biggest in Southeast Asia. We are told it requires 20 people to completely encircle it. Indeed, wildlife will always thrive in Aurora’s forests, which are protected against illegal loggers.

Email the author at bibsycarballo@yahoo.com.

Written By BIBSY M. CARBALLO

Source: Manila Bulletin

ECOTOURISM, which involves traveling to relatively undisturbed natural areas to specifically study, admire and enjoy the scenery and its wildlife, was a highly acceptable environmental protection concept of the 1990s.

In time, the term “agritourism” came into existence. Coined from the two words — agriculture and tourism — it is a kind of a study tour among areas, which have been found to adopt organic farming and sustainable agricultural production.

Perhaps one of the top agritourism destinations in the country is the farm of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC), a non-government organization based in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur. Nestled at the rolling foothills of Mount Apo, the country’s highest peak, it is “one of its kind,” to quote the words of former agriculture secretary Sonny Dominguez.

People from all over the world — from Australia to Zimbabwe — have come to see the area. Most of its visitors, however, are from Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, East Timor,
India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Every year, MBRLC is host to almost 10,000 visitors. Almost daily, groups arrive in batches just to see its “Disneyworld of sustainable farming systems,” which the center has developed through the years of experimentation and consultations.

“The MBRLC has been at the forefront of improving the lives of the Filipino people, both physically and spiritually,” said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the center’s 30th anniversary. “They have provided our people with the necessary guidance in order to become productive members of society.”

The first destination of those who come to center is its training hall, where they are oriented about what they will see and what they can do.

“Jesus Christ came into this world not only to save us but also to give us an abundant life,” explained Roy C. Alimoane, the center’s current director. “What we are doing here are proofs that we can have an abundant life.”

After the orientation, the group walks for about five minutes for their first stopover: Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (Salt 1). Basically, Salt is a method of growing crops between contoured rows of nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs. The hedgerows serve as a way to control soil erosion. They are also cut every month and the cuttings are placed in the alleys to serve as fertilizer for the crops.

The next place to visit: Simple Agro-Livestock Technology (Salt 2), where animals are introduced into the Salt system. “Our model farm is only one half hectare,” said livestock supervisor Rowe Celeste. Instead of raising cattle, which requires a land area of one hectare per animal, MBRLC recommends goats. “Although a goat is small, she can produce as much as four liters of milk every day if she is purebred and is given a ration to meet all of her nutritional requirements,” he said.

The dairy goat they recommend is Anglo-Nubian. However, they are also raising Boer goats, as a source of meat. This breed originated from South Africa where the word “boer” means “farm.”

After 20 minutes, the group moves to the next project: Sustainable Agroforest Land Technology (Salt 3). “Where in the world can you find a system where trees and crops are planted together?” asks Aniano Ramos, who usually tours visitors at the farm. Actually, one hectare is devoted to forestry and another hectare to agricultural crops.

Finally, the group ends their first segment of the tour at the Small Agrofruit Livelihood Technology (Salt 4).ÿ See how fruit trees like rambutan, durian, lanzones, mangosteen, marang, and guava are planted together in rows.

“Mindanao is touted to be the fruit basket of the country,” Alimoane said.

All of the Salt systems are located in upper portion of the center.

Zacarias B. Sarian, a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award who visited the training center in 1998, commented: “It is not surprising therefore that MBRLC is a favorite destination of people from here and abroad looking for a model of upland farming.”

In the lower part of the center, one of its noted systems is the Food Always In The Home (Faith). Called as “refrigerator in the farm,” this 100-square-meter vegetable garden provides sufficient vegetables for a family with six members throughout the year.

The central feature of the garden is the basket composts. Their main purpose is “to directly use plant nutrients that can be derived from the rotting materials for home food production,” Alimoane said.

As a practitioner of organic farming, the center advocates vermicomposting, the process of converting biodegradable wastes from households and farms into compost (organic soil) through the action of earthworms.

The center is also raising swine, whose manure is utilized in producing biogas. Later on, the sludge is used as organic fertilizer for the fruit trees. The biogas is used in pasteurizing the milk they processed.

There are seven fish ponds found in the lowest portion of the farm. In these ponds, tilapia is raised, which is fertilizer with goat manure. In addition to commercial feeds, tilapia is also given azolla.

The center provides training to those who are interested to immerse further. “Our aim is to promote projects and systems that would enable rural people to improve their standard of living,” said Elsa N. Ablayon, head of the training department.

The MBRLC is located 10 kilometers away from the town of Bansalan. To get there, you have to take a bus going to Cotabato City. The travel time is about two hours from the Ecoland Terminal. Outside of the center is a signage so visitors won’t miss it.

There are places to stay at the farm. There is a two-door duplex with two rooms each and a bathroom. There are also bunkhouses and dormitory type rooms at reasonable prices.

Be sure to contact the MBRLC first before coming to the center. You can e mail them at mbrlc@mozcom.com. You can also call their office at 064-533-2378.

Written By Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad, Benguet

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeN_BKaWzwI

Typical commercial dragon fruit farm in Silang, Cavite.  The farm did not use concrete post

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyzYlpyKq7I

SOMETHING to be proud about, this fried chicken-specialty restaurant just doesn’t know the meaning of the word “quit.”

Founded in the ‘70s, Sunburst Fried Chicken (SFC) enjoyed a huge market share in the Visayas and Mindanao during the ‘80s, but was threatened to extinction with the arising of fast food companies, both local and international in the ‘90s.

Are they gone? Nope. With the decision that led them to joint venture franchising, SFC now has eight branches to count in Metro Cebu alone. The latest addition to their branches is in Paseo Arcenas, Banawa.

It’s good to be reminded that every year provides fresh opportunities for another start. And for Sunburst, which has been in the food business for more than three decades, 2009 is yet another exciting surprise.

It may be another new year, but good old fried chicken just never goes out of taste.

Fried chicken cooked the Southern style (“southern” means the preparation techniques that usually include breading and the use of seasoning), the classic Sunburst chicken offering just hits home.

What’s in a serving? Three enormous cuts fried to a perfect golden brown, rice, potato fries and coleslaw. A guilty pleasure for health conscious consumers, you can savor the crunchy skin bit by bit as it breaks by the tips of your fingers.

No worries if someone in the family is not a big fan of fried chicken; the restaurant caters to everyone as the menu also offers a varied selection, like the beef ampalaya (bitter gourd).

Bite-sized chunks of beef, thrown into a mix of a generous serving of bitter gourd, then fused with wonderfully blended oyster, onion and garlic sauce. The bitter flavor from the vegetable is subtle and compliments with the sweet slices of beef, achieving a delicate balance.

The bihon guisado is also a sure hit. Though unconfirmed, the dish seemed like prepared with hefty amounts of chicken broth so as to maximize flavors. It was then topped with carrots, green onions and pork liver.

SFC has come a long way. It was established by the late Fernando J. Congmon Sr., his wife Victoria and their nine children during the 1970s in Iligan City.

By Luis A. Quibranza III

Source: www.sunstar.com.ph

Mt. Hamiguitan in Davao Oriental is the country’s largest pygmy forest. More popularly known as a “bonsai forest,” this protected area has not been spared from destruction brought about by rampant timber poaching, illegal logging, and overharvesting of forest products and resources.

A group of researchers from the Central Mindanao University and the Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology therefore proposed certain conservation measures to save wildlife species in the area, as a result of a survey they conducted.

The researchers aimed to identify and describe Mt. Hamiguitan’s vegetation types; determine the species’ diversity and important values; assess their conservation status (endemic, endangered, rare, and economically important); determine their distribution and habitats for conservation; and recommend conservation measures for the protection of threatened and endemic species.

Study showed that Mt. Hamiguitan is covered by five vegetation types: agro ecosystem, dipterocarp forest, montane forest, typical mossy forest, and the mossy-pygmy forest. These vegetation types are habitats of threatened, endemic, rare, and economically important species of plants, which should be protected and conserved.

Mt. Hamiguitan was found to have 878 species, 342 genera, and 136 families.  Of these species, 698 were angiosperms, 25 were gymnosperms, 141 were ferns, and 14 were fern allies.    Research results further showed that 163 of these species are endemic, 34 are threatened, 33 are rare, and 204 are economically important.

The researchers considered eight species ( Elaeocarpus argenteus, Elaeocarpus verticillatus, Patersonia lowii, Astronia lagunensis, N. argenti, N. mira, S. inopinata and S. malaccana)  found in the area as new in Mindanao and one species (Nepenthes maxima)  new in the Philippines.

The researchers suggest urgent and vigorous measures to protect the habitat of the endemic, threatened, rare, and economically important species of plants found in Hamiguitan Range as follows:

*Organizing the Bantay Gubat, particularly in the local government units (LGU) of Mati and Governor Generoso for long monitoring of the ecological resources;
*Regulation of the extraction of “Almaciga” (Agathis philippinensis) resins, barks of “Badbad” (Zanthoxylum diabolicum), and  collection of rattans by the local people; and implementation of scientific extraction and collection; and
*Providing the LGUs of Governor Generoso, San Isidro, and Mati, as well as the Protected Area Management Board  with the results of the project so that polices and guidelines on the protection and conservation of these species will be formulated.

The project titled “Inventory and Conservation of Endangered Endemic and Economically Important Flora of Hamiguitan Range and its Environs” is the official entry of the Northern Mindanao Agriculture Resources Research and Development Consortium (NOMCARRD) in the National Symposium on Agriculture Resources Research and Development (NSARRD), where it was adjudged as the best paper in the research category.

Written by Ricardo A. Argana, S&T Media Service

Source: pcarrd.dost.gov.ph

This official declaration took place on December 13, 2007 (Magalang Day), at Magalang Town Hall. Several government officials were present to witness the occasion – former Magalang mayor (now TESDA deputy director – general) Pastor Z. Guiao gave a short message while incumbent Mayor Lyndon A. Cunanan introduced the guest of honor and speaker, Congressman Carmelo Lazatin of the 1st district of Pampanga. The other guests were: PAC President Honorio M. Soriano, Jr. and former PAC presidents (father and son) Dr. Fortunato A. Battad and Dr. Zosimo M. Battad.

The author of Resolution No. 26, s. 2007 – “declaring the municipality of Magalang, Pampanga as sweet tamarind capital of the Philippines,” was SB member Ernesto G. Aguilar. The resolution was presented and taken up for deliberation during the regular session of the Sangguniang Bayan of Magalang held on November 23, 2007 at the municipal session hall. The Sangguniang Bayan presided by Vice Mayor Norman L. Lacson, presented the resolution to Mayor Cunanan for its approval on the same day.

The LGU of Magalang shared the opinion of the team of experts from PAC that such project can have a significant economic impact to the municipality. The town, being an agricultural community, is suited to the propagation and cultivation of sweet tamarind on a commercial level. Thus, the “tamarindization” of Magalang – on December 13, 2007. The town is equally grateful to PAC for the years of research efforts poured on the development of the Aglibut Sweet tamarind variety – an agricultural commodity that deserves national and LGU attention because of its vast economic potentials, both local and outside the borders of Magalang, Pampanga.

Source: http://www.instanet.com.ph/pac/

MAGALANG — With 4,000 kilos of fresh tilapia specifically prepared for the occasion and two kilometers of iron grills lined up with 350 large sacks of charcoal, government officials and students were set to accomplish what could be the longest tilapia grilling event in the country.

Governor Eddie Panlilio and the officials of the 437th Aldo Ning Kapampangan Executive Committee led the Longest Tilapia Grill Festival, one of the highlights of the Pampanga Day celebrations, at the Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC) here last Wednesday.

According to Aldo Ning Kapampangan committee chairman Andy Gulapa, the event aims to promote the tilapia industry potential of the province and focus more attention on the booming fishpond business.

“This event is also in honor the tilapia industry that has given enough jobs and revenue among our local folks,” he said.

Gulapa said the event was initially a daunting task. “Where to get the tilapia for the grilling was the first problem.”

“Fortunately, Land Bank of the Philippines gave us around 5,000 pieces of tilapia along with the appropriation for the province and some more from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources,” Gulapa said.

PAC president Honorio Soriano told Sun.Star that 2,700 students of the state college, along with the 400-strong faculty, have manned the two-kilometer grill from the main gate of the campus, which stretched until the forestry building and snaked through the administration building of the state college.

Just before the grilling started, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional director Remedios Ongtangco hailed the province’s contribution to promote another “staple food” of the country.

“The tilapia has attained folk popularity and is embedded in our pop culture as truly a Filipino produce. The tilapia has formally replaced the galungong as a staple food in most Filipino homes,” Ongtangco said.

The BFAR director said that Pampanga is the number one producer of tilapia in the country.

Pampanga serves almost 85 percent of the total supply in Luzon and accounts for more than 86,000 metric tons of the tilapia production in 2007.

Most of the tilapia growers in the province are located in the wetlands of Candaba, Samuan, Masantol, Lubao, and Guagua while man-made ponds are also common in Magalang, Sta. Rita, and Arayat.

College, high school, and elementary students braved the mid-morning and noontime sun during the grilling that started around 9:30 a.m.

Soriano said the event perfectly fits the state college’s advocacy of developing local agricultural produce and products as potential livelihood.

For her part, Ongtagco said the event is “a jumpstart” to what could be an entry to the Guinness World Records on the longest Tilapia Grill.

“We have had two attempts now. By the third, we hope to actually make it to a world record and be recognized worldwide,” she said.

The PAC students had a field day, as each would grill their own tilapia for the prospect of taking them home.

Lourdes Singian, 12, an elementary student in a nearby school, said she learned about the festival from friends and decided to join in the event.

“It was fun, but it was really hot since we grilled under the sun,” Singian said as she was walking home with a bundle of the grilled tilapia wrapped around sheets of paper.

Many other small kids in their school uniforms were seen walking home with their free grilled “take out” fish. (Ian Ocampo Flora)

Source: www.philstar.com.ph