Agriculture.ph Blog

Filipino-Hawaiian investors put up first macadamia-tree plantation in Ilocos Norte

BADOC, Ilocos Norte—About 400 saplings of Hawaiian macadamia trees found a new habitat on a sprawling idle land in sitio Paratong, Saud, Badoc, Ilocos Norte, with the launching of the first macadamia demonstration farm in the country.

Attended by Filipino-Hawaiian investors, together with Mayor Mufi Hannemann of the city and county of Honolulu, Hawaii, and party on November 9, the first macadamia tree plantation in the country will serve as a demonstration farm for the production of macadamia nuts, a high-valued commercial crop in the United States and some parts of Europe.

Valued at P2,000 per seedling, the Filipino-Hawaiian investors, led by Mito Ablan, brought some seeds three years ago and started propagating macadamia in a nursery farm in Tarlac. About 200,000 macadamia seedlings are ready for planting.

Study shows that macadamia can be grown in the Ilocos region, which has a tropical climate like Hawaii.

Like mango trees that abundantly thrive in the Ilocos region, Ablan said macadamia could be harvested from six to eight years depending on the variety.

Ablan, who is also the president of the Ilocos Norte Association of Hawaii, has encouraged fellow Filipinos in Hawaii who have idle land in Ilocos to develop their vacant lots and invest in macadamia farming.

In Hawaii, he said about 19,000 acres is planted to macadamia, and it is bringing almost $700 million in income.

Macadamia nuts grown in Brazil, Australia and Hawaii consist of only 2 percent of the world consumption, Ablan added.

According to Badoc Mayor Thomas Torralba, they have identified more than 3 hectares of private lots which they initially developed as a demonstration farm. Ablan said the first Philippine macadamia demo farm in his town has been established in cooperation with Mac Nut (Phils.) Inc. and the government of Ilocos Norte under the administration of Gov. Michael Keon.

To sustain the project, Torralba said the local government of Badoc would be coordinating with technical experts from the Mariano Marcos State University and the Department of Agriculture for the proper care and maintenance of the project.

Unlike other fruit-bearing trees in Ilocos, Ablan said macadamia nuts could be harvested from June to December as it assures an all-year-round supply of quality nuts. The seeds are not perishable because it is hard.

In an earlier interview, Governor Keon said the provincial government is looking forward to the success of the macadamia plantation in Ilocos province, as he encouraged other municipalities to do the same.

He said farmers would ultimately benefit from the project by giving them other alternative source of income with its global demand.

In his speech, Mayor Hannemann told local officials and Ilocanos here that his government hopes to establish stronger ties and better cooperation with Ilocos provinces geared toward the promotion of cultural exchanges and to solidify economic ties.

Most of the Filipinos in Hawaii are Ilocanos who trace their roots in Ilocos Norte and other neighboring provinces in northern Philippines.

Written by Leilani Adriano

Source: Business Mirror

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Lanao farmers train on coco sugar production

TUBOD and Sultan Naga Dimaporo farmers underwent one-day training at the Lanao Aquamarine Fisheries Center for Community Development (Lafccod) office in Maranding, Lala, Lanao del Norte.

Tubod, Lanao del Norte Coconut sugar production has been found to be a viable source of income for coconut farmers aside from the natural and nutritional value coconut sugar contain.

Based on market research and feasibility studies conducted, the demand for coco sugar is high and finished products are purchased at P115.00 per kilo.

By the product’s market potential, the Provincial Cooperative Office Golden Arrow Vision of Life Foundation Inc. Executive Director Leah Yap and Lafccod advocate coco sugar production to farmers and other residents as well those interested in venturing into business as alternative livelihood.

Coco sugar is beneficial to the health conscious and diabetics because it is discovered to be the best substitute for sweeteners, it contains essential vitamins and amino acids as well as macro and micronutrients.

The raw coconut sugar granules are dark brown in color like the moscuvado sugar from sugarcane.

Source: Sun Star

Kangkong becoming a hot market item

KANGKONG (scientific name: Ipomea aquatica) is a very common leafy vegetable in the Philippines. You will find them floating on open muddy fields, stagnant pools and fish ponds. Farmers grow it as a regular crop in lowland rice fields but only on a small-scale basis.

Interestingly, kangkong, also known as swamp cabbage, water spinach and water convolvulus, is the most economical vegetable to grow. It requires less labor since it does not need careful land preparation or watering.
(During World War II, the vegetable grew remarkably well and easily in many areas of Singapore and become a popular wartime crop.)

Kangkong is usually sauted in cooking oil, onions, garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce. This dish is called adobong kangkong or apan-apan (as Ilongos call it). Kangkong is also a common leaf vegetable in fish and meat stews like sinigang. There is also an appetizer called crispy kangkong, where fresh leaves are mixed with eggs, water, cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper. The leaves are fried until crispy and golden brown.

Kangkong is grown in most parts of Asia and Asians have various ways of cooking kangkong. In Singapore and Indonesia, the leaves are usually stir fried with hot pepper, garlic, dried shrimp paste and other spices. In Penang, Malaysia, kangkong is cooked with cuttlefish and a sweet and spicy sauce.

In Chinese cuisine, there are numerous ways of preparation, but a simple and quick stir fry either plain or with minced garlic is probably the most common. In Cantonese cuisine, a popular variation adds preserved beancurd (tofu). In Hakka cuisine, yellow bean paste is added, sometimes along with fried shallots.

In Thailand, kangkong is frequently stir fried with oyster sauce and shrimp paste. In Vietnam, it once served as a staple vegetable of the poor. In the south, the stems are julienned into thin strips and eaten with many kinds of noodles, and used as a garnish as well. Over the course of time, kangkong has developed into being an ingredient for many daily vegetable dishes of Vietnamese cuisine as a whole.

What is in a kangkong? Upon analysis, its edible portion per 100 grams gives 89.7 percent moisture, 30 percent calories, 3.9 grams protein, 0.6 gram fat, 4.4 grams carbohydrates, and 1.4 grams fiber.

Also found in the leafy vegetable are minerals and vitamins like calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and ascorbic acid. Because of its high iron content, the vegetable is recommended to patients suffering from anemia.

Kangkong is known to be grown easily throughout the year in any place in the country. Although it can be planted on a wide variety of soils, it gives best results when planted in ordinary rice fields with a clayey type of soil rich in organic matter and well-provided with water the year round. It thrives best in semi-wet conditions.

There are two major types of kangkong. The first type, known as upland variety, has a narrow leaf and it does not require much water. The second type, called lowland variety, possesses broad leaves and requires plenty of water.

Kangkong can be planted anytime of the year. However, the best time to plant is during the rainy season. This is true especially for the second type which needs much water.

Although it can be propagated by seeds, kangkong is generally propagated by means of cuttings. Healthy, big cuttings about one foot long are selected. The cuttings are prepared a day before planting. The planting materials are tied in convenient-size bundles and kept moist under a shade. Three kilos or about 150 cuttings are needed to plant a square meter of bed.

Since there are two types of kangkong, there are also two ways of planting the crop: the semi-wet culture method (sometimes referred to as dry culture) and the wet culture method.

In the wet culture method, the field is prepared by puddling just like in lowland rice culture. The tip cuttings are planted in beds about 80 centimeters wide that run the whole length of the paddy. The cuttings are planted by inserting them deep in the soil, leaving 15 centimeters protruding. The plants are spaced about five by 10 centimeters. A fresh supply of water is kept flowing. No fish should be allowed in the field; otherwise they will eat leaves of the kangkong.

In the semi-wet culture method, the field is prepared dry. The soil is plowed and harrowed twice. After the field has been well-pulverized, raised beds are formed about 80 centimeters wide. Planting is done in the same way as in wet culture method. If the soil is too dry for planting, it should be watered a day before planting and the field kept moist thereafter. During summer, the plots should be mulched with rice straw to conserve water. Heavy and frequent irrigation is practiced to produce high quality shoots.

Like most crops, kangkong also needs nutrients. In the wet culture method, an application of fertilizer is made at the rate of 150 kilograms of ammonium sulfate per hectare at planting time. After every fifth harvesting, the same amount is applied for maintenance of proper growth and development.
In the semi-wet culture method, about 200 kilograms of ammonium sulfate is recommended and applied at planting time.

Fresh kangkong are harvested one month after planting. The harvesting period can be determined when the plants have attained full growth or when the leaves and stems are big enough. Kangkong plants are harvested by cutting the young tops with a sharp knife or scythe at about five centimeters above the base. They are washed and bundled in retail sizes of 8 to 10 shoots. The small bundles may be tied in larger ones and rolled in a banana leaf sheath, leaving it open at the butt and tips ends.

The characteristics of good quality kangkong for market, according to experts are as follows: tender tips over 30 centimeters in length; the diameter of the cutting at the middle portion should be about eight millimeters or more; there should be no insect and disease injury or blemishes; the leaves should be dark green and healthy looking; the crop should be have been grown in a sanitary place and shipped to market with adequate protection; and the stem and leaf surfaces should be smooth, uniformly green and nice looking without the black stripes usually present in dirty places.

Is there money in growing kangkong? Zac B. Sarian, the editor of Agriculture, once featured the story of Angeles Dayon, the “Kangkong Queen” of Angeles City. She grows upland kangkong using seeds.

“In just 25 to 30 days, the plants are ready for harvesting,” the multi-awarded agricultural journalist reported. “The vegetable is also very saleable, especially in Manila. Angie wholesales her harvest at only P10 per kilo, yet the profit margin is still significant because the production cost is not much.”

The kangkong plants are robust despite the fact that production is continuous. According to Sarian, Dayon incorporates a lot of chicken manure in the soil and applies nitrogenous fertilizer, too.

“Her kangkong plots are narrower than most garden plots, just about 18 inches wide,” wrote Sarian.”She likes it that way because the plants are watered manually by means of sprinkler. The narrow plots ensure that all the plants are adequately watered with just one passing.”

Written By Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

THE LANDSCAPING INDUSTRY

Landscaping has become a popular phenomenon these days. Many commercial establishments such as restaurants and shopping malls utilize a well-defined landscape to attract customers. Households with spacious front and backyard establish landscapes to beautify their homes. Even theme parks, memorial parks, and golf courses utilize plants in their landscapes to make their surroundings aesthetically tasteful.

Landscaping is a general term that refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of a land. It is the art and science of designing and managing the outdoor space to create an environment that is highly suitable to the biological and physiological well-being of man. As a science, landscaping involves technical knowledge for the selection, arrangement, and growing of plants. As an art, it requires skills for sculpturing the biological and nonbiological materials into a single and beautiful living ecosystem.

Primarily, the main purpose of landscaping is to achieve beauty, privacy, and pleasure with ornamental plants as its main component. Trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, and herbaceous perennials are utilized in a creative manner to beautify an outdoor space.

Ornamentals for Functionality

Landscaping is not limited to achieve beauty alone. The ornamental plants are the key elements used in landscaping and impart other functions that we usually not notice.

Owing to the beauty they bring, plants spare an element of satisfaction, relaxation, and delight to human beings. A simple arrangement of plants can alter the surrounding and render it more beautiful because of its inherent aesthetic and architectural qualities. But such designed environments are not just pretty. The plants in the landscape also add functionality by modulating temperature, abating noise, reducing glare, and increasing privacy and security. In this manner, a beautiful surrounding imparts a sense of peace, harmony, and tranquillity to man.

How to Landscape with Ornamentals

Landscaping is not as simple as it seems. Since landscaping is also a field of science, it involves processes that must be followed and a group of experts to perform the task.

There are three phases in landscaping before anyone can achieve a beautifully landscaped surrounding:

1. Landscape design involves the complete planning, designing, and drawing of an envisioned concept for a certain design. A licensed landscape architect and a landscape designer with appropriate training perform this task. As the name implies, a landscape architect is an architect of the landscape bringing together the natural balance the needs of the people and technology. A landscape designer is an individual who designs the work of the landscape architect.

The landscape designer is familiar with the basic design principles, plant cultural requirements, and basic landscape construction methods. The conceptualization of a design usually depends on a certain theme or mood, or sometimes culture. The Zen garden, for example, is a Japanese-inspired landscape and is a popular concept used in landscaping nowadays. The main elements of a Zen Garden are rocks and sand, with the sea which is embodied by sand. Plants are minimally used in a Zen Garden while embellishments are used mostly to symbolize something.

2. After the materialization of the blueprint of the design is the implementation. Landscape design implementation is the development or creation of the landscape. In this stage, the preparation of the site, planting of the selected ornamentals, installation of hardscapes, and construction of the landscape as a whole is being worked out. A landscape horticulturist or an engineer is in charge in this phase. A desired plant cannot be simply picked up and included in a landscape. Plants have their own cultural requirements that support their growth and survival.

The growth, habit, water, sunlight, and nutrient requirements are some of the few things considered in selecting plants to be included in the landscape. For example, Sansevieras, Aglaonemas, Dieffenbachia,s and Philodendrons could thrive better under the shade. On the other hand, San Francisco, Bougainvilleas, and Calachuchi prefer being planted under the sun where they can grow better.

3. After the plants have established and developed, landscape maintenance is needed to maintain aesthetic value of the envisioned design. Landscape maintenance is the art of keeping a landscape healthy, safe and attractive with the use of various tools, pieces of equipment, supplies, and skills. This includes the watering of plants, fertilization, pruning, pest and disease management, mulching, and edging. A poorly maintained landscape will do little to stimulate public belief in their value or necessity. Poor maintenance practices, even for a short period, can destroy much of the beauty of the landscaped area.

Landscaping as an Industry

According to Dr. Leonido Naranja, a landscape horticulturist and professor from the Crop Science Cluster of the College of Agriculture at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, landscaping has a very promising future in the country.

“With the mushrooming of subdivisions, golf courses, malls, theme parks, and other commercial areas, there will always be a demand for the services of those in the landscaping business and to our landscaping graduates as well,” Dr. Naranja said.

Landscaping as an industry involves a lot of sectors: stakeholders, real estate developers, landscape professionals, agriculturists, nursery owners, academic institutions, and government offices. Though landscaping is just a newly recognized industry, it has already provided opportunities for business and livelihood for the sectors involved in it.

However, as a budding industry, there are also problems encountered in landscaping. In the case of the designers, meeting the required volume of a certain plant species is their primary problem. In most instances, nursery owners fail to meet the volume of plant species specified in the landscape design that sometimes leads in changing the design.

Meanwhile, the increasing cost of production of planting materials such as planting media, fertilizer, and containers is the primary dilemma of nursery owners and plant growers. Rice hull for example, is the common planting medium used by nursery owners in Bulacan which can be availed of at a low price and sometimes even for free. After the discovery of rice hull as a potential source of fuel, the demand for it has increased along with the increase of its market price.

For the small-scale nursery owners, finding a market for their plants is their biggest concern. Since landscape designs usually require a large volume of plants, small-scale nurseries are often overlooked as possible sources of plants because they cannot satisfy the required plant volume. Dr. Naranja mentioned that in this regard, small nursery owners can organize and team up to meet the plant requirements of landscape contractors.

Future Endeavors

Much still remains to be done for the improvement of landscaping activities and as an industry as a whole. Dr. Naranja recognized the need for continuous research and development (R&D) of technology for ornamentals. He mentioned that R&D efforts can be focused on tree surgery, pruning, postharvest handling of ornamentals and the improvement and maintenance systems and practices for the ornamental and landscaping industry to thrive.

In the case of landscape design, the development of new trends that would showcase Filipino culture in the landscape is encouraged. An attempt to create a “Filipino Garden” using plants and embellishments that can be associated with the Filipino culture such as the nipa hut is being worked out.

Another undertaking, which is the advancement of edible landscaping, is being promoted to a larger extent. Edible landscaping is the utilization of food-producing plants in the constructed landscape, principally the residential landscape. It combines fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, and ornamental plants into aesthetically pleasing designs in replacement of the traditional ornamental design. Landscaping with edibles is being promoted most especially in urban areas to contribute to sustainability. This concept is already being adopted by real estate developers where it is thought as something new and innovative as it provides food and imparts beauty at the same time.

Source: Ellaine Grace L. Nagpala of Beareau of Agrarian Reform (BAR)

Bangus can now be raised profitably

“BANGUS has always been the most important species cultured in the Philippines in terms of area and production.” These words come from the mouth of Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, former executive director of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD).

In fact, the Philippines is one of the top bangus producers in the world, along with Indonesia and Taiwan. “Until recently, the country has contributed around 55 percent share of the world bangus production,” said Dr. Guerrero, who popularized tilapia production and consumption in the country.

The Philippines has been exporting bangus to other countries like the United States, England, Canada, and Japan. “The main consumer market, however, is the United States, where there are large Filipino communities,” Dr. Guerrero said.

Bangus farming is a centuries-old industry not only in the Philippines but in other Asian countries as well like Indonesia and Taiwan. In the Philippines, bangus is the major species in brackishwater fish farming and mariculture.

Reportedly, the industry employs close to 300,000 fish farmers, entrepreneurs, processors and workers.

To make the fishponds and fish cages productive throughout the year, adequate supply of bangus fingerlings is necessary. In the past, bangus growers depended on the fry caught from the wild. This was seen as a big gamble because the volumes of wild-caught fry are low and seasonal. Estimated supply from the wild is about 200 million out of the national demand of two billion bangus fry on a good year.

In recent years, importing fingerlings from Taiwan and Indonesia was the only option although it was not also practical as the fry are very expensive.

But with Finfish Hatcheries, Inc. (FHI) now selling bangus fry, bangus growers need not worry anymore. “We have been in the bangus fry production business since 1997,” said Rene B. Bocaya, FHI’s national marketing manager.

According to Bocaya, the price per piece of wild bangus fry was P1.00 a decade or so ago. “With the introduction to the market of hatchery produced fry (local and imported), the price now ranges from thirty to forty-five centavos per piece only. The hatchery-produced fry doesn’t only give very big savings to the fishpond operators, but it also provides them good quality and steady supply throughout the year.”

As a result of steady supply of bangus in the market, there are now processing plants for bangus value-added products. The foreign exchange earnings from bangus exports have been reported to be about US$15 million.

In Sarangani Province, where the FHI’s hatchery is located, bangus production has increased considerably. Actually, the hatchery is in Lun Masla, Malapatan. Here, about 13,000 breeders are maintained and managed to produce bangus eggs on a daily basis throughout the year. The eggs are collected, cleaned and hatched. The hatchlings are grown to the marketable sizes in 18-21 days in larval ponds. During the growing period, they are fed with a mixture of planktons and commercial feeds.

The breeders are 50 percent males and 50 percent females. “It is tedious to sex the fish individually and tag them,” Bocaya explains. “We have some breeders that are more than 25 years old and are still breeding in groups well.”

It takes five years for a bangus to mature sexually. FHI selects breeders for commercial production only when they are eight years old. The female breeder, called sabalo, can produce seven kilos of eggs in one year. And one kilo consists of 750,000 eggs.

Bangus is grown in a number of stages and in varying degrees of culture intensity depending on the grower’s production design and the nature of the growing environment. The simplest bangus value chain is the three-stage system of a nursery stage, a transition stage and a grow-out stage.

In the nursery, bangus is grown from fry (kawag-kawag) to fingerling (hatirin). In the transition stage, the fingerlings are grown to juvenile (garungan). In the grow-out stage the juveniles are grown to marketable sizes.

In the grow-out stage, bangus is produced in a number of categories depending on the pond structure the capitalization and the grower’s production design. Traditional extensive ponds using lablab as feeds normally seed 2,000 juveniles of 50 grams in size. Lablab production is takes six weeks. A well-prepared lablab pond can produce 500 kilograms of fish biomass. With 2,000 juveniles stocked, the grower is able to produce 300-gram fish in three to four months from seeding.

In intensive ponds with aeration, growers can produce 8,000-10,000 kilograms of bangus fish in a hectare. Stocking density to grow 500-gram fish is about 20,000 juveniles per hectare. In fish pens in Laguna Lake, juveniles of 30 to 50 grams are stocked at 50,000 per hectare. There is no feeding needed as the lake provides the algae that the bangus feed on.

In marine sea cages, juveniles of 30 to 50 grams are stocked at a rate of 20-50 per square meter depending on the site and the business plan of the grower. Harvest can reach up to 30-40 kilograms per cubic meter of 500-gram bangus in six to eight months.

According to Bocaya, at least 50 percent of the costs in intensive pond systems go to feeds. The other costs that figure are electricity, water, labor and pond maintenance costs. In marine cage systems, feeds are 80 percent of the costs. In extensive systems, lablab production is still 40 percent of the costs.

“On the average, gross profits are at about 25 to 30 percent of selling price on a good year across all production systems,” Bocaya points out.
No wonder, sales of hatchery-bred fingerlings are increasing. When they were new, the fish operators and growers were skeptical about using the hatchery-bred fingerlings. They thought that those caught from the wild were more hardy.

However, the perceptions of bangus farmers have changed, Bocaya said.

They now prefer the hatchery-bred fingerlings because they are more uniform and they also grow faster. Those from the wild usually have a survival rate of 50 to 60 percent while those from the hatchery usually have 82 to 85 percent survival rate.

FHI now sells hatchery-bred fingerlings all over the country. The major bangus production areas in the Philippines are Pangasinan, Bulacan, Laguna de Bay, Taal Lake, Iloilo, Bicol, Negros, Agusan, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga Provinces, Davao Provinces and the Cotabato Provinces.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has likewise spearheaded the production of bangus in mariculture parks all over the country. “All of these parks need fishpond nurseries and transition ponds to grow the juveniles,” Bocaya reports.

Written By Henrylito D. Tacio

Source: Sun Star

Growing the world’s most expensive coffee

THE promotional cost of a cup of civet coffee in some Asian trade conventions was US$5.

In London, a cup of the same brew cost US$99. That makes this coffee brew the most expensive in the world today.

Certainly, that is more than an encouragement to enterprising Asian coffee farmers where civet cats are found to cash in on this latest fad.

The emerging interest on civet coffee will demand sufficient supply and ultimately challenges producers to sustain a promising and highly profitable industry.

In the Philippines, a few brewers have already come out with their own civet coffee product brands. The main problem is that civet cats are wild animals and they are endemic. In areas where they are found, the civets are hunted and eaten as a delicacy.

Even if they are not considered food in some places, civet cats are becoming extinct as their forest habitats are continually cleared.

Certainly that raises questions on long-term supply sustainability, wild life concerns and marketing ethics.

Ollopa Anun, a pioneering and promising Igorot civet coffee producer, said that civet cats can yet transform the Arabica coffee farming in the Cordillera as a profitable livelihood for farmers.

The current recommended technology for Arabica coffee requires the planting of 1,000 trees per hectare. That does not give farmers reasonable profit claimed some farmers and experts.

Arabica plantations have yet to emerge in the region. The crop is still grown at the range of three to ten plants as a backyard crop.

Anun got me committed not to reveal his name for the time being until after the launching of his coffee house in Baguio City this November. He said he grows Arabica coffee in a one-hectare farm in Tuba, Benguet.

He intends to make good profit on his farm through the production and marketing of civet coffee and value adding.

He resolved this by growing civet cats, Arabica coffee, herbs and stevia all in his one-hectare farm. He processes civet cat droppings of coffee beans mixed with herbs and sweetened with stevia plants which is 10-15 times sweeter than raw sugar.

His coffee blend makes a premium instant coffee brew that is at par with any civet coffee, if not the best, in the international market today.

The product comes with the brand name “Hagiyo Blend.” It is all natural and organic, Anun says. The first of its kind, the blend’s ingredients are packed in a bag like that of commercial instant tea. This aromatic and healthy product is registered with the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).

The current challenge for Anun these days is marketing his product. For local buyers, he sells a sachet of civet coffee at a cost of P50 or P1,500 per box of 10 saches.

Anun wants to sell it in the international market at US$50 per sachet. The cost covers production, postharvest and other expenses which include the care and food of his civet cats such as banana, alumit fruits, among others.

Anun sees the integration of civet cats in his Arabica coffee plantation as another way of conserving these endemic wild animals. The cats roam freely in his fenced coffee plantation, he said.

Indirectly, the venture should provide an alternative refuge to civet cats from people who value them only as fooddelicacies or those who plunder the cats’ wildlife habitats. The wild animals are still found and hunted from all over the Cordillera’s remaining forests.

The potential economic and environmental benefits of civet coffee farming or the establishment of a civet coffee industry in the Cordillera are reasonable arguments on their own. I am desperately hedged in a corner. I whisper, maybe it is a good industry. Let us wait and see. At this point, that is loud enough for me.

Written By Robert L. Domoguen

Source: Sun Star

Goat farm targets big RP milk market

“The Philippines is importing 99 percent of its milk requirements as it produces only one percent of the total.”

Thus said owner Rene Almeda of the Alaminos Goat Farm (AGF) to illustrate the magnitude of the local market that his dairy products and those of other goat milk producers can supply.

AGF, according to Almeda, is stepping up its marketing offensive by showcasing an extended line of dairy products at the forthcoming Agrilink, Foodlink and Aqualink 2009, which is slated at the World Trade Center Metro Manila on October 8 to 10.

AGF is the maker of Milk Star, the pioneering fresh goat’s milk brand to be commercially produced and distributed at SM and Robinson’s supermarkets across Metro Manila.

“Milk Star was the darling of the visitors in Agrilink last year. But for this year’s show, AGF will feature, not only pasteurized milk, but also ice cream, leche flan, barquillos and cheese, all made from goat’s milk,” Almeda pointed out.

The market for fresh goat’s milk continues to expand as consumers learn more about its health benefits, including ease of digestibility and low cholesterol.

“As awareness grows about the availability of goat’s milk in the supermarkets, a lot of doctors are starting to prescribe it as an alternative medicine for their patients suffering from cancer, lactose intolerance and constipation,” Almeda stressed.

The AGF started out in 1993 when Almeda was asked by his son Art to embark on a goat project on their 16-hectare property, where they used to fatten feedlot cattle from Australia. Soon Almeda’s younger son Toti joined the business and handled marketing.

But it was after importing 100 purebred Saanen goats in May 2007 that the Almedas officially ventured into the dairy business. “It was a challenge to prove that one can milk Saanen dairy goats profitably in a tropical country like the Philippines,” Almeda said.

In the past, the government had imported a sizeable number of Saanen goats under the PL 480 program of the United States, but nothing significant came out of it.

Almeda observed that the Saanens adapted faster to the country’s hot, humid and wet weather than the Boers from Australia. “They (Saanens) love the fresh forage grass and legumes in Alaminos, Laguna,” he said.

By November 2007, they were milking their first Saanen and subsequently marketing the Milk Star fresh pasteurized goat’s milk.

As one of the country’s finest goat farms, the AGF has a herd of about 300 Saanens and some 600 Boers and Anglo Nubians.

“What’s good about Saanen goats is that they can produce at least two liters of milk a day for up to 300 days after giving birth. The Anglo Nubian, on the other hand, is considered a dual breed (good for meat and milk) such that it cannot produce milk for the same span of time. Nonetheless, the Anglo Nubian can give birth three times in two years, hence it can produce more kids than the Saanen,” Almeda explained.

“AGF will also showcase its prime cuts of goat meat based on industry standards. The soft launch of ‘GOAT MEAT: The World’s Most Friendly Red Meat’ will be held at Agrilink 2009,” Almeda announced.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Coco sugar a hit at trade fair

Coco sugar and other organic products from Lanao del Norte sold like the proverbial hotcake at the 2009 National Livelihood Trade Fair at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City under the auspices of the Philippine Chamber of Handicrafts, Inc. and the Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc.

Besides coco sugar, the other organic products from Lanao del Norte included honeymansi with pineapple, honeymansi concentrate plain, pineapple marmalade, bangus in corn oil packed in glass container, coco honey and coconut vinegar which are all manufactured without any preservatives.

A lot of people bought the coco sugar although the price is much higher than the sugar from sugarcane. The coco sugar is in the form of fructose which is superior healthwise compared to the sucrose in the ordinary sugar from sugarcane.

Former Gov. Imelda Quibranza Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte explained that the relatively high price of coco sugar is due to the fact that it requires much more effort and hard work to make. The sap of the unopened flowers (toddy) is extracted from the coconut tree which is cooked to make coco sugar.

Coco sugar is in demand not only in the Philippines but also in other countries. It is now exported to countries in Europe as well as Korea and Japan. There are also other producers of this unique product in Misamis Oriental.

Congressman Abdullah “Bobby” Dimaporo (2nd district, Lanao del Norte) has been very supportive to agricultural production, not only in farm crops but also in livestock. In fact, he has been responsible for putting up the biggest dairy cow operation in the country. Lately, he imported more than 2,000 Savanna goats from Australia for commercial production by farmers in his province.

Lanao del Norte, by the way, tops the list of growing economies with a gross domestic product growth of 5.3 percent in 2008, the highest among the regions during the period.

Written by Danny Junco

Source: Manila Bulletin

Processed dragon fruit products launched

In celebration of the Cavite State University’s (CvSU) 2nd Research, Extension, Continuing Education and Training Services Week, four dragon fruit processed products were launched. These products were jam, jelly, juice and puree.

The products were developed through the project “Pilot testing of dragon fruit jam, jelly, puree, and juice” by CvSU’s research team led by this writer. Other members of the team include Dr. Edna DA. Vida and Prof. Fe N. Dimero as project staff; Dr. Nelia C. Cresino, Dr. Ma. Agnes P. Nuestro, Ms. Carmen Batiles, and Ms. Ma. Fatima C. Ilagan as support staff.

The project was made possible through a grant from the Department of Science and Technology-Technology Innovation for Commercialization and the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development.

The dragon fruit juice has two variants, the “clear” juice drink and the “pulpy,” which is rich in fiber. Both flavors, however, are enhanced with calamansi. After the launch, the products will undergo marketability assessment.

The dragon fruit products have the following label specifications:

1. Trade Mark – The trade mark is the CvSU Laya at Diwa Statue mounted in a round golden plate with Cavite State University printed on top. On both sides is a dragon fruit chain indicating that the product is one of the dragon fruit product lines. At the bottom is the year 1906 enclosed in a ribbon indicating the year CvSU was established.
2. Brand Name – The brand name is “Severino’s” named after Don Severino De las Alas.
3. Product Name – The product names are: dragon fruit jam, dragon fruit jelly, dragon fruit juice, and dragon fruit puree.
4. Other features:

* Name of Manufacturer:  The manufacturer is the Cavite State University assisted by the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
* Net content:  280 ml (jam and jelly), 320 ml (juice and puree)
* Ingredients:  Indicates the ingredients used such as dragon fruit, pectin, sugar, citric acid, and artificial food color
* Nutrition Facts:  Indicates the nutritional information of the product as analyzed by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute
* Packaging:  The jam and jelly is packed in a round clear glass with metal caps, while the juice and puree is packed in an elegant bottle with gold cap (juice and puree) and white cap (jam and jelly).

Incidentally, CvSU is the base agency of the Southern Tagalog Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium or STARRDEC. STARRDEC is one of the 14 regional research and development consortia of PCARRD.

Written by Teddy F. Tepora, STARRDEC-RACC