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

Fida distributes abaca-striping machines

FIBER Industry Development Authority (Fida) regional office has started the distribution of abaca stripping machines to abaca growers’ cooperatives in Zamboanga Peninsula.

Fida said the distribution of the stripping machines is aimed to help uplift and increase the production of farmers who are into abaca farming in the region.

The Fida announced that six abaca growers’ cooperatives and associations in the region will receive stripping machines and the recipients are set to undergo training.

Part of the training is to teach the recipients on how to operate and maintain the stripping machines, according to Fida.

The first recipient to receive a stripping machine from Fida was the Goodyear Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multipurpose Cooperative (Gabemco) in Kabasalan town, Zamboanga Sibugay province.

The second was the Bulawan Women’s Association in the town of Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur, and the third was the Mamawan Farmer’s Multipurpose Cooperative in Baliguian, Zamboanga del Norte.

The three associations received stripping machines from Fida last week.

The Latap Abaca Fiber Producer’s Association of Limpapa, Zamboanga City is set to receive Monday a stripping machine unit.

The Lapaz Abaca Grower’s Association, also of Zamboanga City, and Bagumbayan Abaca Farmers’ Association of Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte are set to receive stripping machine each on Thursday.

The fiber extracted from abaca is used to produce variety of products including barong tagalong, ropes, and slippers, among others.

Written By Bong Garcia

Source: Sun Star

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

Philippines: Avocado cultivation gaining ground in South Cotabato

Commercial avocado cultivation has gained ground in South Cotabato, with 80 hectares already planted to an early maturing variety bound for export, local Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) officials said on Tuesday.

Aurelio A. Banggayong, Jr., BAS South Cotabato chief, said that Standard Philippines Fruit Corp. (Stanfilco), a subsidiary of Dole Philippines, Inc. (Dolefil), embarked on a contract growing program with upland farmers in Polomolok and Tupi towns for avocado propagation.

“Upland farmers have started planting the avocados. The initial target is 300 hectares with room for expansion,” he said.

The variety of avocado (Persia Americana) pushed by Stanfilco can bear fruit three years after planting, Mr. Banggayong said.

A source from Dolefil, a multinational company based in Polomolok town, confirmed the venture but did not provide additional details. Mr. Banggayong said that Stanfilco, whose major business is Cavendish banana growing, will buy and market the avocados in Japan.

Source: bworldonline.com

First fishing competition successful

EIGHTY-ONE individuals have competed Saturday in the first ever held fishing competition in Zamboanga City.

The competition dubbed “Pesca kita (Let’s fish),” was held at the Paseo del Mar, the latest tourist attraction of the city.

The four-hour competition, which started at 6 a.m. until 10 a.m., is an added attraction of the Zamboanga Hermosa Festival 2009.

Mayor Celso Lobregat said the competition was conceptualized because of the establishment of Paseo del Mar, which since its opening last July 10 has been the favorite “fishing site” of local fishing enthusiasts.

The competition has two categories: on shore and off shore.

The winners in the on shore category are: Biggest fish caught by weight-Antonio Sr.; Alfred Ternasa, most number of fish caught; Ricardo Ladores, biggest total fish caught by weight; and, Roland Limen received a special Award for the first catch.

For the off shore category are: Sahirul Ganzon, bigged fish caught by weight; Roel Esperat, biggest total fish caught by weight; Alexander Reyes, most number of fish caught; and, special award for the first catch was received by Sahirul Ganzon.

Lobregat is planning to conduct such competition twice a year as Saturday’s event was successful.

One of the competitions could be held during summer and the second during Fiesta Pilar, Lobregat said.

The fishing competition was initiated by the Tourism Association of Zamboanga (TBA) headed Vicente Lim, in coordination with Mayor Lobregat, Z.C. Tourism Press Corps, Si Zamboanga under Ric San Juan, SOPHIL, Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatics Resources (BFAR).

The sponsors for the event were Coca-Cola Bottlers Phils., Mega Sardines and Unico.

Lobregat expressed delight that Mother Nature cooperated, paving the way for an uninterrupted competition. (Bong Garcia)

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

A noteworthy development

The good news is that the farmers being trained to grow high-value vegetables and other crops are being afforded an excellent opportunity to sell their products, too.

We are referring to the more than 1,000 trainees in vegetable production under the auspices of the SM Foundation in collaboration with Harbest Agribusiness Corporation headed by our friend Toto Barcelona.

The branches of SM malls in different parts of the country will be offering to the consuming public the products of farmers who have trained under the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Farmers’ Training Program. In partnership with Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, SM Foundation and SM Hypermart launched the “Fresh Greens” market day from September 15 to November 19.

The twice-monthly Fruits and Vegetables Market Day will help farmers sell their products. That will substantially increase their incomes for their families’ use as well as funds to finance their next planting.

With a prestigious chain selling their produce, the farmers will be forced to improve the quality of their harvests to meet the standards required.

That way, they will become more businesslike in running their farming operations.

Harbest Agribusiness will act as the consignor on behalf of the farmers.

Proceeds of the sales will be distributed by Harbest Agribusiness to the farmers.

The collaboration of SM Foundation with Harbest Agribusiness has enabled thus far 1,734 farmers to graduate under the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan program. Ongoing are three farmers’ training programs in Davao, Bulacan and Nasugbu (Batangas). SM Foundation expects 1,200 farmer graduates this year, higher than the projected target of 900.

The most recent graduation and harvest festival was held at Brgy. San Felipe, Padre Garcia in Batangas where 99 farmers underwent training. At the end of the program, the new graduates showed off their harvest. Among the high-value vegetables and other crops grown are tomato, eggplant, pachoy, lettuce, ampalaya, upo, squash, sweet corn, watermelon, honeydew melon and others.

Written by Zac Sarian

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

Why Dagupan’s Bonuan ‘bangus’ tastes better

DAGUPAN CITY—In the fish consignacion (wholesale) market of Dagupan that operates 24/7, fish dealers sort out to look for the Bonuan bangus which they intend to ship to other provinces other than the milkfish produced in other areas of Pangasinan.

It seems the Bonuan bangus is a preferred stock of milkfish which vendors can cash on once these are shipped via refrigerated vans to the markets of Metro Manila.

A few hours later, the Bonuan bangus would sell like hot cakes in Q-Mart in Quezon City, the Quinta Market in Manila and other markets though priced higher than other milkfish sourced out from other fish producing areas of the country.

Nothing can compare with Bonuan bangus. Even the milkfish produced in Western Pangasinan, like Bolinao, Bani, Alaminos and Anda or Binmaley, and even those from Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan can’t stand in comparison with the bangus produced in Dagupan’s brackish water.

That is why in so many times, vendors try, but fail to fool their customers by placing tags of Dagupan bangus in their selling tables although in truth, their milkfish comes from other milkfish producing areas of the country.

One trick they usually do is to make it appear as if the fish they are selling came from Bonuan in Dagupan City is by cutting the lower tail of bangus.

This is because of the little known fact that the real Bonuan bangus has a lower tail shorter than the upper tail, which really makes it very unique as compared with the milkfish produced in other areas.

But, according to director Westly Rosario, chief of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC) in Dagupan and one of the top technical experts on bangus, this is not the only distinguishing mark of the Bonuan bangus. The other is that it has a short head, a protruding stomach which is its most delicious part when cooked in any way, and a short mouth.

How come the Bonuan bangus acquired these distinct physical characteristics not present in other milkfish produced for instance in Western Pangasinan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan and even at Laguna de Bay?

This question was posed to Rosario, also executive director of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) who is among those behind the establishment of the National Bangus Center as chief of the NIFTDC.

Rosario admitted he was involved in a study during his early years in the BFAR that looked into why Dagupan bangus tastes better than the other milkfish grown in other areas.

The BFAR team, he said, not only looked into the kind of soil that is present in Dagupan, but also the water that serves as the life blood of fishponds culturing bangus in commercial scale.

Rosario said that though Dagupan and the towns of Binmaley and Lingayen share the same river system called simply as the Dagupan River, they produce bangus with varying tastes and qualities.

Based on the study, the sweet taste of the Dagupan bangus may have been partly influenced by the clayish soil condition in Bonuan fishponds and rivers.

Aside from that, the soil, said Rosario, was found to be low on phosphorous, but high in calcium, the element contributing to the growth of bones of the bangus being raised in captivity.

As to the water, the type existing in Dagupan is brackish, which is a mixture of fresh water from the upland draining into the Dagupan River and salty water from the Lingayen Gulf. This makes the water in Dagupan truly unique, aside from the fact that there are seven rivers criss-crossing the city whose water ends up in the Lingayen Gulf.

Restituto Basa, one of the most respected historians of Pangasinan, wrote in his column “From the Salt Bed” syndicated in many of the newspapers in Pangasinan, that the mixture of fresh water and salt water to form into brackish water is really the secret why Bonuan bangus tastes better.

The fresh water comes from the upland of Mount Ampucao in Tuba, Benguet that drains into the Tagamusing River in Binalonan, onto Santa Barbara through the Sinocalan River, the Marusay River in Calasiao and then to Dagupan’s Pantal River down to the Lingayen Gulf.

Other water bodies and estuaries from the south are draining into Dagupan, the catch basin of many rivers in Pangasinan.

As to the physical aspect of Bonuan bangus, its short head and a lower tail shorter than the upper tail, was influenced by the unique feeding method being applied by local fish farmers they inherited from their ancestors.

Rosario said local fish farmers used to feed their fish with the naturally-grown lablab, an aquatic plant produced through fertilization with the aid of the burning sun.

The process is done once the fishpond is emptied with water after one production cycle and dried for a few days.

Rosario said because of this unique feeding method, Bonuan bangus won’t eat the food in the surface of the water vertically, unlike other fish, but rather horizontally. And in the process, its lower tail is thrusted into the lablab in the bottom of the fishpond, thus explained why its lower tail is shorter than the upper tail.

Its round head, according to Rosario is influenced by constant diving into the floor of the fishpond to eat lablab undergrowth, the natural method of feeding bangus. PNA

Source: Business Mirror

Benguet can earn P1 billion from coffee

“EACH province might only have to do 100 or 80 hectares, each town might only have to do 10 or 20 hectares, it is small if we look at it but if we put them all together there is one billion sitting in Benguet and it does not come from the mines, it comes from coffee.”

This was according to Pacita Juan, co-chairperson of the Philippine Coffee Board Inc. during the coffee tree planting last July at the BSU Nature Park in Bektey, Puguis to launch the Pilipinas Gising at Magkape (PGAM) program in the Cordillera.

“It will be sustainable, it will be good for the environment, and it will be good for the generations to come,” she added.

The PGAM is a project to rehabilitate and rejuvenate all coffee plantations in the Philippines. The program includes a seven-year plan towards self-sufficiency in coffee by 2015. A major part of the plan is communicating the viability of coffee production to farmers and investors.

As a main partner to the program, BSU dubbed as the center for Arabica coffee R&D in the Philippines will provide technical support and initial coffee seedlings to the project. The technical support will be through the identification of areas with coffee production in the province, identification of beneficiaries for the rehabilitation and rejuvenation of coffee farms and the conduct of social preparation in the identified program areas among others.

According to the program focal person and BSU-IFHSA director, Prof. Val Macanes, the initial target areas for the coffee rehabilitation program are Kibungan, Kapangan, Tublay, Atok, Kabayan and Bokod.

Written By Jennyline S. Tabangcura

Source: Sun Star