Agriculture.ph Blog

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

Pointers on growing rambutan

Rambutan is one good crop to grow for a number of good reasons, whether in the backyard or in a plantation. For one, rambutan will most likely bear fruit every year without much intervention once it has attained fruiting age. Of course, the trees have to be adequately fertilized and other simple requirements are also provided.

Rambutan can be grown in most places in the Philippines, including in the Ilocos where there is a distinct wet and dry season. One retired judge in Ilocos Sur has been harvesting a lot of fruits every year from his four-hectare rambutan plantation.

Here are some important pointers on growing this exotic fruit tree. One is to plant the right variety. There are many varieties of rambutan but not all of them are recommended. Among those which produce good quality fruits are R-5, Super Red, Rongrein, Jetli, R-162 and some others. Maharlika is an old variety but is not as good as the newer ones and has a lower price in the market.

The planting distance is also important. On farms with rich soil, the distance of planting should be at least 10 meters apart. If the soil is poor, the distance between trees could be 8 meters apart.

How do you take care of the juvenile plants? Planting is best done at the start of the rainy season. However, planting could be done anytime of the year for as long as the trees are provided with adequate moisture during the dry months. Grafted seedlings that are two to three feet tall are usually used for planting.

Monitor the growth of young trees. If the weather is too hot, provide some shade (like coconut fronds) so the plant will not get scorched. Apply organic fertilizer, about a kilo per tree every two months. Also, apply chemical fertilizer every two months at the rate of 150 grams per tree or thereabouts. You can alternate applying urea and complete fertilizer. Watch for insect damage. Insects might feed on the new leaves. Aphids and other pests could be easily controlled by spraying with common insecticides.

It is best to have fruiting trees that are low-growing (about five meters tall) with spreading branches. This can be achieved by cutting the lead trunk and developing the lateral branches. This is best done when the trees are properly distanced. In pruning, cut the weak branches.

Fertilize the trees with both organic and chemical fertilizers. The organic fertilizer may be the processed kind or composted chicken manure, or some other manures. At the beginning of the rainy season, spread a sackful of manure under the canopy of the trees. Repeat this six months later. The chemical fertilizer may be applied every three months, the amount depending on the size of the trees. Two kilos may be applied per tree each time. Organic foliar fertilizer (balanced, complete formulation) may be sprayed on the leaves every month.

During the dry months, make sure that the trees don’t suffer from drought. During the rainy season, on the other hand, make sure that the plantation is properly drained.

Source; Manila Bulletin

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

Agrilink is coming!

The most awaited agricultural trade show is just around the corner. So make sure you will be around when it comes. We are referring to Agrilink 2009 which will be staged at the World Trade Center-Metro Manila on October 8 to 10. There’s no reason for you to miss this event. It is open free to the public, including the various seminars.

Agrilink, Foodlink and Aqualink is one place where the latest ideas, products and services are showcased. It is also one place where one can meet new friends, acquaintances of old as well as long lost relatives. For those who are looking for old as well as new issues of Agriculture Magazine, they will be available (the old ones) at a big discount. Look for the Manila Bulletin booth.

If you are interested in tasting the best durian, our friend Larry Miculob of Davao has assured us that he will make available different varieties including Puyat, Monthong, Arancillo and perhaps what he calls Schwarzkoff..

In the outdoor exhibit area, Dr. Rey Itchon and Sandy of Solraya will be putting up a showcase of a backyard free-range Sunshine Chicken project. This will be next to the booth of Teresa Orchard & Nursery which will showcase its latest exotic fruit trees.

Our friend Jose Abellar whose specialty is poultry equipment will showcase his Atras-Avante feed dispenser which is also used for gathering the daily egg production. Another interesting equipment is his multipurpose, modular chicken cage which can be used for brooding, growing broilers and ready-to-lay pullets. He is also the manufacturer of an ostrich incubator.

Goats, farm machines, livestock feeds and medicines, organic products, the latest hybrid seeds of vegetables and other high-value crops, wellness products, and many others will all be there. We will see you there.

Written by Zac Sarian

Source: Manila Bulletin

The farmer in the net

If you own a Facebook account, which I’m sure you do, you might have come across several applications that may have either intrigued or annoyed you. Among the many interactive games available on Facebook, Farmville deserves a place of honor because of its fun graphics and originality, something that’s definitely more amusing that irritating like Pet Society.

Farmville has nearly 35 million monthly users, and pretty soon, it’ll surpass the 35,554,755 record achieved by the ‘How Well Do You Know Me?’ application on Facebook. Farmville’s San Francisco-based developer, Zynga, says that the game provided a simple, fun way for people to unwind at the end of the day, with players spending an average of 20 minutes a day. The game’s popularity has been boosted by a growing trend among urbanites to try to their hand at being a leisure farmer without getting their hands dirty, literally.

Urban Planning

The objective of the game is to make your farm bigger, profitable, level up faster, avoid crops being destroyed, and to socialize with friends. You can plant and harvest fruit seeds, crops, trees, purchase different farm animals, decorate how you want your farm to look.

“What I like most about the game is the fact that young people can play it too,” says Yciar Castillo who plays it with her son. “We send each other gifts and we tell each other when it’s time to harvest. It also teaches kids patience & the value of money in the sense that you have to make money by planting seeds (which you have to pay for) and harvesting and selling your crops.”

It is important to note first of all, that the farming profession requires lots of patience and tender loving care. Neglect your crops for a couple of days and you may come back to a dry miserable field. Of course, this will affect your earnings as well.

In order to be a rich farmer on Farmville, you will need to be a bit savvy about your crops and think well before deciding what to plant.

Go home and plant Camote!

If someone tells you that, go ahead and do it – but do it with class. In Farmville, you get to plant all sorts of things, which help you earn points from berries, veggies, coffee, peppers, pineapples, wheat, cotton, and trees. While in nature, it may take months or years to harvest, in the virtual world of Farmville you can see your crops grow within a few hours. If you wont have time to toil your cyberland, plant things that take longer to grow, like trees. You can also put animals that aren’t high maintenance.

Place everything you own as close together as possible; leave no empty space on your lot. Fill it with trees and animals, this way every inch of your land is making you money.

It’s Berry Good

If you’re bored and have tons of time on your hands, invest in a lot of strawberries. “Planting the berries are the fastest way to earn money, since they have a really short harvest time,” shares Farmville fanatic Kristine Icasas.

Written By ALEXEI F. VILLARAZA

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

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

Coco bread, anyone?

MANILA, Philippines – Acknowledging the Philippines as one of the largest coconut producing countries in the world, Julie’s Bakeshops has signed an agreement with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to come up with a healthy alternative in making bread.

“The recent increase in flour prices has encouraged bakeshops to look for alternatives that result in the same quality that flour provides in baking bread,” George Abando, Julie’s Bakeshops national sales and marketing manager.

“Some bakeshops have adjusted the sizes of their products to make it still affordable to the Filipino consumers. What you have as a result are either more expensive breads of the same size or the smaller breads at the same price,” Abando explained.

Because of this, Julie’s and PCA came up with a coco-based flour to replace the more expensive imported flour.

Abando said the initial batch of flour was tested for several bread products in the Julie’s commissary and the result was fluffier, heavier, and more nutritious bread.

Julie’s has already introduced the coco-flour based bread products in its selected outlets nationwide and gained an instant following, according to the bakeshop’s franchisees.

Its pan de sal type bread is now available for as low as P2 in singles or packs of 10, Abando said.

Because of its widely popular reception, the coco-based bread product was offered to various local government units as a healthy alternative for public schools’ feeding program.

Abando said Quezon City was the first to give it to school children for its Strong and Bright Feeding Program.

Julie’s Bakeshops is now offering similar arrangements to other local government units as part of its corporate social responsibility program of providing healthier bread for Filipinos.

“We wanted our consumers to have the same level of satisfaction with the products that we have been providing them,” Abando said.

Source: Philippine Star

Cashew is next important high-value crop

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan—The next important high-value crop to rise in the Visayas will be cashew as demand for the products starting from its apple and nuts is increasing every day.

This was bared by Erwin Saw of Isla Casoy de Palawan Co., an investor who poured in some P5 million in the production and manufacture of cashew products in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Saw said Palawan is producing 90 percent of the 2.6 million fruit-bearing trees in the country, producing some 350,000 metric tons of the fruit and nuts every year.

Puerto Princesa city agriculturist Melissa Macasaet said that out of 103,145 metric tons of dried cashew nuts produced every year, 92,830 metric tons are from Palawan.

The company is buying cashew fruit and nut at P15 per kilo during the peak season or summer months and P50 per kilo during the lean months.

But this is not enough and company buyers have already started looking for more cashew nuts, notably in the island province of Guimaras, to add to the company’s demand.

Aside from mangoes, Guimaras is also producing cashew, mostly in backyard plantations.

Palawan cashews are from six selected cultivators developed in the island province.

The Department of Agriculture and the city agriculture office of Puerto Princesa have jointly developed a farming system that include the sloping agriculture land technology (SALT) using cashew as base crop, intercropping with pineapples, bananas and papayas for maximum land use, rehabilitation of old-cashew trees and cashew as a reforestation crop.

The company is producing cashew fruits and nuts, considered as highly antioxidant product into other value-added branded products that include cashew spicy, garlic and honey glaze, roasted-cashew butter, tarts de casoy, polvoron, supreme cookies, prunes, wine, apple cider, Spanish bread, pan de sal, fruit loaf and prune cake. (PNA)

Source: Business Mirror