Business Diary Philippines » AgriBusiness

Bottle Gourd (Upo) Production Guide

Jron — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:51:03 +0000

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria [Molina] Standley), is commonly called upo among the Tagalogs. Other local names are Tabungaw (Ilocano) and Kandol (Ibanag). This is a herbaceous, annual climbing plant with long strong tendrils and simple leaves. Fruits are globular, bottle- or club-shaped. Its length reaches up to one meter long. When the fruit matures, the rind is hard and durable.Young fruits are usually cooked as vegetable dish. Young shoots are also consumed as green vegetables, while seeds are popular snack food. It contains carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.Juices from the green fruit is good for the treatment of chest pains, insanity, epilepsy and other nervous diseases. It is also used in the treatment of stomach acidity, indigestion and ulcer. The leaves were used to treat skin diseases. Boiled seeds is also good for the treatment of boils.The hard rind of dried mature fruits can be made into containers, hats, decorative handicrafts, floats, and musical instruments.Upo Production Guide SELECTION OF VARIETIESFor better yield and profit, select varieties that are adaptable to local conditions, market preference and resistant to insect pests and diseases. To guide you in selecting the right varieties, refer to the “Guide in Selecting Lowland Vegetable Varieties” included in the kit. CULTURAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICESLand PreparationPrepare the field as early as possible to give enough time for the weeds and stubbles of previous crops to decompose. Plow and harrow 2 to 3 times alternately at one week interval.Plow at a depth of 15 to 20 cm. Harrow twice to break the clods and level the field. A well-pulverized soil promotes good soil aeration and enhances root formation.Seed Preparation- A hectare of farm requires 1 to 2 kg of seeds. - Soak the seeds in clean water for 24 hours. - Pre-germinate the seeds by wrapping in a moist cloth and place in cool and dark place. Incubate until the seed coat breaks.PlantingDirect Planting- Plant one pre-germinated seeds per hill at a distance of one meter between hills. - Cover the seeds with thin layer of soil. - During wet season, plant in ridges or above furrows to prevent rotting of seedlings due to flooding.Transplanting- Use a prepared media of one part compost or organic fertilizer, one part clay soil and one part carbonized rice hull. A ready mixed commercial soil media for seedling production can also be used. - Fill in plastic bags, potlets or seedling trays with the prepared media. - Water the potting media before sowing. Sow one pregerminated seed per potlet. - Place the seedling trays/potlets under a temporary shade - Maintain the seedlings by watering regularly when needed. - Harden the seedlings by gradually reducing the frequency of watering and exposing to direct sunlight. - Transplant one seedling per hill at a distance of one meter between hills 15 days after emergence or when true leaves have developed. - Transplant in the afternoon or during cloudy days. - Replant missing hills immediately.Fertilizer ApplicationThe kind and amount of fertilizer to apply depends on soil fertility and soil type. To achieve optimum yield, have your soil analyzed at the Soils Laboratory nearest you to determine the right nutrient requirement of the soil. In the absence of soil analysis, apply the following fertilizers at the time and amount specified:Cover the basal fertilizer with thin soil before planting to avoid direct contact with the roots of the seedlings. Place the sidedress fertilizer 10 cm away from the base of the plants to avoid burning effects.TrellisingProvide the plants with trellis to produce fruits of good quality. Trellising is also essential during the wet season to minimize fruit rotting and malformation. Construct overhead trellises at a distance of 2 to 3 m wide and 2 m high using ipil-ipil or bamboo poles. Provide strong roof trellis by intertwining tie wire or nylon twine crosswise and lengthwise on top of the trellis. Provide a ladder-like trellis or vertical pole for each upo plant to facilitate the vines to climb up. Train the vines to climb the trellis by tying the stem lightly on the vertical pole or ladder-like trellis until it reaches the overhead trellis.PruningTo promote branching and fruiting, remove the tip of the main vine and the lower lateral branches that appear on the climbing part of the main stem.Water ManagementBottle gourd is sensitive to excessive soil moisture, which favors disease infection. Provide adequate drainage during wet season to avoid water logging. Furrow irrigation is recommended during dry season at weekly interval. Spread rice straw around the base of the plants as mulch to conserve moisture and minimize watering during dry season.Weeding and CultivationBottle gourd is moderately deep-rooted with extensive lateral root system. Hill-up at 15 to 20 days after emergence. Minimize cultivation during the fruiting stage to avoid disturbing the roots. Hand weeding is recommended during this stage.Crop ProtectionTo prevent insect pests damage and disease infection, practice good cultural management and sanitation. Most common insect pest of upo is the yellow beetle and the most common disease is fruit rot. In case of disease infection or pest infestation, follow the management practices for specific disease or pest provided in the Insect Pest and Disease Management Guide for Lowland Vegetables. Flowers of upo usually open in the afternoon. Protect insect pollinators because they are contributors to fruit development. Avoid applying pesticides in the afternoon (after 4:00 PM).Harvesting and PostharvestFruits develop very fast and require much attention at harvest time. It usually takes 15 days to reach marketable size from the day of fruit set or 60 to 80 days from sowing. Harvest fruits using a sharp knife by cutting the peduncle, leaving approximately 5 cm length. Put harvested fruits in a woven basket lined with banana leaves to avoid skin bruises. Pack marketable fuits in plastic bags.

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Bangladesh tapping rice seed of SL Agritech for its export of fancy rice

Jron — Fri, 31 May 2013 04:58:50 +0000

Bangladesh sent a mission through its Ministry of Agriculture (MA) to look into tapping into rice seeds in the Philippines through its partnership with SL Agritech Corp. (SLAC) in its aim to export fancy rice. The mission, led by MA Minister Matia Chowdhury, visited last May 23 SLAC’s Research Center in Brgy. Oogong, Sta. Cruz,

DA puts up P8 million Mushroom Technology Center in Tarlac to boost production, substitute mushroom import from Taiwan

Jron — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:03:05 +0000

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is putting up an P8 million Mushroom Technology Center (MTC) in Tarlac to boost mushroom production and substitute imports from Taiwan while generating P300 per kilo income to farmers.The mushroom center will enable manufacturing of value-added processed foods including mushroom tocino and longganiza and mushroom meals like siomai, burger, bola bola and sisig. Bidding process for the project is on-going.DA Sec. Proceso J. Alcala is allotting P3 million for the MTC, while Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) is funding the bulk of the project at P5 million.There are other highly prospective processed goods for mushrooms, according to DA-Regional Field Unit 3 Project Leader Emily A. Soriano.These are pickled mushroom, mushroom jam, mushroom candies, crackers, cookies, polvoron, wine, pandesal with malunggay, barquillos, muffins, and powder.“We import 90 percent of our mushrooms. But we want Central Luzon including Tarlac to be known as a major producer of mushroom. This can generate income of P180 per kilo at farmgate and P300 per kilo at retail. When processed, they can give higher additional income to our farmers,” said Soriano.DA is also targeting Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) to become beneficiaries of the mushroom center, according to BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.“Secretary Alcala wants our OFWs in Hongkong and Singapore to get oriented on business opportunities when they go back to the country. So we decided we should improve our facilities since this is a good employment program for them,” said Eleazar.Through processing, shelf life of mushroom fruits last to 14 months, depending on packaging and storage.Without processing, farmers suffer from spoilage since fresh mushrooms can just last in three days as its substantial water content causes fast staleness. Profitability also increases by 30 to 70 percent when fresh mushrooms are turned into value added products.“The estimated value-added income for producers range from P40 to P239 per kilo of mushroom fruits,” according to a DA-Central Luzon Integrated Agricultural Research Center (CLIARC) report.The country is estimated to import around 150 metric tons (MT) of mushrooms yearly largely from South East Asia—Taiwan, China, Thailand, and Japan.At the prevailing retail price of P300 per kilo, farmers can earn some P45 million yearly just by substituting imports.Mushroom cooperativeSoriano said RFU3 has already helped establish the Mushroom Producers Cooperative in Anao, Tarlac. Just organized last February, it now has 23 members. From their mushroom production, each member is presently receiving P700 to P3,500 per month from the cooperative.The cooperative is producing less than 10 kilos per day. DA-CLIARC aims to raise this volume depending on demand of mushroom in the market.Even before the technology center’s completion, DA has already been receiving inquiries from interested entrepreneurs on the mushroom products.“Many private individuals have been inquiring from us. But we’re still on the product development stage. We’re also sending our products for nutrition analysis through our partners at BAR,” she said.Nutrient-richMushroom goods are ideal food supplement products since mushrooms can retain their vitamins and minerals even after various processing methods, according to Soriano.Known mostly for its rich protein, mushrooms also have Vitamin D, B1 (Thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Pantothenic Acid), B9 (Folate), and H (Biotin). Minerals contained are sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and ergothioneine.RFU3 is also collaborating with the chemical laboratory of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) as well as the Department of Science on Technology on the same effort on nutrient analysis for mushroom products. The Department of Trade and Industry is also extending assistance in product label design.Most mushrooms can be grown in the Philippines. DA is also engaged in tissue culture of mushroom which can maximize mushroom seed production in order to meet demand.DA is continuously developing technologies in raising yield of mushroom.Materials for growing mushroom are readily available in the environment and are usually considered waste, making growing mushrooms a profitable venture. It is grown on materials like rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, tobacco midribs, water lilies, sawdust, corn cobs, corn leaves, grass, banana bark, and similar materials.Mushroom grows over 1.5 months from spawn production (mushroom seed) to harvest.For tissue culture, DA can also train more technicians in its four stages. These are pure culture fresh mushroom; rapid multiplication (subcultures); spawn preparation; and planting for fruit production.Food safetyIn order to ensure food safety, CLIARC is likewise promoting sanitation and safety processes under its own study “Sanitation and Hygiene in the Production of Mushroom Food Products.”Food hazards associated with mushroom production are biological including bacteria, yeast, molds, viruses, insects, and parasites; chemical—pesticides and toxic elements; and physical—plastic, wood chips, paper, hair, and sand.However, harmful microorganisms are among the most critical hazards being commonly found in nature.Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a manufacturing practice strictly observed in developed countries like the United States particularly mandated in the pharmaceutical and medical industries. GMP should be put in place.The technology center will have a laboratory for mushroom tissue culture, a gene bank that will keep mushroom species for research on their traits and study of commercial potential; and a product display area.Central LuzonCentral Luzon provinces—Tarlac, Pampanga, Bulacan, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, and Aurora—have the potential to become big mushroom producers.The technology center can reach out to farmers and entrepreneurs for product development and training in these provinces.“Monthly Income of assisted farmer beneficiaries will have increased by 50 percent as of November 2013,” said Soriano.In the MTC, the local government units in Tarlac—the towns of Anao, Camiling, and Victoria—are partners in developing and commercializing new mushroom products.Soriano is concerned that not many state universities and colleges and government support institutions are engaged in product development for mushroom. This is one of the problems she identified in her masteral study “State of Mushroom Industry in Central Luzon.”“We’re developing products for different segments of the market,” she said. “We’re also looking at products for public schools.”DA is specifically using mushroom genus called pleurotus and volvariella which grow well under Philippine environment.Product testingThe BAR-funded project has so far trained around 400 participants for mushroom processing in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, while technical assistance was given to four communities in order to set up mushroom production and processing for livelihood.In order to capture high-end markets, product testing is being conducted particularly on sensory evaluation (taste and appearance). A Food and Drug Administration registration will be obtained to ensure food safety, consequently better marketing of the products in supermarkets.Innovative goodsIndustrial scale processing can also be achieved with new product lines such as seasoning, nuggets, noodles and mixture for soup. The project has tapped certified food technologies for these innovative products.“Elemental analysis as well as microbial load for food safety will also be tested for finished products,” said Soriano.For new farmers’ and entrepreneurial organizations, the project will assist groups in cooperative formation, business registration, organizational policy formulation, business plan preparation, basic financial management training, marketing strategies, values formation, and conflict resolution.==For any questions, please call Dr. Emily Soriano, 0916-279-1956; for interview requests, Ms. Analiza C. Mendoza, 0923-436-3177

Ilocos garlic growers to market garlic to Jollibee, Splash Foods at 13.5 tons per month

Jron — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 03:07:51 +0000

Ilocos garlic growers are optimistic of the prospects of the garlic industry as they are about to market peeled and powdered garlic to Jollibee and Splash Foods Corp at 13.5 metric tons (MT) per month.The Sinait Garlic Center of the North Producers Cooperative (SGC-NPC) in Ilocos Sur is set to start its sale of eight MT of peeled garlic per month to Jollibee and peeled, four MT per month, and powdered garlic per month, 1.5 MT, to Splash by June this year."Jollibee is conducting leadership a training and entrepreneurial skills session for us. It just opened an opportunity for us to sell them eight tons of garlic a month," said Reginald I. Yadao, SGC-NPC project coordinator.Many agencies have embarked on projects supporting the garlic industry in Ilocos.Garlic has been considered a seriously threatened industry. The Philippines has been import-dependent in garlic for some time now. Imports peaked to 55,000 MT in 2008.While imports fell to 18,000 MT in 2010, and further down to 8,000 MT in 2011, local garlic production has remained flat at 10,000 MT over the last five years.A P3 million garlic technology commercialization program has been funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) in an aim to revive garlic production in Ilocos.The program offers garlic growers a competitive market advantage through their processing of garlic into garlic bulbs, noodles, pickles, flakes, chips, and polvoron."We should continue to support planting of crops that are adversely affected by imports like garlic. Ilocos farmers remain committed to planting garlic. We're strengthening their competitiveness through value adding and we?re helping farmers turn into entrepreneurs," according to BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.The Sinait cooperative is just awaiting the unfreezing (on hold due to election ban) of a P400,000 assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment to be able to acquire the equipment needed for the peeled and powdered garlic.Moreover, the SGC-NPC is urging government to fund more research and development projects specifically for garlic seeds."Seeds have always been our problem. We just keep on using the same seeds season after season. Garlic is the only crop that has no hybrid. Even onion has hybrid seeds," said Yadao.For the equipment, it needs a garlic separator, peeler, and slicer. It will soon have one unit each of these three machines. But Yadao said the cooperative needs more units in order to supply an expected growing requirement. The peeler's capacity is at 15 to 20 kilos per hour.SGC-NPC is in a separate agreement to supply seven MT of garlic to the Nueva Segovia Consortium of Cooperative (NSCC), a consolidator of crops.To be able to serve well traders like NSCC, the cooperative also seeds assistance from the Department of Agriculture on the acquisition of a refrigerated van.This is needed to retain the freshness and quality of the garlic when it is transported from Ilocos to Metro Manila.The Sinait farmers will need a similar program on garlic production as that of BAR's garlic project which raised garlic yield in pilot areas to a high of 4,284 in garlic seasons from 2008 to 2011.The farmers in the BAR program-- MCM Garlic Growers Assn, Pasuquin Farmers Garlic and Onion Growers Assn, Vintar Garlic Growers Assn, and San Nicolas Bawang Assn. earned a net income of P171,540 per hectare. Traditional farms only earned P100,000 per hectare.Yadao said Sinait farmers need new technologies in garlic production as climate change?characterized by a typhoon last December and heavy rains in January?caused production to decline."We were expecting five to six tons per hectare in the cropping early this year, but we only had two tons," he said.BAR's garlic project in Ilocos Norte hit a yield of 4,340 kilos per hectare in technology demonstration sites. This is compared to the yield of only 3,160 kilos for farmers that continued with their traditional practice.Local government units (LGUs) in the Ilocos Region want to revive Ilocos?s being known as a garlic producer.Sinait Mayor Marlon B. Ines has so far poured in P500,000 to boost the town?s garlic production where garlic is a One Town One Product (OTOP) good.An OTOP good is supported with funds and programs on production, marketing, and linkages as an OTOP identifies an LGU as a high-quality producer of that good.BAR's garlic project with the Ilocos Integrated Agricultural Research Center (ILIARC) adopted Good Agricultural Practice, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and processing-enterprise development programs, according to ILIARC and DA Region 1 leaders Luciana T. Cruz and Wilhelmina P. Castaneda.Farmers have been able to sell in 2012 a total of 2,000 kilos of garlic at P120 per kilo. Their gross income was P240,000 and net income, P90,000. Cost per kilo was P65. This included P130,000 for production; P12,000, labor for clove separation; and P7,000, transportation cost.There are three remaining garlic-producing provinces in the country?Batanes, Mindoro, and Ilocos.BAR-ILIARC's project aimed to restore Ilocos's glory as a garlic producer in light of the fact that its contribution to national production has been declining. From its 73 percent contribution in 2008, this dropped to 68 percent in 2010.Package of technologyBAR-ILIARC's package of technology included IPM practices like the use of Fish Amino Acid or Bagoong spray for thrips and mites. Farmers used Palmolive green aloe vera mixed with water to control mites. Green muscardine fungus was used as biological control for lepidopterous pests. The Makabuhay herb was soaked in water and used as spray to control pests.Naturally-occurring soil bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis, was used as spray to control lepidopterous pests.The bio-fertilizer Vital N was mixed with water. Garlic clove seeds were soaked for 30 minutes in this mixture, dried, and planted within 24 hours.Farmers were able to harvest garlic 110 to 120 days after planting. The harvested bulbs were sun-dried for seven to 10 days. Each layer of bulbs was covered with a succeeding layer of bulbs to avoid garlic scalding. They were then bundled and hanged under shade until fully dried.The garlic bulbs were cleaned and stored in between lagundi leaves for better storage.ProcessingGarlic flakes and chips were produced using extra large and large bulbs. Smaller bulbs were used for garlic powder and pickles.The processed garlic--including miki noodles, pickles, flakes, chips, polvoron became a favorite in trade fairs joined by the cooperatives. Equipment used were peeler-slicer, mechanical dryer, pulverizer, form-fill seal, vertical sealer, and cooking utensils.Garlic nutrientsGarlic is nutrient-rich and is widely known as hypertension reliever.It has many health benefits with its bulbs ?organic thio-sulfinite compounds such as diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide, and allyl propyl disulfide that can form allicin by enzymatic reaction which is activated by crushing bulb disruption (crushing, cutting),? according to Nutrition-and-You.com (NAYC)The often claim that garlic is good in fighting cholesterol is attributed by laboratory studies on allicin as it blocks HMG-CoA reductase enzume within the liver cells."Allicin also decreases blood vessel stiffness by release of nitric oxide. It blocks plately clot formation and has fibrinolytic action in the blood vessels which helps decrease the overall risk from coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular diseases, and stroke," said the NAYC.Other health benefits are decrease in incidence of stomach cancer; antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities; and its being one of the richest sources of potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and selenium?the heart-healthy mineral that is important for antioxidant enzymes.It contains many flavonoid anti-oxidants like carotene beta, zea-xanthin, and vitamins like vitamin-C. It has been used traditionally as a cure for cold, cough, bronchitis, while garlic oil is used to cure fungal dermatitis infection of skinAs a food enhancer, it flavors vegetable, meat and seafood; used as a spicy pungent flavor for Bruschetta (bread toasted and topped with garlic paste and olive oil and pepper); mixed with soups, chutney, and sauces; used like vegetable with its garlic tops just like scallions and chives.###For any questions, please call Mr. Reginald I. Yadao, 09068628681; for interview requests, 0916-266-6604

Farmers in big rice producing provinces to receive P1,200 per 20-kilo hybrid rice seed discount this rainy season

Jron — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 02:18:39 +0000

Farmers in big rice provinces Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan will enjoy a P300 per five-kilo (P1,200 for 20 kilos) hybrid rice seed aid this rainy season which should enable them to help boost Philippines’ 2013 rice production. Philippines’ pioneer hybrid rice seed producer SL Agritech Corp. (SLAC) is extending the aid in the form of

Super Hybrid Rice from China to aid Phils get high yield of10 ton per hectare at a cheap P5 per kilo

Jron — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:12:03 +0000

The Philippines is poised to achieve a high average rice yield of 10 metric tons (MT) per hectare as it collaborates with China on the development of a Super Hybrid Rice that can potentially push cost down to a cheap P5 per kilo.The target is possible as the Super Hybrid Rice that the China National Hybrid Rice R&D Center (CNHR-RDC) is developing has already hit a milestone when it reached in 2011 a goal to yield 13.5 MT.Local rice experts are also ready to demonstrate the real potential of hybrid rice to raise yield when a Harvest Festival by SL Agritech Corp. (SLAC) is conducted on April 15.This is in a farm tilled in Tabacao, Talavera, Nueva Ecija by an outstanding farmer, Ricardo Buenaventura, who is believed to be capable of producing this “10-5” target.Raising yield to lower the cost is the single biggest challenge faced by the Department of Agriculture (DA) now. This will be the key to help farmers enjoy higher levels of living.“The government’s program right now is to show farmers how to earn more because what’s important is how much is left in the pocket of farmers, not just how much income they make,” said DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala.The country is already approaching rice self-sufficiency with only 187,000 metric tons (MT) of imports this year.“But after attaining self sufficiency, our next move is to help farmers lower production cost,” Alcala said.Through the Super Hybrid Rice and 10-5 Program (SHR-10-5), government is optimistic the goal to make Filipino farmers rich is achievable.“We want to have a yield of 10 tons at a cost of P5 per kilo. That’s the dream. We have a long on-going cooperation with China in Philscat. We’re establishing more aggressive cooperation because China was the one that gave us initial programs on hybridization of rice,” Alcala said.Yuan Long Ping, known as the Father of Hybrid Rice and CNHR-RDC director general, foresees the SHR will become a commercial success in the Philippines in three years. Yuan was premiere guest at Philippines’ First Hybrid Rice Congress held last week.“We will send super hybrid varieties for testing here next year—in the dry season,” said Yuan. “Maybe after three years, our super hybrid rice will be commercialized in the Philippines through our joint efforts. We will strengthen the friendship between Philippines and China through it.”The P5 per kilo production cost is possible if farmers will have an average of 10 MT yield at a P50,000 per hectare cost, according to Henry Lim Bon Liong, SLAC chairman.SLAC has a long-standing collaboration with CNHR-RDC that has resulted in the development of SL-8H hybrid rice. This has enabled farmers to yield seven to 10 MT per hectare from their former three to five MT using inbreds.“With a progressive farmer like Mr. Ric Buenaventura,10 tons per hectare is achievable. That’s why I’m inviting you on April 15 for everyone to see for themselves how Mr. Buenaventura does it. He is only an elementary graduate, but he had sent all his five children to college. He’s now rich. He owns 24 hectares almost 100 percent of is planted with SL-8H,” said Lim.Yuan’s Super Hybrid Rice actually had in 1999 a record yield of 17.055 MT per hectare in Yongsheng County in Yunnan Province.Mechanization will be an important component of the SHR-10-5 which will be provided through the Philscat or the Philippine Sino Center for Agricultural Technology, a P69 million grant by China up to 2016.“In China about 70 percent of our rice field is mechanized. That includes everything, not only hybrid rice,” said Yuan.Another enabling environment to make rice farming prosperous, according to Yuan, is provision of seed and tax incentives.“Our government has many good policies to encourage farmers. One is they provide free-of-charge hybrid rice seeds. The seed company does not need to pay tax. It’s an efficient and economical way to increase food production. Hybrid rice increases rice production very fast. Of course cost of seed is higher, but economic return is much higher than any seed cost,” said Yuan.China’s SHR program consists of four phases. Phase 1 raised yield of 8.25 MT per hectare yield in the 1990s to 10.5 MT as of 2000. In Phase 2 from 2001 to 2005, it achieved 12 MT. The ongoing Phase 3 already reached its target of 13.5 MT in 2011.Phase 4 has a target yield of 15 MT set to be achieved by 2020.China presently has 17 million hectares of hybrid rice area, 58 percent of its 29.5 million hectare rice area, feeding some 70 million people. On the other hand, Philippines’ hybrid rice area is placed at just five percent at 146,000 hectares in 2012.DA Asst. Sec. Dante S. Delima said the government is supporting the expansion of hybrid rice whose area is targeted to reach to 281,397 hectares in 2013. This will further be expanded to 350,000 hectares by 2014.Government is also expanding the Sikat Saka program which now has a P500 million loan facility through Land Bank of the Philippines and a supposedly more relaxed application procedure.“Now the collateral not just land land title, but motor vehicle registrations, credentials of carabao (as plowing animal),” Delima said. ###ABOUT PROF. YUAN LONGPINGProf. Yuan Longping, a Chinese farmer, agricultural scientist and educator, has been recognized as the Father of Hybrid Rice after many countries have benefitted from his idea to hybridize rice at a time when China was suffering in the 1960s from a severe famine that caused many deaths.Today hybrid rice use has expanded all over Asia, America, and Africa.Yuan became successful in developing hybrid rice that had a yield advantage over common rice by crossbreeding rice with a distant relative, the wild rice that had superior planting durability.With his efforts, China’s rice production ballooned from only 5.69 billion tons in 1950 to 19 billion ton-level at present.Yuan also has an advocacy to reduce rice wastage, believing that wasting rice is a crime. Some P6.2 billion worth of rice is wasted in the Philippines yearly as each Filipino wastes about two tablespoons of rice daily, he estimates.He is a laureate of the World Food Prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award (2001), the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award of China, the Wolf Prize in Agriculture, and more than 10 others.While being offered a position that is equivalent to a prime minister level, Yuan chooses to remain a simple farmer since a state position would take away his freedom to move around the farm and would require him to be surrounded by security officers.China’s new leadership led by President Xi Jinping, now leading one of the world’s most powerful nations with a big 1.3 billion population, is set to visit him this April 2013 in recognition of what he can contribute to the food welfare of China, consequently, the world.At 82, he still goes to the farm two times daily—at 5 a.m. and at 4 pm. ###ABOUT PHILSCATPhilscat or the Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology aims to promote high yield through hybrid rice production and mechanization. Phase 1 was completed through a $5 million grant from the Chinese government with a Philippine government counterpart. The Yuan Long Ping High Tech Agriculture Co. also invested $1 million in the project. Phase 2 involves a P69 million grant from China that has been ongoing from 2011 and will last up to 2016. It will have a biogas component.Its Phase 1, implemented from 2003 to 2008, tested 50 Chinese hybrid rice varieties.These are other accomplishments of Philscat Phase 1:1. Established technology demonstrations in 33 municipalities scattered in 22 major rice growing provinces in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4B, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13 and Cordillera Autonomous Region2. Exceeded target yield by 18 percent in some demonstration areas particularly the demo site in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija which attained a yield of 16.02 MT per hectare3. Bred seven new hybrid lines, initially named Philscat 1 to 7, using existing local rice genetic resources4. Obtained accreditation process from the Philippine National Seed Industry Council for the now named as Mestizo 12 or NSIC RC174H (LP0331), Mestizo 13 or NSIC RC176H (LP0353) and Mestizo 14 or NSIC RC178H (LP0330)Under the mechanization program, it tested the functions of 73 units of farm machines to suit the Philippine farming system. It had on-farm demonstration of agricultural machines in nine provinces including Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Bataan, Zambales, Albay and Isabela.Using PhilSCAT demonstrated machines, the traditional labor input of at least 20 man-day per hectare for seedbed preparation, pulling of seeds, and transplanting have been reduced to only five man-days per hectare.The total manual labor input of harvesting with traditional mechanical threshing operations of about 25 man-day per hectare has been significantly reduced to two man-days per hectare. Postharvest losses was reduced by five to 10 percent using PhilSCAT’s rice combine harvester and thresher, mechanical dryer and rice mill.###About SL AGritech Corp. (SLAC)SLAC is the Philippines’ biggest producer of hybrid rice seeds and is the country’s pioneer in hybrid rice research and development (R&D). At a time when businesses veer away from agriculture owing to its inherent risks brought about by weather, nature-related, and calamity-related uncertainties, SLAC’s parent firm Sterling Group of Companies, stuck its neck out, took the risk, and invested capital in hybrid rice R&D. Today, SLAC produces popular hybrid rice seed SL-8H which has helped uplift the lives of many Filipino farmers through higher rice yield. By empowering them through training by SLAC technicians in precision farming skills and the pride to sell good-quality rice, hundreds of farmers are now able to educate their children, become farm entrepreneurs, and enjoy a higher standard of living. Farmers are able to access otherwise hard-to-reach financing facilities through the company’s “Plant Now Pay Later” program. This contract growing which is under the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility program also gives farmers the assurance of a market which is one of the most difficult tasks in the rice farming value chain whose absence can bring untold miseries to many farmers. SLAC buys their produce 100 percent at higher price compared to market From this contract growing program, SLAC produces the Dona Maria premium rice Miponica and Jasponica, the “best tasting rice in the Philippines, probably the whole world.” The company has international partnerships for hybrid rice seed production in Asia (Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia) and Africa in a humanitarian aim to help solve food security threats and global hunger.###For any questions, please call Ms. Joh Dungca, SLAC, 0917-558-6508; for interview requests, 0923-436-3177

US-based US Agriseeds puts up rice breeding station, releases a hybrid variety that enables farmers to plant during disease-infested rainy season

Jron — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 00:11:33 +0000

US-based US Agriseeds has put up a rice breeding station in the Philippines in line with government’s call to become rice-sufficient even as it releases to the market a variety that enables farmers to plant hybrid rice during disease-infested rainy season.The breeding station of US Agriseeds through local subsidiary SeedWorks Philippines Inc. (SPI) covers four to five hectares in Munoz, Nueva Ecija. A breeding station is where the parent lines are developed for the desired superior traits like disease resistance.The company sees brisk demand growth not only in the Philippines that has a yearly two percent population growth but in bigger rice-consuming South East Asian countries, particularly Indonesia.“We’re fairly new in Southeast Asia, but we see a big opportunity because rice is mainly produced in Asia, and it is a good market if you put together Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam,” said Carlos Miguel L. Saplala, US AGriseeds general manager-South East Asia.Indonesia is among the world’s largest rice importers with around 1.5 million metric tons (MT) of import yearly, while the Philippines is still a rice importer at 187,000 MT this year.It is bent at sustaining investments in the Philippines.“Our investment here has been continuous since the end of 2006 toward 2007. We’re continuing to pour investment because you don’t really recover investments in seeds over a short period of time. From the time you start breeding for a new hybrid today to the time that the hybrid will see the market, it takes at least six years,” he said.US Agriseeds is specifically looking at the wet season as a market for a variety developed to be tolerant to bacterial leaf blight (BLB), an infestation problem that perennially causes farmers to abstain from hybrid rice use during the wet season. This is the Tatag Hybrid or TH 82.“TH 82 is very tolerant to bacterial leaf blight. It has been proven that it could perform in the wet season,” he said. “In Davao, we’re getting 11 tons per hectare even in the wet season. I think this is why we’ve progressed fast because TH 82 can be grown in the wet season. Farmers can plant it year round in many provinces.”The company is further working on a variety that has more intensified trait against the disease.Dr. Jagadeesha Gouda, Seedworks- India senior plant breeder, said a BLB resistant variety is being developed by Seedworks in its facility at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics or ICRISAT based in Hyderabad, India.It is not only sturdy against lodging, but it can also withstand stresses such as lack of irrigation and is suitable in areas where there are interruptions in irrigation, SPI said.Farmers in rainfed areas have become interested in TH 82 even if hybrid rice is least recommended in rainfed areas.“Based on our experience, we have sold to rainfed areas in some parts of Panay, Pangasinan, and Bicol. Water in rainfed is not as sufficient as those in irrigated areas that get water through NIA. But we’re getting an increment of two tons (per hectare) in areas where yield is only three to four tons,” he said.Rainfed areas are a potentially vast market with records showing some three million hectares all over the country.SPI conducts technology demonstration in multi-locations right in farmers’ areas through the Farmer Reliability Test (FRT). It has more than 40 FRT areas nationwide.Its other hybrid rice variety, US 88, has been developed specifically for the Philippines. It is a long grain type of rice suited to Filipinos’ preferred cooking quality and taste.“The US 88 is only sold in the Philippines. It’s one of the good varieties for eating quality with intermediate amylose. The texture is like IR 64, the premium inbred check variety for grain quality,” he said.It has shiny, crystal-like grain, and the texture and grain length is similar to dinorado which is a known retail name, but it’s even better because of its long grain, said SPI.“Its specific target market is progressive farmers, and farmers that are already getting a good yield can get even higher yield.. It is covered by the (loan facility) of the Sikat Saka program,” he said.Target areas are Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Davao del Sur.Within a year or two, it is set to release a third hybrid rice variety that just obtained accreditation with the National Seed Industry Council.“We want to please farmers, but we also make traders and millers happy by offering hybrids that have good milling attributes. The strength of this hybrid is also early maturity, so farmers in Iloilo can plant three croppings a year,” he said.US Agriseeds’ other breeding station for rice is in Hyderabad, India. Its germplasm base comes from a combination of sources—own collection all over the world, from the Hybrid Rice Development Consortium-International Rice Research Institute and line further developed into new parental lines.It has a biotechnology facility in Singapore. The company also has satellite farms with close to a hectare area for trials of hybrid rice in Isabela, Los Banos, and Davao.Seedworks also sees a good prospects for its hybrid vegetables as health-conscious consumers are a growing market. It has chili or pepper, tomato, kalabasa, watermelon, eggplant, and sweet corn.It is breeding vegetables according to consumer preference such as white for cucumber in Nueva Ecija and light green in Mindanao.“It’s not just about high yield but you have to convince farmers of the color, shape, and shelf life of vegetables. That’s why we want to build a more personalized marketing for vegetables.”Sweet corn hybrid Genki has a loger shelf life (plus 24 hours compared to other varieties). Its medium term plans for corn used for animal feeds is to put up seed production and breeding capacity in Mindanao, in South Cotabato, over a five to 10-hectare area. This a province in Mindanao that is a good area for breeding particularly for disease screening as these areas experience heavy infestation problems.For interview requests, please call 0916-266-6604

Fibers from Water Lily Stem

Jron — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 22:18:33 +0000

Most of our users are clogged with water lilies or hyacinths. These fast growing plants are hazardous to sea travels They also cause skin allergies. However, the Technology and Livelihood Research Center (TLRC) found that water lilies could be a good substitute for leather in shoes and bag making.There is at present leather and other raw materials shortage for shoes and bag making. Only 75% of the industry needs are supplied, therefore water lilies could supplement the needed materials.Water lilies have long stems which could be made into soft but strong fibers which can be used in making different products, especially shoes, bags and slippers.TLRC gave the following tips for using the water lily stems:>> Stems from young plants break easily when dried so choose the stems from matured plants with dark green color must be chosen. Stems with even size on both ends, about 16 inches long and the same width must also be selected.>> Separate the good stems from decaying ones. Tie the stems in about 100 pcs per bundle. These are now ready for dyeing.>> The present dyeing practices is sun drying. Spread the bundles in a wide area and make sure that all parts of the bundle are exposed to the sun. Drying, generally takes 7 days. Put insect repellant on the sixth day. The bundles are well dried on the seventh day. Remove the stems from bundles; sort according to color, length and width. Afterwards, tie these again and store.Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 10, 1989, p 16 From Teknotulong

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Sweet Potato Production Guide

Jron — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 02:54:49 +0000

Sweet potato (Ipomea batatas), locally known as “kamote”, is commonly planted in flat to slightly rolling open areas. The crop is also known to be a cheap but excellent source of carbohydrates, vitamin A, carotene, calcium, and phosphorus. It is also a fair source of thiamine and iron but a poor source of riboflavin, niacin,

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Soybean Production Guide

Jron — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 01:27:54 +0000

Soybean is an important crop because of its high nutritional qualities. Soybean has a high protein content of 40% by weight, 32% carbohydrate, 20% fat, 5% minerals and 3% fiber, and other trace substances. It is used as sources of protein in human food such as soymilk and tofu or soybean curd (taho and tokwa),

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