from: http://www.philstar.com/agriculture/2015/12/06/1529412/dar-pushes-farm-mechanization 

DAR pushes farm mechanization

By Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star) | Updated December 6, 2015 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino farmers are now embracing farm mechanization despite initial fears of labor displacement as it is now seen as a way to attract younger farmers into the agriculture sector,  the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (Philmech) said.

Philmech executive director Rex Bingabing said the reception of farmers to increased use of farm machinery is significantly different from six years ago.

“About five to six years ago, there was some opposition to farm mechanization because many farmers doubted the benefits of mechanization, and there were fears of massive displacement of farm labor,” Bingabing said during the opening of the 2015 Makina Saka farm machinery show Tuesday.

Bingabing said farmers are now seeing the benefits of farm mechanization not only in terms of lowering the cost of production of rice and corn but also as a means of keeping younger farmers in the workforce.

“There are fears of labor displacement with machines but there is also the big problem of aging farmers retiring with nobody to replace them. So farm mechanization is important to attracting the younger generation to the farming sector,” he said.

 A 2014 study done by Philmech and the University of the Philippine Los Baños-Agricultural Mechanization Development Program (UPLB-AMDP) showed the average age of the country’s farmers at over 40 years.

Most rice farmers fall within the 40 to 59 age bracket. In Camarines Sur and Iloilo, a high number of farmers are 60 years old and above.

 Bingabing said with this level of acceptance, rice and corn farms would be able to attain a farm mechanization level of three horsepower per hectare  by 2016 from 2.31 hp/ha in 2013 and 0.6 hp/ha in the 1990’s.

With increased farm mechanization, Filipino rice farmers could be as competitive as their counterparts in Thailand and Vietnam, he said.

Using a mechanical transplanter and a combine harvester, for instance, can bring down the cost of palay (unmilled rice) production from P11 per kilogram to P7.87 per kg.

This would be lower than Thailand’s P8.73 per kg and only slightly higher than Vietnam’s P6.07 per kg.

Farmers, organized as cooperatives, can take advantage of the DA’s farm mechanization program that provides counterpart funding for the acquisition of farm machinery.

The DA can shoulder up to 85 percent of the cost of farm equipment while the qualified farmer organization provides 15 percent of the cost.

The department is urging landless farm workers to organize themselves into farm service providers that could enter into service arrangements with landowners to sustain their livelihood.

Philmech, for its part, continues to develop prototype models of farm machines appropriate for local conditions in a shorter timespan of six to 12 months compared to the usual development period of three to five years.

Among the farm machineries undergoing testing are the fluidized drying system for palay, coconut water pasteurizer, tractor mounted combine harvester, onion seeder, compact village corn mill, brown rice huller, cassava digger, and granulated cassava belt dryer.

Gov’t officials, traders face raps for garlic price surge

Gov’t officials, traders face raps for garlic price surge
from: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/662829/govt-officials-garlic-traders-face-raps-for-price-surge#ixzz3OHTj2ONh

MANILA, Philippines -The National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against government officials and traders in connection with the alleged manipulation of the price of garlic in the local market last year.

The complaint was filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against 119 officials of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Department of Agriculture, National Garlic Action Team, and supposed “dummies” of importer Leah Cruz.

Facing cases for violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act are former BPI Director Clarito Barron, Merle Bautista Palacpac, the officer-in-charge of the Plant Quarantine Service and Luben Quijano Marasigan, the former chief of the Plant Quarantine Service of the BPI.

Investigation conducted by the NBI showed that the government official conspired with Vegetable Importers, Exporters, and Vendors Association of the Philippines (Vieva Philippines) and that their complementary acts brought about unreasonable increase in the price of garlic constituting cartel activity.

“A perusal of the documents obtained from BPI revealed that the Import Permits were issued only to either members of the Vieva or to entities affiliated with the same. Non-members or non-affiliated importers were seldom given the Import Permits, specifically for fresh garlic. The denial of the issuance of the Import Permits to non-Vieva members or affiliates were without sufficient reasons, despite full compliance of the applicants with the requirements set forth [under the law],” the complaint stated.

“Premises establish that subject officers and employees of BPI committed the acts penalized by Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by willfully giving the importers under the Vieva Philippines headed by subject Lilia Matabang Cruz aka Leah Cruz unwarranted benefits, advantage, and preference in the performance of their function as the issuing authority of import permits and plant quarantine certificates,” the NBI said in its findings and recommendation.

“Likewise, the same subjects also violated Section 39j) of RA 3019 by knowingly approving or granting import permits and plant quarantine certificates in favor of some members of Vieva Philippines who are not qualified to be issued import permits and plant quarantine certificates,” it added.

Barron is facing a separate case for violation of Article 210 (Direct bribery) of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) for allegedly receiving P240, 000 from Lilybeth Valenzuela, president of Philippine Vegetable Importers and Exporters Incorporated (Vieva Philippines Incorporated) in consideration of the issuance of import permits for garlic.

Cruz was also included in the charges for violation of RA 3019 along with other importers and officials of farmers’ cooperatives. She is considered the “Janet Lim-Napoles” in the agriculture industry after bagging 75 percent of garlic importation in the country.

Cruz is also the subject of a House inquiry on an alleged scam within the garlic industry. Cruz is accused of operating a P200 million garlic and onion import scam by using dummy companies owned by her drivers, clerks and house helpers.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the NBI will file separate criminal charges on Thursday for violation of Republic Act 7581 (The Price Act), Article 186 of the RPC (Monopolies and combinations in restraint of trade), Article 178 of the RPC (Using fictitious names and concealing true names) and Presidential Decree 1829 (Penalizing obstruction of apprehension and prosecution of criminal offenders) against Cruz and other traders.

Magna Carta for young tillers urged

from http://www.philstar.com/agriculture/2015/01/04/1409144/magna-carta-young-tillers-urged

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – A farmers’ federation is pushing for the crafting of a Magna Carta for  small farmers to address the problems besetting the country’s young tillers.              

The Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA) is also calling for  the development of a viable partnership between young farmers and various sectors such as the government, business, banks,  research and academic community to encourage the youth to pursue a career in agriculture and engage in entrepreneurial farming.              

PAKISAMA is one of 17 national federations and organizations of small farmers and producers in 13 Asian countries allied with the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA).               

The proposed Magna Carta of Young Farmers is envisioned to promote and protect the rights and privileges of young tillers aged 15-40 years; establish programs for them; and institutionalize their representation in agriculture policy-making bodies.              

Ana P. Sibayan, a 25-year old PAKISAMA farmer-leader from Barangay San Narciso, Victoria, Oriental Mindoro, took the cudgels for the young agriculture workforce at the “Second International Conference on Agriculture and Rural Development in Southeast Asia (ARD2014)” held recently at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City.              

ARD2014 was organized by the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) headed by director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr. and co-sponsored by 16 international, regional, and national organizations and agencies, academic institutions, and government and private entities.               

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The conference was attended by more than 400 scientists, economists, academics, government policymakers, local government executives, farmer-leaders and practicing farmers,  representatives of civil society organizations, and other stakeholders from 22 countries in Asia and the Pacific, North America, and Europe.               

Expounding on “Attracting Youth to Agriculture in Asia”, Sibayan asserted that the young people in rural communities would go into  farming,  if agriculture could  provide decent livelihoods, and if it could  be a “wealth multiplier”.

She also stressed the need for  capital investments in family farms.               

Sibayan, the youngest among the conference’s 65 speakers and resource persons, noted that agriculture is not attractive to the youth because income is low, work is unstable, the risk is high, and prospects are not bright.

According to Sibayan, there is “no pride and dignity in farming”, self-esteem is low, rural life is boring, and there is “no entertainment.”               

Moreover, she said,  there is lack of rural youth organizations focusing on agriculture.               

“The youth need training, as well a the presence of mentors and motivators. They need to be provided with basic resources, especially land, capital, and equipment to make farming less tedious work and be viable and sustainable, “ she stressed.               

Small-scale farmers feed 70 percent of the world’s population (majority of them are in Asia and the Pacific), she said.

She said that the United Nations’ declaration of 2014  as International Year of Family Farming IYFF) is a recognition of the small-scale farmers’ key contribution in feeding the world and caring for it.                

“The IYFF is an opportunity to tell the world to invest in smallholder agriculture, in women in agriculture, and in the rural youth,” said Sibayan, who holds a BS in Education (major in Biological Science) degree from the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology.              

She also cited salient findings of the “AFA Policy Research in Youth in Agriculture” stating that many young Asians are no longer interested in agriculture courses and in farming and instead migrate to cities and other countries for better-paying and higher office jobs.               

The situations in other AFA countries covered by the research are better, Sibayan said.                

For instance, Vietnam has a “green summer program” and another that encourages young farmers to stay in their land. There is also a youth committee with representation in leadership.

South Korea provides loans with only one percent interest rate to revitalize young farmers, while Taiwan has its “New Farmer Program”

Adlay: A healthy, all-Filipino breakfast cereal

from http://www.philstar.com/agriculture/2014/12/28/1407010/adlay-healthy-all-filipino-breakfast-cereal

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos love rice. Although breakfast cereal has long been introduced in the country as a healthy alternative to the usual longganisa-sinangag-itlog breakfast combo, many still prefer to eat rice.

Essentially, breakfast cereal is a packaged food product made from processed grains. A ready-to-eat meal, it is eaten hot or cold, and is usually mixed with milk or water and  sometimes added with yogurt or fruits.

The target market for breakfast cereal products are the health-conscious consumers. Hence, commercially-available breakfast cereals are either packaged as oat-based or high-fiber cereal,  and are often fortified with vitamins.

With support from the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), a new product was recently developed by the Northern Mindanao Integrated Agricultural Research Center (NOMIARC), Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFU) 10 to address both the convenience of preparing a breakfast meal and ensure its health benefits while still getting the “heavy on the stomach” feel of rice.

Introducing adlay breakfast cereal (ABC)

“Nowadays people are always in a hurry, so we developed a product that can answer their needs, minimizing their time to prepare their usual breakfast meal,” said Antonieta S. Tumapon, adlay project leader and researcher from DA-NOMIARC.

ABC is easy to prepare, Tumapon assured,  “just add hot water, 220 ml of water for every 45-gram pack of adlay breakfast cereal.”

ABC was developed in 2013, three years after BAR was tasked by the DA, through Secretary Proceso J. Alcala,  to look into the potential of adlay as a staple crop.

From then on, a series of adaptability trials have been conducted nationwide, including in Region 10, to assess the performance of the different varieties of adlay.

Alongside these trials are the production of seeds and development of various products from the adlay.

“ABC was first introduced into the public in August 2013 during  the 9th Agriculture and Fisheries Technology Forum and Product Exhibition” organized by BAR at SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City where it bagged the first prize for the “Best New Product Award”, Tumapon revealed.

Other awardees that year were jackfruit vacuum-fried (Region 8) and rimas ice cream (Region 5), winning second and third prizes, respectively.

Adlay resembles and tastes like rice

Adlay belongs to the family Poaceae or the grasses, the same family to which wheat, corn, and rice belong. It produces good yield in areas where rice and corn hardly grow, like the highlands. Just like rice, farmers grow adlay as their staple crop for its good eating quality. It bears tear-shape grains which when matured are harvested, pounded, threshed, and winnowed, cooked and served steamed just like rice.

“Adlay looks and tastes like rice, only the grains are a bit larger, mas matagal magutom kapag kumakain kami ng adlay (it takes time to feel hungry when we eat adlay),” said one of the locals from Malaybalay, Bukidnon who have been invited to try the cooked adlay grains. A common remark is that, “compared to rice, adlay takes a bit more time to cook due to the size of the grains.”

As a food source, adlay is as versatile as rice. It can be cooked and processed as a  main ingredient for Filipino kakanin products including maja blanca and sinukmani, even champorado, polvoron, and turones de adlay to name a few.

It can also be an ingredient in soups and broths. The grains can be ground into flour and used to make breads, pastas, and porridge.

Nutritive value of ABC

“What makes adlay breakfast cereal different from the commercially-available breakfast cereal we have is that it’s made naturally using adlay grain as main ingredient which is 80 percent of the whole product,” shared Tumapon.

According to experts, by eating just 100 grams per serving of adlai, one is less likely to feel hungry after awhile compared to eating rice or corn. This is because adlay has the highest food energy content (356 kcal) compared to corn, white rice or brown rice.

It is also superior to its staple counterparts when it comes to carbohydrate content (73.9 g), protein (12.8 g), and fat (1.0 g).

Adlay is also packed with other minerals including calcium (25 mg), phosphorus (43.5 mg), iron (5 mg), niacin (4.3 mg), thiamine (0.28 mg), and riboflavin (0.19 mg).

“In terms of its nutritive value, adlay breakfast cereal has low glycemic index.  Its grits, which is the main ingredient in  ABC, are made into flakes and have better characteristics as compared to corn flakes, which is sold-commercially in the market,”  Tumapon added.

Directions and future plans

“Aside from its health benefit, ABC is relatively cheaper. A 45-gram pack of adlay breakfast cereal costs only P12,”  Tumapon said.

Although the product has the potential, Tumapon admitted that it’s not available in the market yet. “At the moment we can only make this available to the public through field days, trainings, project reviews and other activities wherein adlay is being promoted,” she said.

However, the product is available the NOMIARC’s Technology Commercialization Center (TCC) in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

When asked how the public is taking the product, Tumapon said that it’s being taken well considering its sensory attributes, taste and nutrient content, and uniqueness of adlay as a staple food crop.

“We are still facilitating and waiting for its nutrition facts from the DOST. From there, we can proceed to its mass production and develop a good strategy for packaging and labeling to better promote it to the public,” she said.

The group of Tumapon is intensifying its promotional strategy through the conduct of various activities that would make ABC known more to the public.

In fact, she revealed, they  plan to bring ABC to malls like Gaisano, a shopping mall chain in the Philippines, owned by a prominent Cebu-based  family.

“Our plan is to eventually bring adlay breakfast cereals to the mainstream market including grocery stores and supermarkets,” she concluded.

Aside from the adlay breakfast cereal, NOMIARC has developed other adlay-based products including wine, coffee, polvoron, and even beauty soap. Currently, they are developing their latest product line, which is the adlay crunchy bar.

How to grow bigger onions for export

from http://www.mb.com.ph/how-to-grow-bigger-onions-for-export/

With the impending Asean Integration whereby there will be free flow of goods within the Asean community, local farmers should think of ways that will enable them to compete better locally and in the world market.

It means they should be able to produce farm products that are better in a number of ways, which could be in terms of quality as well as in price.

One export crop that is in demand in Japan as well as other foreign markets is the yellow and white onions usually used in sandwiches. We are exporting some right now but the potential competition comes from Thailand and Vietnam.

• SEAWEED PROGRAM BENEFICIARY – Ethelmark Bohol of Baganga, Davao Oriental, is a beneficiary of the science and technology initiative to revitalize the seaweed industry launched by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD). The target is to halt the decline in productivity, at the same time increasing the quality of the products. There is an urgent need to increase seaweed production in the Philippines to provide more employment as well as to increase export earnings. Here, Bohol is showing a Kappaphycus cottonii which is the species most in demand for the production of carrageenan.

The importing countries usually want onion bulbs that weigh about 600 grams. How can local farmers produce such sizes economically? Well, Michael Caballes of Allied Botanical Corporation knows of a theory that is corroborated by their own observations.

He said that there is a theory that bigger bulbs can be grown in areas of higher latitude (not altitude), which means northern Luzon. Also, bigger bulbs are produced when the bulb formation coincides with the coolest months of the year. Bulb formation starts two months after planting. This means that for northern Luzon, planting should be done in November so that the bulb formation stage will coincide with the cool months of January and February.

Mike also adds that the number of leaves contributes to the size of the bulb. The more the leaves, the bigger the bulb. Which means that the farmer should fertilize adequately so that more leaves will be produced. He should also pay attention to proper distancing for maximum leaf production.

Mike suggests that the government researchers should conduct experiments that will be the basis of a science-based planting protocol. To be included is the package of good agricultural practices (GAP) that will ensure acceptance of our product in the export market.

Mike notes that there are two systems of growing onion. In Nueva Ecija, the farmers transplant seedlings while in Pangasinan they practice direct seeding. The government researchers should also conduct experiments to come up with recommended techniques to produce big bulbs under the two systems.

TO INCREASE POTATO YIELD FOUR TIMES – Michael Caballes has also told us a sure way to increase the yield of Granola potatoes four times, particularly in Benguet. This is no longer theory. It is a fact.

Farmers in Benguet plant the Granola variety for the fresh potato market. The trouble is that for many farmers, production has been continually declining. The main reason is that they have been planting seedpieces that they select from their own harvest year after year. It is said that farmers are planting seedpieces that are as old as the 15th generation.

That’s the main reason for the declining productivity of the plants. Mike says that one plant of the old generation usually produces only less than ten tubers that are not uniform.

So how can farmers achieve higher production by as much as four times? The answer is for them to plant the so-called Zero Generation seedpieces imported from Holland. A number of Benguet farmers are already enjoying this by planting the newly imported seedpieces.

As per their experience, one plant of the Zero Generation seedpieces can produce 15 to 20 tubers that weigh 165 to 200 grams each. The tubers are not only bigger, they are also more uniform. Thus, they command a better price in the market.

Mike added that one kilo of the 15th generation seedpieces will only produce about 5 to 7 kilos of tubers that are not uniform. Many are small. On the other hand, one kilo of the Zero Generation seedpieces can produce 20 kilos of tubers.

The farmers can use planting materials from their harvest of Zero Generation plants up to the third generation. After that, productivity declines and they should plant once more the Zero Generation seedpieces.

Diversified farming seen to boost yield

Diversified farming seen to boost yield

from: http://www.mb.com.ph/diversified-farming-seen-to-boost-yield/

Tacurong City – The local government here has launched its technology demonstration farm on diversified farming in the three farming villages here.

City Agriculturist Ramon Losanes said local farmers have been visiting the diversified demo farms in the villages of Baras, San Pablo, and Ledesma where they were introduced to the technology of diversified rice farming, hog, vegetable, and mudfish production.

“Through diversified farming, local farmers are expected to boost their production, and augment their income,” Losanes said.

As this developed, Losanes encouraged the members of the local farmers’ cooperatives to apply the technology in a bid to ensure food security, and increase production – resulting to an improved income.

He stressed that diversified farming provides alternatives to the farmers during calamity, wherein they can produce other products though their rice fields are devastated by typhoons.

It was learned that the Department of Agriculture (DA) funded the technology demonstration farm on diversified rice farming system, in partnership with the provincial and local governments, which initiated the organization of farmers’ cooperatives.

The diversified farming system also includes a Korean-based technology on hog production, which does not emit foul odor that could be hazardous to the environment, and the community.

Agriculture: Backyard farming of crops, fishes

from: http://www.mb.com.ph/agriculture-backyard-farming-of-crops-fishes/ 

More Filipinos, including urban dwellers, are taking interest in Aquaponics, which combines hydroponic gardening or growing plants in water, with aquaculture or rearing of fish in tanks. Plants and fish are grown in an integrated system, creating a symbiotic relationship between the two. The technology has been described as “smart” agriculture because it is self-sustaining and requires minimal space for a simple setup.

The advantages of Aquaponics are many. It is not dependent on arable soil and uses less water. Plant nutrients are supplied by fish poop. Plant beds can be raised and are thus easier to tend than in conventional farming. And some plants grow well on aquaponics compared to soil-based farming.

Ideal for farming in crowded population centers, Aquaponics can produce healthy, organic food for the family. The system can be set up in a backyard, condo veranda, or unused car garage.  It can be educational as children learn how plants and fish grow and they see the ecology interactions among the fish, the plants, and their environment. It is easy to operate and requires low maintenance, since there is no need to weed, water, and cultivate soil. Its benefits can be enjoyed by urban poor communities where soil-based farming is not possible. Fertilizers are easy to produce, even in one’s backyard using available materials.

Among the crops that can be grown through Aquaponics are fast-growing tomato, bell pepper, strawberry, lettuce, kangkong, pechay, and other leafy vegetables. Tilapia and freshwater prawns can be grown under the aquaculture component.

Aquaponics is a promising technology being encouraged by many Philippine cities and towns. It is a good alternative to growing fish and vegetables during droughts and other extreme weather which impact on conventional farming.