Agriculture.ph Blog

PAC, BAR launch book on sweet sorghum

Promoting the potential of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) as source of human food in various forms, the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) funded the book, “Sweet Sorghum Food Products: A Compendium” by Drs. Estrella C. Zabala, Fortunato M. Battad and Norman G. de Jesus of the Pampanga Agricultural College (PAC).

The book was officially launched during the 22nd BAR Anniversary with DA Asst. Secretary Clayton A. Olalia, BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar, and PAC President Honorio M. Soriano leading the activity.

The book contains food products from the sweet sorghum grains and stalks highlighting food products from sweet sorghum of which 24 come from grains and one from the stalk. Likewise, it includes valuable information such as guide planting sweet sorghum, forms of utilization, nutritional contents, and suggested sweet sorghum menu.

Sweet sorghum is a promising cereal crop that could address problems on malnutrition and dwindling supply of alternative source of flour, an answer to the increasing cost of wheat flour.

The publication of the book is in line with 4Fs (Food, Fuel, Feed, Fertilizer) in sweet sorghum, which the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) first introduced in the country through the leadership of Dr. William D. Dar. ICRISAT considers sweet sorghum as a smart crop as it produces food, fuel feed, and fertilizer, without significant trade offs in any of these uses in the production cycle.

Dr. Zabala, food technologist from PAC, developed the various food products from sweet sorghum with Drs. Battad and de Jesus who provided the technical support. Sorghum grains are processed into flour and is used as a substitute/or is the main material of the products either as whole grain, sprout, or in ground form.

Among the potential food products developed include soups and porridge (mushroom in sorghum soup, sorghum soup, veggie-sorghum soup, sorghum porridge with chicken, sorghum porridge, sorghum-choco porridge, pepper leaves in sorghum, and sorghum con moringa); native delicacies (pastillas de sorghum, sorghum native cake, native cake sorghum with langka, sorghum sapin-sapin, sorghum suman, sorghum-yam native cake, sorghum-squash native cake, sweet sorghum tupig, and sweet sorghum espasol; and meals (burger sorghum, sorghum in salty taste, sorghum in sweet taste, sorghum-veggie in oyster, sauce fresh, spring rolls with sorghum, and shanghai sorghum).

Likewise, the sorghum kernel can also be made into pop sorghum, which is a popular healthy snack. Aside from the grains, PAC has developed vinegar from the sweet sorghum stalks.

According to Dr. Honorio M. Soriano, Jr., PAC president, sweet sorghum has a huge potential as source of human food in various forms of high commercialization value. Its grains can be processed and used as alternative to rice.

In terms of production, Dr. Soriano added that, sweet sorghum can be grown throughout the year or at least twice a year and needs minimal time and cost compared to other field crops. “It is the only crop that provides grain and stem which can be used to produce ethanol, sugar syrup, jaggery, flour and other food items,” he said.

PAC has been conducting its own R&D activities related to sweet sorghum since 2004. These include varietal testings, fertilizer trials, development of sweet sorghum-based food products and animal feed, and ethanol production.

Sweet sorghum grain is higher in protein and lower in fat than corn. The mineral composition differs only slightly from corn and vitamin content is similar to that of white corn. A 200 g of cooked sorghum grain is a rich source of protein, vitamin B1, B2 niacin and iron, a good source of zinc, and provides 14 g of dietary fiber.

Written by Rita T. dela Cruz

Source: Bureau of Agricultural Research

Coconut Philippines: An awardee of US Green Book Festival

Bruce Haring, the managing director and festival producer of the US-based Green Book Festival e-mailed Lalaine Villafuerte-Abonal to confirm that she was the only Filipino who made it to the Winner Circle of the 2009 Green Book Festival competition as an Honorable Mention winner for her 550 page, full-color book entitled “Coconut Philippines”. All the rest of the winners were US and UK authors. Bruce Haring, the festival’s producer is also the author of several music industry books including Beyond the Charts: MP3 and the Digital Music Revolution and Off The Charts: Ruthless Days and Reckless Nights Inside the Music Industry, for which he earned a 1997 Non-Fiction Book of the Year award. Bruce Haring is also a former entertainment journalist for USA Today, Daily Variety, Billboard, Associated Press and others. This international award to Coconut Philippines brings honor to our country, the largest producer and exporter of coconut by-products worldwide.

The 2009 Green Book Festival is an annual competition honoring books that contribute to greater understanding, respect and positive action on the changing worldwide environment.

The panel of judges of the annual Green Book Festival are drawn from the ranks of journalists, authors, publishers, agents, film directors and illustrators based in the USA.

The annual Green Book Festival competition is organized by JM Northern Media LLC, a company based in Hollywood, California and is focused on media and the people who make it. Founded in 1999, they produce annual events and report on the people who are making things happen in the world of digital media and beyond.

Today, Coconut Philippines, an awardee of the Green Book Festival is considered the most comprehensive visual reference guidebook on coconut and its by-products. The hard-bound book showcases a superb collection of creative coconut products that ranges from food, skin care, giftwares, decorative accessories, furniture, fixtures, fashion items, spa ingredients, construction and building materials to biofuels and other industrial products.

In July 2007, Lalaine V. Abonal, author of Coconut Philippines was also chosen as Power Books Filipino Author of the Month. Powerbooks Specialty Store is a complete one-stop bookstore with 12 branches in the Philippines.

Lalaine Villafuerte-Abonal is an ardent advocate of coconut products and is the founder of the company: Coconut Republic based in California. Coconut Republic exports Philippine-made coconut products mostly to the USA and Europe and is now an internationally registered trademark in the following countries: USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Singapore, China, Japan

The best-selling coconut products of Coconut Republic are all-natural and 100% organic including coconut sugar, coconut syrup, coconut flour, coconut vinegar, coconut seasoning, coconut toasted shreds, virgin coconut oil and several others. On August 19, 2009, Coconut Republic received its USDA NOP Organic Certification from the US-based certifying agency Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA International). OCIA is one of the world’s first, largest and trusted leaders in organic certification.

The Coconut Philippines book is available online at Amazon.com and major bookstores in the Philippines including National Book Store, Fully Booked, Power Books, Ayala Museum, Solidaridad bookstore, Trade Winds, Academic Connection, and Book Trend Enterprises.

Have a joyful day!

Written by NELLY FAVIS-VILLAFUERTE

Source: Manila Bulletin

Mention pili and an array of foodstuffs come to mind: glazed, roasted, caramelized, yema, tart, mazapan, candied, and a whole lot more. But before the pili nut is processed into different forms of delicacies, postharvest procedures are done to maintain its high quality.

In the Farm Primer: Postharvest Handling Guide for Pili Nuts, the steps are discussed in detail as follows: depulping, washing, drying, and storage.

In depulping, three methods are commonly used by farmers: 1) retting – the fruits are soaked in tap water for a day or two to soften the pulp; 2) Hot water treatment – fruits are submerged in warm water (about 45-75ºC) for about 10-20 minutes until the pulp becomes soft; and 3) Fermentation – fruits are placed in a sack or any container and set aside until the pulp softens.

Depulped pili fruits should be washed to remove the remnants of the fleshy pulp. Pili with shell should be washed, especially if they will be stored for months.

Sun drying is the most common practice when drying pili nuts. Experienced pili farmers and traders attest that three days during summer ensures dryness of the kernel. Other farmers sample the dried pili and shell them with a bolo. The easier it is to detach the kernel from the shell, the drier the kernel.

Pili nuts with shell are usually stored in bulk and can last even to a year if properly dried and stored. There are two ways to store pili nuts in bulk: 1) Store pili in a warehouse with wooden floors, double-walled with wood to prevent migration of moisture from concrete walls to the product; and 2) Contain pili inshell in plastic sack. Pile sacks on wooden pallets to provide good ventilation and prevent movement of moisture from the floor to the stored pili. Any of these two methods can be practiced but it is important to maintain cleanliness of the warehouse.

As to kernels, dried pili can be stored in thick transparent polyethylene bags for longer storage. Kernels with 4-4.5% moisture can last up to eight months. Its shelf life can be extended through vacuum packaging and use of benzoic acid. On the other hand, kernels stored in open containers can deteriorate within less than two months.

Incidentally, the farm primer is co-publication venture between the Bicol Consortium for Agriculture Resources Research and Development and PCARRD.

Written by Butch S. Pagcaliwagan, S&T Media Service

Source: pcarrd.dost.gv.ph

PCARRD recently released its latest publication Mga Lutuing Katutubong Gulay.

Mga Lutuing Katutubong Gulay is a breakthrough cookbook on mouth-watering indigenous vegetable dishes and thirst quenchers. It is a collection of 54 simple, everyday recipes contributed by over 200 parents, students, school teachers, local government units , Rural Improvement Club members, Food Always in the Home coordinators, and vegetable growers.

This cookbook identifies nutrient-rich foods that provide protection against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases and shows how to turn them into appealing and delectable home-cooked meals, which are simple to prepare.

The cookbook is packaged for people from all walks of life to gain a better appreciation of the health benefits of indigenous vegetables as they make them a part of their daily diet.

Covering everything from beverages to appetizers to desserts, the cookbook includes over 50 full-colored photos along with valuable information on the nutritive value of selected indigenous vegetables.

The publication is an output of a collaborative project among PCARRD, Asian Development Bank, and AVRDC-The World Vegetable Center entitled RETA 6067: Promoting utilization of indigenous vegetables (IVs) for improved nutrition of resource-poor households in Asia.

For more information, please contact the Executive Director, PCARRD-DOST, Los Baños, Laguna at phone numbers 049-5360014 to 15/536-0017 to 20, fax numbers 049-5360016/ 536-7922 or email us at pcarrd@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph

Written by Josefina L. Acedera-Atienza, S&T Media Service

Source: pcarrd.dost.gov.ph

Dr. Fortunato A. Battad, president emeritus, Central Luzon State University (CLSU), and chairman, Board of Agriculture, Professional Regulation Commission, launched his new book, “My Passion for Trees” on 11 June 2008 at the RET Amphitheater, CLSU, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

“This book is a documentation of my advocacy for tree planting. In this book, our collaboration with educational institutions, national government, local government units, and non-government organizations are highlighted,” said Battad, who wrote the book with his wife, Dr. Teodora Battad.

Besides CLSU, Dr. Fortunato Battad was president of numerous agricultural colleges and universities in the Philippines, namely: Benguet State University, Nueva Vizcaya State University (formerly Nueva Vizcaya State Institute of Technology), Pampanga Agricultural College, and West Visayas State University.

To write the book, Dr. Battad and his wife revisited and explored several agricultural colleges and universities in the country in which he, in one way or another, had influenced to develop an affinity towards planting trees. To emphasize his noble advocacy, he has phrased and practiced the adage, “Even if I die tomorrow, I will still plant trees today.”

Dr. Battad’s book-writing project was supported by the Bureau of Agricultural Research, PhilRice, and CLSU Foundation, Inc.

Written by: by Miko Jazmine J. Mojica

Source: www.bar.gov.ph

Mango production manual now available

Mango growers can now read the latest on mango production and processing with the Mango Production Manual which incorporates various management practices based on production technologies generated from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources and Development (PCARRD)- coordinated mango projects as well as from various mango growers’ experiences.

Produced by members of PCARRD’s pol of experts led by Dr. Leon Namuco and Dr. Carlos Andam of UP Los Baños, the book costs P 244.00 (includes postage) and can be ordered through PARRFI at (049) 536-0014 to 20 local 216 or PCARRD, Los Baños, Laguna; email: pcarrd@ultra.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph

Orders can also be placed at the DOST VI in Iloilo City, tel. no. (033) 329-1532, email: ilomin@easy.com.net and at the Southern Mindanao Agriculture and Resources Research and Development (SMARRDEC) in Davao City with tel.no. (082) 227-9838, email: smarrdec@interasia.com.ph.

VHS and VCD formats on mango flower induction are likewise available at PARRFI at P 215.00 and P235.00, respectively. The PCRRD-based Mango Information Network (MIN) produced the manual and videos with funding from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

For more details: http://www.min.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/publications/books/manual/mango_production_manual.html