Vol. XXVI No. 8 A monthly publication of the Department of Agriculture August 2011

Phl attains record 1st sempalay, corn, sugar harvests

The Philippines has achievedrecord-breaking harvests ofpalay (unmilled rice), corn andsugarcane for the f irst sixmonths of 2011.

Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala said palayproduction for the first semes-ter of 2011 topped 7.577 millionmetric tons (MT), 14.4 percent(%) more than last year’s vol-ume of 6.621 million MT for thesame six-month period.

First semester corn harvest isalso the highest in the country’shistory, at 3.309 million MT,37% more than last year’s out-put of 2.415 million MT.

As for sugarcane, total pro-duction for the first six monthsof 2011 totaled 19.64 million MT, (Pls turn to p2)

75.6% more than last year’s out-put of 11.19 million MT for thesame six-month period.

Secretary Alcala said the record1st semester palay and corn har-vests were mainly due to the ex-pansion of harvested area and in-crease in average yield per hect-are.

The previous highest 1st se-mester harvests of palay were re-corded in 2009 (7.376 million MT)and in 2008 (7.121 million MT),and for corn, in 2008 (3.293 mil-lion MT) and in 2009 (3.218 mil-lion MT).

The total harvested rice area forthe 1st semester of 2011, in-creased to 1.993 million hect-ares, 9.6% more than in 2010, at1.819 million hectares.

The expansion is due to the in-crease in irrigated area primarilythrough the rehabilitation and re-pair of irrigation facilities.

This was complemented bymore rice planted in non-irrigatedareas, which received sufficientrainwater from relatively favorableweather during the f irst sixmonths of 2011.

P57.7-M project irrigates 1,000 hectares in Isabela .Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala (3rd from right) leads theinauguration of Balaobao Creek checkgate No. 3, at Bgy. Rang-ay,Cabatuan, Isabela, August 25 ,2011, despite rains due to typhoon‘Mina.’ It is one of the three checkgates constructed last year by theDA’s National Irrigation Administration along Balaobao Creek.Worth P57.7 million, the project irrigates up to 1,000 hectares plantedto rice and corn on both sides of the waterway before draining throughMagat River. It forms part of the DA-NIA’s Magat River IntegratedIrrigation System (MARIIS), where two more checkgate projects willbe constructed in 2012. Secretary Alcala instructed NIA Administra-tor Antonio Nangel to construct similar river and creek irrigationprojects and mini-dams to irrigate more farmlands nationwide tocontribute in attaining rice and food staple sufficiency by 2013. Join-ing Secretary Alcala (from left) are: DA Region 2 Director LucrecioAlviar, Jr.; Jose Fontanilla, council chairman of seven Irrigators’Associations along Balaobao Creek; Cabatuan Mayor Cid Dayrit;NIA-MARIIS manager Mariano Dancel; and other farmer–leaders.

To enable more farmers’cooperatives and irrigators’associations (IAs) avail offarm machines and equip-ment, Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala recently ap-proved a more affordablescheme by reducing theircounterpart or equity to only15 percent (%), from the pre-vious 30%.

Secretary Alcala said withthe scheme the Aquino gov-ernment is making modernfarm equipment within easyreach of farmers nationwide.

He said the DA will shoul-der 85% of the cost under itsfarm mechanization andpostharvest program.

This year, the DA has ear-marked P1.8 billion for thepurpose under its national riceprogram, and proposes to in-crease it further to P3 billionnext year.

Secretary Alcala made theannouncement during an ag-ricultural farm machinery andequipment roadshow, dubbedas ‘AgriMach 2011’ in Muñoz,Nueva Ecija, August 23, 2011.

More than 1,100 farmers, lo-cal officials, and farm machin-ery manufacturers, distributorsand dealers attended the two-

DA lowers farmers’equity to avail of farmmachines, equipment

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The Department of Agriculture(DA) is proposing a budget ofP61.73 billion for 2012, which is60 percent more than this year’sallocation.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said with the amountthe Aquino administration will beon track towards achieving self-sufficiency in rice and majorstaples by end of 2013.

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With a bumper sugarcaneharvest, the Philippines is setto export at least 300,000 met-ric tons (MT) of raw and refinedsugar this crop year (CY).

Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala said with aharvest of 2.39 million MT for CY2010-11, 21.3 percent (%) morethan last year, the country willregain its previous distinction asa sugar exporter.

“We have been making greatstrides in sugar production thepast year. This may very wellbe the start of the country pro-ducing more than enough tomeet its domestic requirementsand quota obligations, but alsoto ensure that sugar farmershave a reasonable, sufficient,and ‘livable’ income,” SecretaryAlcala said during the 17th AsiaInternational Sugar Conference(AISC) in Cebu, August 16,2011

With continuing synergisticefforts of sugar industry farmersand stakeholders, and govern-ment through the DA-SugarRegulatory Administration(SRA), the country may nolonger import sugar and insteadbe a major sugar supplier inSoutheast Asia, Secretary

Surplus sugareyed for export

DA wants P61.73-Bbudget in 2012

(Pls turn to p11)

2

EditorialWanted: ‘Young farmers, fishers’

Writers: Adora D. Rodriguez, Jo Anne Grace B. Pera, Arlhene S. Carro, Bethzaida Bustamante, Mc. Bien Saint Garcia, Jay Ilagan, Catherine NantaContributors: DA-RFU Info Officers, Public Info Officers and Staff of DA

is published monthly by the Department of AgricultureInformation Service, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City. Tel. nos. 9288762loc 2148, 2150, 2155, 2156 or 2184; 9204080 or tel/fax 9280588. Thisissue is available in PDF file. For copies, please send requests via email:da_afis@yahoo.com.

Editor-In-Chief : Noel O. ReyesAssociate Editors: Karenina Salazar, Cheryl C. Suarez & Adam Borja

Bureaus, Attached Agencies & Corporations, Foreign-Assisted ProjectsPhotographers: Jose Lucas, Alan Jay Jacalan, & Kathrino ResurreccionLay-out Artist: Bethzaida BustamantePrinting & Circulation: Teresita Abejar & PCES Staff

Phl attains record harvests ... (from p1)

Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala proudly reports that the Philippines attainedrecord harvests of palay (unmilled rice), corn and sugarcane duringthe first semester of 2011. With him are DA undersecretary for policyand planning Segfredo Serrano (left) and assistant secretary foragribusiness and DA spokesperson Salvador Salacup.

Significant increases in har-vested area were particularlynoted in Western Visayas andCagayan Valley.

The average palay yield perhectare for the first half also im-proved to 3.8 tons (or 76 cavansof 50 kilos each). This is roughlythree cavans more than lastyear’s average yield of 3.64 tonsper hectare.

The increase in productivitywas a result of good weather, in-creased use of high qualityseeds, encouraging palay prices,and production and marketingsupport to farmers provided bythe DA, in collaboration with theLGUs and the private sector.

As for corn, the record harvestwas due to the 13.8% expansionin harvested area combined witha 20.4% improvement in averageyield.

Favorable weather during thefirst half of the year, as well asgood farm prices have encour-aged the expansion of cornplantings and harvested area.

More importantly, the DA’s con-tinuing promotion of higher qual-ity hybrid corn seed has contrib-uted much to higher yields.

Secretary Alcala said in addi-tion to the improved delivery ofsupport services and infrastruc-ture support, the active engage-ment and participation of theLGUs and private sector partnershave more than made up for thephasing out of the traditional fer-tilizer and seed subsidies.

In all, he said the DA will vig-orously implement its rice andcorn programs to attain 2011targets — and more importantly100% sufficiency in rice, corn,and other staples by 2013 — inpartnership with farmers’ groups,particularly irrigators’ associa-tions, LGUs, rice and corn in-dustry stakeholders, NGOs,academe, and other concernedagencies.

The national estimates of the2011 1st semester palay andcorn harvests were based on thepalay and corn production sur-vey, conducted in July 2011 bythe Department of Agriculturethrough the Bureau of Agricul-tural Statistics (BAS). The sur-vey is conducted regularly tomonitor and evaluate the pro-duction performance of thepalay and corn subsectors.

Kahit pa man sabihing‘techy’ na tayong mga Pinoy,mahigit sa 39% ng kabuuangpopulasyon ng kayumangginating lahi ang umaasa pa rinsa agrikultura — di lamangpara sa ating pagkain, kundimaging para sa atingkabuhayan.

Humigit-kumulang sapitong bilyong piso angnaitalang kontribusyon ngsektor ng agrikultura sapambansang ekonomiya saunang anim na buwan ngtaon.

Ito ay bunsod ngmagandang produksyon ngpalay (na nagtala ng 15%pagtaas) at ng mais (naumangat naman ng mahigitsa 30%).

Pagtatanim. Pangingisda.Pag-aalaga ng hayop.Ilan lamang ang mga

sektor na ito sa mgapangunahing pinagmumulanng kita ni Juan at ng kanyangpamilya.

Maliban sa ambag nito saating ekonomiya, saagrikultura rin nagmumulaang kanin, gulay, karne, itlog,at gatas na inihahain natin saating mga hapag sa araw-araw.

Ngunit dapat tandaan, nahindi madaling proseso angpinagdadaanan ng mgamanggagawa ng ating mgasakahan at pangisdaan.

Gaya nga ng sinabi sakanta: ‘Magtanim ay dibiro.’

Hindi madali ang magingmagsasaka (o mangingisdaman).

Anumang larangan sasektor ng agrikultura aynangangailangan ng malakasna pangangatawan at matalasna kaisipan.

Kahit pa nga sabihing walanamang espisipikong kursosa kolehiyo ang kailanganupang maging isang ‘practic-ing farmer,’ kailangan pa rinang patuloy na pag-aaral atpananaliksik upangmagtagumpay — lumaki angani at kita, at yumaman salarangan ng sakahan,pangisdaan at agribusiness.

Sa gitna ng modernisasyonat mabilis na pag-ikot ngmundo, hinihikayat ngKagawaran ng Pagsasakaang ating mga kabataan namag-aral ng kursong may

kaugnayan sa agrikultura atpangisdaan, agribusiness,agricultural engineering, ofood processing.

Kaya naghahandog angDA ng college scholarshipsa mga high school gradu-ate na tutustusan angkanilang matrikula, kasamana ang monthly stipend atpambili ng mga libro.

Ang programang ito aypopondohan sa ilalim ngAgricultural CompetitivenessEnhancement Fund (ACEF).

Mayroon ding mga tulongna inihahatid sa mgakabataan ang DA sapamamagitan ng AgriculturalTraining Institute (ATI) sailalim ng 4-H Club program.

Mayroon ding ‘YoungFarmer Program’ naipinapatupad ng DA sapamamagitan ng NationalAgriculture and FisheryCouncil (NAFC), na kungsaan binibigyan ngkaukulang kapital ang mgakabataan o kanilang grupona magsagawa ng anumangagri-fishery o livelihoodproject.

Ang lahat ng programangito ay upang bigyan angating mga kabataan ngkaukulang kaalaman,pagsasanay at paunangkapital upang maitaguyodang kani-kanilang hangarinna maging matagumpay namagsasaka, mangingisda atentrepreneur.

Sa kabuuan, lahat ding itoay upang patuloy na buhayinang pamana ng kanilangmga magulang at ating mganinunong nagpagal sasakahan at pangisdaan.

Bagama’t hindi popular athigh-tech, ang simplengmundo ng agrikultura aymananatiling sandigannating lahat, sa anumangpanahon.

Kaya patuloy natingitaguyod ang payak nasektor na ito para sa masmasaganang sambayananngayon at sa mga susunodpang taon.

Kaya naman, atinghikayatin at ipakita sa mgakabataan na malaki angkita sa agrikultura,pangisdaan, at agribusiness— at marami na angnagtagumpay at yumaman.

August 2011 3

The Department of Agricultureand the Province of Negros Oc-cidental will jointly implementP166-million worth of irrigationprojects next year that will irri-gate an additional area of 2,675hectares, benefiting 2,920 farmfamilies.

Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala said of thetotal amount, the DA through theNational Irrigation Administra-tion will share P90M, whileNegros Occidental will counter-part P76M.

The DA will also provide theprovince P36.65-M worth of vari-ous agricultural projects, equip-ment and farm inputs.

He commended GovernorAlfredo G. Marañon, Jr. and themembers of the provincial boardfor allotting P76M from its 2012budget for the repair and reha-bilitation of 41 existing irrigationsystems in six districts.

Sec. Alcala, who visitedNegros island early this month,said he enjoins other progres-

DA, Negros Occidental share P200Mfor irrigation, other agri projects

sive provinces to similarly allotfunds to counterpart with the DAso they could combine limited fi-nancial resources and implementmore agricultural and f isheryprojects.

The P90-M counterpart for irri-gation projects forms part of theP126.65-million worth of variousagricultural projects, farm equip-ment and inputs the DA will pro-vide as counterpart to the provin-cial government of Negros Occi-dental.

The balance of P36.65M includethe following: a rice processingcenter (P18M), four combine har-vesters (P8M), four transplanters(P2M), four flatbed dryers (P2M),one 4-wheel tractor (P1M), sevenhand tractors (P1M), four multi-purpose drying pavements or so-lar dryers (P1M), one hauler truck(P1M), a high value crops devel-opment project and coffee seed-lings (P1.6M), a production sup-port and irrigation project for the3rddistrict (P1M), and corn seeds(P50,000).

The Department of Agricultureaims to plant additional 5,000hectares in Cagayan Valley topeanut, a legume which has ni-trogen-fixing property.

The initiative will be carried outby the DA through the CagayanValley Integrated Agricultural Re-search Center (CVIARC), andfunded by the Bureau of Agricul-tural Research (BAR).

It aims to increase the region’speanut production by 43 percentin three to five years. Presentarea planbted to the crop is esti-mated at 3,500 hectares.

“We want to continue our sup-port for peanut breeding and pro-duction because peanut remainsto be a minor crop rather than acash crop even if farmers havean opportunity to make moneyfrom it by replacing our big im-port,” said BAR directorNicomedes P. Eleazar.

He said peanut is a sturdy,drought-resistant crop that re-quires minimal water.

As in other legumes—likemungbean and soybean—peanutplants through their roots cancapture or ‘fix’ nitrogen from theair, and use it to fertilize the wholeplant.

CVIARC peanut project leaderRose Mary G. Aquino said BAR’sprogram involves breeding for im-proved peanut varieties. This alsohas a seed support componentfrom the Philippine Council for Ag-

DA to expand peanut area in Cagayan

Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala (3rd from left) appreciates quality vegetableson display at the recent 9th National Vegetable Congress inDumaguete City, where he urged 2,000 farmers, entrepreneurs andlocal officials to consolidate their efforts to produce quality, safeand competitive vegetables, and remain vigilant to prevent theentry of smuggled commodities, particularly onions and garlic. Heenjoined farmers to engage in crop rotation to plant and harveston a regular basis, and enable them to stabilize supply and fetchhigher prices for their produce. He said the DA will partner withfarmers’ groups and local governments to establish more tradingcenters nationwide, where farmers could bring and sell their pro-duce directly to institutional buyers and thus earn more income —similar to the Sentrong Pamilihang ng Produktong Agrikulturalin Quezon, which he established when he was still a Representive.Also shown in photo are Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo(left), agribusinessman Willy Co, Florida Ybanez (right), Presidentof Cebu-Negros Oriental Integrated Upland Vegetable Develop-ment Council, and vegetable seed industry entrepreneurs.

Sec. Alcala (left) and Governor Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr. (middle)seal with a handshake the recent counterparting agreement betweenthe Department of Agriculture and the Provincial Government ofNegros Occidental to repair and expand 41 irrigation projects nextyear worth P166 million (M). Of the amount, the DA through theNational Irrigation Administration (NIA) will allot P90M, whilethe province will counterpart P76M. Sec. Alcala thanked Gov.Marañon and members of the provincial board for joining handswith the DA to increase the production of rice, and other majoragricultural and fishery products, and contribute to attaining na-tional sufficiency in rice and other staples by 2013. He enjoins otherprovinces to similarly allot funds to counterpart with the DA andimplement more agricultural and fishery projects. Looking on isNIA administrator Antonio Nangel.

riculture, Forestry, Natural Re-sources Research and Develop-ment (PCARRD).

“We want to stabilize peanutproduction in Region 2 as it hasbeen erratic because farmersshift to yellow corn, mainly dueto insufficient peanut seed sup-ply,” said Aquino.

The country imports fromChina an estimated 30,000 to50,000 metric tons (MT) of pea-nut yearly to augment local sup-ply of 60,000 to 70,000 MT.

Currently, average yield is lowat only 650 kilograms per hect-are.

Using better varieties, Aquinosaid farmers can harvest at least2,000 kilos per hectare.

“Region 2 was once a big pea-nut producer. But due to the lowyield and therefore low income,farmers shifted to yellow corn,”BAR said.

However, farmers could earnmore when they intercrop pea-nut with corn or rice.

At a production cost ofP27,030, a farmer may earn anet income of P22,970 out of a2,000 kilo per hectare yield,given a P25 per kilo farm gateprice.

What is beneficial about pea-nut is that it enriches the soilaf ter every planting season,Aquino said.

“Leguminous plants have a(Pls turn to p9)

4

The Department of Agriculturethrough the Philippine Crop In-surance Corporation (DA-PCIC),has started paying farmers atotal of P22.8 million in crop in-surance claims whose insuredrice and corn crops were dam-aged by typhoon ‘Juaning’ lastJuly.

In a report to Agriculture Sec-retary and PCIC Board chairper-son Proceso J. Alcala, PCICPresidentJovy C. Bernabe saidthe firm will pay damage claimsby farmers faster than the usual20-day claim settlement re-sponse time.

The shorter payment periodwill allow rice and corn farmersto recoup their losses and payfor immediate replanting.

Bernabe said some 18,443hectares (has) of farmlands cov-ered by PCIC’s insurance pro-gram were damaged by typhoonJuaning.

Of the affected area, 17, 111has were planted to rice while1,113 has were corn lands.

The affected farmers num-

Farmers in Nagcarlan, Lagunacan now easily transport theirquality agricultural produce to themarket on time, thus savingP1,000 to P1,500 per hectare forhauling and transportation ex-penses.

This was made possible withthe turn-over of more than P6 mil-lion worth Agricultural TramlineSystem to the farmer-beneficia-ries in Barangay Bukal,Nagcarlan, Laguna by AgricultureSecretary Proceso J. Alcala.

Secretary Alcala said that withthe 1.8-kilometer tramline sys-tem installed in the area, farm-ers can transport their producefaster to the markets from theirfarms and other farm inputs likefertilizers in the highland. He saidthat 74 farmers will benefit fromthe tramline.

He also requested the localgovernment of f icials who at-tended the turn-over ceremonyand inauguration led by Laguna3rd District Representative Ma.Evita Arago-Gapit to look into thepossibility of putting up a pack-aging house in the area as thiscan be the bagsakan center ofthe town if not the whole provinceof Laguna.

“We ask for the cooperationand support of the farmer-benefi-ciaries and the local governmentunit for the success of theproject. This is a part of our pro-gram to strengthen the economy

Tramline aids Laguna farmers Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala helps unload baskets of vegetables hauledthrough the 1.8-kilometer tramline system constructed by the DA-PhilMech, benefiting 70 farm families in Nagcarlan, Laguna. Withthe tramline , farmers can now easily and swiftly transport theiragricultural produce to the markets, saving them P1,000 to P1,500in hauling and transportation expenses. Assisting him (from left)are: DA-RFU IV-A Regional Executive Director Abelardo Bragas,Laguna 3rd district Representative Ma. Evita Arago-Gapit andPhilMech tramline national coordinator Engr. Raul Paz.

Asia-Pacific Plant Protection Convention. The Departmentof Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) Director ClaritoM. Barron addresses delegates to the 27th Asia and Pacific PlantProtection Commission (APPPC) convention in Makati City fromAugust 15 to 19, 2011. Delegates from 24 APPPC member-coun-tries discussed mutual cooperation on plant quarantine, pesticidemanagement, and implementation of international and regionalphytosanitary standards to uphold the plant protection agreementfor Asia and the Pacific Region. The other member-countries in-clude Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, DemocraticPeople’s Republic of Korea, Fiji, France, India, Indonesia, Laos,Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua NewGuinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa (Western), SolomonIslands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga and Viet Nam.

of the upland community througha comprehensive and techni-cally precise upland agriculturaldevelopment blueprint. At theheart of our vision for the uplandsis a strong partnership betweennational and local governments,

and between the governmentand other sectors. “ Alcala said.

He also directed Regional Ex-ecutive Director Abelardo R.Bragas of DA-RFU IV-A to pro-vide technical and marketing as-

sistance to the farmers and linkthem to trading posts and othermarkets in CALABARZON andMetro Manila and to conduct spe-cial training for farmers on con-ventional farming or organic farm-ing.

“This way, the farmers canlearn how to make their own or-ganic fertilizers, save for their farminputs and help maintain the pro-ductivity of their farm soil,” Alcalasaid.

Moreover, to further boost thesupport and cooperation of thefarmer-beneficiaries, Sec. Alcalathrough DA-Region 4 raffled off10 heads of horses that farmerscan use to haul and transporttheir farm produce and inputs.

The Nagcarlan tramline isamong the 106 tramline systemsthat the DA will set up throughthe Philippine Center forPostharvest Development andMechanization (PhilMech) nation-wide this year.

The tramline is an alternativetransport system for farmers inareas isolated from road networkbecause of ravines, rivers anddense vegetation.

It is a hauling facility usingcables and pulleys to transportagricultural products and farminputs from isolated farms to thenearest road.

DA-PCIC to pay P23Min typhoon ‘Juaning’crop insurance claims

(Pls turn to p10)

5August 2011

Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala presents grains ‘adlai’ (Job’s tears) featured atthe Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit (RFU) IV-A boothduring the opening of the 7th Agricultural and Fisheries TechnologyForum (AFTF). He said adlai is an alternative to rice and is part ofthe government’s campaign towards the government’s Food StaplesSufficiency Program. The forum is part of the 24th anniversaryceleberation of the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research.

Sec. Alcala expresses his support to the coconut industry, statingthe numerous benefits one can get from the ‘tree of life,’ during therecent 25th National Coconut Week Celebration and 10th CoconutFestival. He said the DA through the Philippine Coconut Authority(PCA) will aggressively pursue the Kasaganaan sa Niyugan ayKaunlaran ng Bayan (KAANIB) program to help farmers in pro-duction, capacity-building, and marketing, among other enterprises.

To help farmers respond to thechallenges of achieving rice self-sufficiency by end of 2013, theDA’s Philippine Rice Research In-stitute (PhilRice) donated booksto the Farmers’ Information andTechnology Services (FITS) cen-ters in several municipalities withlocation-specific technology de-velopment sites.

FITS is considered a one-stopinformation shop on agriculture,and it is a good venue in bringinginnovations to rice farmers to in-crease their knowledge, saidRuben B. Miranda, PhilRicedeputy executive director for de-velopment.

The Department of Agricul-ture will provide a strong re-search and development (R&D)support for 12 fishery com-modities eyed as potential ex-port earners, and thus sourceof rural jobs and livelihood.

The medium-term initiativewill be undertaken from 2011 to2016 by the DA through theBureau of Agricultural Re-search (BAR-DA).

The fishery products inlcudetuna, seaweeds, shrimp, tila-pia, milkfish, abalone, oyster,mudcrab, rabbitfish, sea cu-cumber, grouper, andpangasius.

All told, export revenues gen-erated by these marine andaquculture products reach $700to $800 million annually, ac-cording to the DA’s Bureau ofFisheries and Aquatic Re-sources (DA-BFAR).

“Government’s thrust to makethe fisheries sector a big dollarearner and jobs supplier is apotential that the fishery indus-try has long recognized. Ourresearch programs will helpestablish these hopes and sus-tain the sector in reaching rev-enue targets,” said BAR Direc-tor Nicomedes P. Eleazar.

Tuna, being the country’s topexport earner at close to $400million, is on top of the DA-BARR&D agenda.

Research on tuna includesmapping through geographicinformation system (GIS) of mi-gratory patterns of tuna andvalue-adding technologies togenerate more, higher-pricedproducts.

This will be done in collabo-ration with the BFAR, South-east Asian Fisheries Develop-ment Center Aquaculture De-partment (SEAFDEC/AQD),and the University of the Phil-ippines Visayas.

For shrimp, which contrib-utes $70 million to fishery ex-port, there is a need to comeup with a Philippine-bred, dis-ease free broodstock.

The country presently im-ports disease-free, Specif icPathogen-Free or Specif icPathogen-Resistant (SPF orSPR) broodstock for Black Ti-ger Shrimp.

Use of biocontrol agents,such as the green water tech-nology, in grow-out culture isnow practised by shrimp pro-ducers in the country.

The development of thisfarmer-friendly technology wasa project funded by the BAR

PhilRice increases agri infoshop collection

DA to prioritize R&D on 12 fishery commoditiesthrough its Biotechnology R&DProgram.

Seaweeds, exported at around$130 million mostly in the form ofsemi-processed carrageenan, re-quire R&D to develop disease-freespecies, particularly the food pro-cessing grade cottonii variety.

Other seaweed programs arethe establishment of live genebank for the identification of qual-ity seaweed germplasm and astudy on seaweed growing’sstock enhancement and stockmonitoring system.

For tilapia, the R&D agenda fo-cuses on the development of low-cost, high-quality, and environ-ment-friendly feeds.

While BFAR’s National Fisher-ies Research and Development In-stitute (NFRDI) has already de-veloped excellent tilapia strainssuch as saline-tolerant and cold-tolerant tilapia, there is a need toproduce their broodstock and fin-gerlings.

The production of fry for tilapiasuitable for extreme temperaturearising from climate change is animportant concern as much asthis is also a concern in otherfishery species.

A popular local fish species,milkfish, needs improved hatch-ery techniques on broodstockmanagement, nutrition, larval rear-ing, and handling.

Low cost feed production, mapping of fry sources, and propercage design under extreme envi-ronmental conditions are othermilkfish research areas.

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Filling knowledge gaps in ricefarming will enable farmersmore progressive, and eventu-ally help the country achieve riceself-sufficiency, he added.

Emphasizing the importanceof widening the knowledge andenhancing the practices of ricefarmers, Miranda encouragedextension workers to regularlyupdate themselves with infor-mation on agriculture as they arethe government’s frontliners inreaching and serving farmers.

Forty extension workers fromTarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Aurorareceived boxes of publicationsincluding rice technology bulle-tins, diagnostic kits, maga-zines, and books on rice sci-ence and technology.

Low-cost materials featuringFrequently-Asked-Questions(FAQs) on rice issues and newtechnologies and videos on riceproduction were also included inthe package.

Meanwhile, Diadem B.Gonzales, head of PhilRice De-velopment Communication Divi-sion, urged extension workersto share the materials to aca-demicians, students, and gen-eral public in their localities tohasten the dissemination of in-novations in rice farming.

PhilRice free publications,photos, and videos are also up-loaded in www.philrice.weebly.com. The site integratesother online sites of the Institute.PhilRice products such as‘tapuy’ and other publicationscan also be ordered through thewebsite. (DA-PhilRice)

DA to help transform 2 Negros towns into ‘veggie bowls’

6

The Department of Agriculturewill partner with local officialsand farmers to transform semi-temperate areas in NegrosIsland as “vegetable saladbowls” in the Visayas that willprovide the vegetable needs ofthe cities of San Carlos,Dumaguete, Bacolod andCebu.

Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala recognizedthe vast potentials of two areasin Negros — the town of DonSalvador Benedicto in NegrosOccidental and Canlaon City inNegros Oriental — during histwo-day visit last week.

“There is a large potential fororganic vegetable production inthese areas, as well as forupland rice, coffee, cacao, tea,dairy, and for small ruminants,”Secretary Alcala said.

Don Salvador Benedicto, afourth class municipalitylocated in the mountainousregions north east of Negrosisland, was established as atown in 1983. Its semi-temper-ate climate with temperaturesranging from 16 to 24 degreesCelcius has earned for itself thetitle as ‘summer capital’ of theisland.

This has also enabledfarmers in the area to raise so-called Benguet vegetables likelettuce, cabbage, sayote,potato and tomato.

In fact, town Mayor LaurenceMJ Dela Cruz said a Koreanfirm has established a veg-etable farm in the area tosupply the needs of Koreanrestaurants in the Visayas.

To support the production oforganic vegetables and othercrops, Secretary Alcala saidthe DA through the NationalIrrigation Administration (NIA)will construct an irrigationproject next year that will putinto productive use an addi-tional 1,500 hectares of farm-land.

Secretary Alcala said the DAwill help Don SalvadorBenedicto farmers to engage inthe production of coffee, cacaoand tea.

During a farmers’ forum inDon Salvador Benedicto,attended by 2,000 farmers, theDA chief gifted the town througha counterpart scheme two handtractors, two threshers, fivecarabaos with farm implements,two flatbed dryers, hundreds ofcoffee and cacao seedlings,and 10 four-year collegescholarship grants (inclusive of

tuition, books and monthlystipends) to deserving highschool students who willpursue college degrees inagriculture, fishery and otherrelated courses.

Meanwhile, at Canlaon Cityin Negros Oriental, the DA willcounterpart with the citygovernment through MayorJimmy Jayme Clerigo andNegros Oriental Rep. JocelynLimkaichong to expand andmodernize its existing farmtrading center, provide atransport truck, establish atraining center for upland rice ,coffee and vegetables, and putup a P5-million tissue culturelaboratory.

Canlaon City is at theeastern foot plain of Mt.Kanlaon . It is at the boundarydividing both provinces ofNegros Island . It s boundedon the north by San CarlosCity .

During a farmers forum inCanlaon, Secretary Alcala alsocommitted to provide under acounterparting scheme fiveshallow tube wells, fivecarabaos with farm imple-ments, two hand tractors, twoflatbed dryers, and 10 ACEFscholarship grants.

He said the DA AgribusinessMarketing and AssistanceService and the High ValueCrops Development Programwill also train farmers onproduction and marketing oftheir semi-temperate veg-etables and other products.

(Pls turn to p11)

A research on regionalbaseline information on jackfruitwon the ‘best paper’ under theapplied research categoryduring the 23 rd Region 8Research, Development andExtension (RD&E) review, inNaval, Biliran Province.

The paper, entitled“Development of RegionalBaseline Information forJackfruit,” was written by Dr.Elvira C. Torres, et al, of the DA-Eastern Visayas IntegratedAgricultural Research Center(EVIARC).

Dr. Torres’ paper details theresults of a study on NSIC-registered jackfruit variety called‘EVIARC Sweet.’

The research providesinformation on the status andextent of the plant materialproduction and distribution ofthe “EVIARC Sweet” in the

Study on jackfruit wins region 8 ‘best paper’

Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala (2nd from right) appreciates fresh harvest ofsayote at the Canlaon City trading center, which the DA will helprefurbish and expand. With him are DA region 7 director LeoCaneda (left), Negros Oriental Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong (withhat), and Canlaon City Mayor Jimmy Jayme Clerigo (right).

region covering the years 2006to 2008.

The RD&E Review is a majorannual gathering ofresearchers and developmentworkers. It is jointly sponsoredby the Visayas Consortium forAgriculture and ResourcesProject (VICARP) and theRegional Research,Development and ExtensionNetwork (RRDEN).

VICARP and RRDEN jointlyorchestrate, plan, implement,monitor and evaluation of R&Dworks in Region 8.

Dr. Torres’ research workbested four other entries fromgovernment and the privatesector.

In her study, Torres said thetotal production of jackfruiplanting materials reached227,457 pieces, of which119,309 pieces were recorded

to have been distributed tofarmers throughout the region.

Of this, about 50% (59,065pieces) were availed of through the“Plant Now, Pay Later Scheme”(PNPL), while the others (60,244pieces) were distributed under theregular distribution scheme.

Out of the total number ofjackfruit planting materialsreceived by the farmers, only 43%or 51,865 pieces were actuallyplanted and of these, 67% (34,820trees) are existing as of this dateand about 44% (15,170 trees) arebearing fruits.

In terms of hectarage, the studyfurther revealed that the region hasabout 332 hectares planted toEVIARC Sweet, 223 hectares withexisting trees, and only about 97planted hectares are bearing fruits.

Complete enumeration wasdone on all jackfruit farmers

7August 2011

A pilot production of organicpigs by 10 farmer-cooperators inSouthern Luzon will build up mar-keting of ‘lechon’ as a distinctFilipino dish, preserve indigenouspig species, and give livelihoodto farflung areas.

The breeding and production ofnative pigs by 10 initial farmer-cooperators in Southern Luzonwill bolster the Philippines’unique culture of serving lechonin special occasions.

It can consequently carve aniche for the Philippines that canmake lechon, a roasted pigdeemed as a delicacy, interna-tionally-renowned, according toDr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar, execu-tive director of the Bureau of Ag-ricultural Research (BAR) whichfunds the program.

The “Conservation, Evaluationand Commercialization of thePhilippine Native Pigs” coversthree provinces— Laguna,Batangas, and Quezon. But the10 initial farmer-cooperators arefound in Quezonand Laguna.

The program uses an organicmaterial from pigs endemic to thecountry. It has started proppingup hog production of some coun-tryside farmers, according to Dr.Rene C. Santiago, NationalSwine and Poultry Research andDevelopment Center (NSPRDC)chief.

“Upon seeing the advantage ofraising pigs which gives big sav-ings in the cost of feeds andmaterials for housing, farmerswho are growing commercialhogs have started adding nativepigs to their herd,”Santiago said.

Government will also promotethe use of native pigs in commer-cial farms as a product differen-tiation strategy that has a mar-ket among organic and healthbuffs.

The organic pigs, while carry-ing lower feed costs, commanda higher price in the market ow-ing to its healthful, organic na-ture and quality meat. Comparedto the farm gate price of only P95per kilo of live weight for commer-cial hogs, organic pigs are pricedP100 to P180 per kilo.

Even native pigs’ heads canhave a high average price of P100per kilo at farm gate since bulkbuying can average P1,000 for 10kilos.

The Philippines has a one-of-a-kind opportunity to marketnative pigs for lechon.

“The United States has turkeyfor Thanksgiving. The Chinesehave the Peking Duck, and we

Organic pig production to make ‘lechon’ a distinct Filipino dishhave lechon that without it, yourfeast is not complete. Geneti-cally, our native pig is suitable forlechon which is why we see a lotof economic potential in it,” saidSantiago.

The government is also encour-aging production of native pigs notonly to have a continuous supplyof native pigs to local market butalso to aid in cutting pork importwhich reduces employment op-portunities for farmers. Pork im-port reached to 172,626 metrictons (MT) in 2010, up by 54 per-cent from 114,365 MT in 2009.

Native pigs can be organicallygrown—raised without the use ofantibiotics and using naturally-available feeds— since they arehighly-adaptable to the environ-ment. They can tolerate heat andcold better than imports. Theirsmall size—30 to 50 kilos formature weight— and a 10 to 30kgs of grower stocks makes themideal for lechon. The alternatinglayers of fat and meat in nativepigs make for its delicious taste,said Santiago.

A type of feed developed byNSPRDC costs only P11.40 perkilo, just about 50 percent of thecost of commercial feeds at P20to P22 per kilo. This consists ofcorn, rice bran, copra meal, mo-lasses, salt, and limestone.

Without this BAR-NSPRDCbreeding project, Philippine nativepigs—known for their black, blackspotted, or black with white bellycolor, are feared to soon becomeextinct.

“BAR has initiated funding thisproject because we need continu-ous R&D (research and develop-ment) so we won’t lose our nativebreeds,” said Eleazar.

There are herbs used as medi-cine for native hogs.

These are chili for treating res-piratory problems and as appe-tite stimulant and dewormer;oregano for diarrhea andanticoccidial; black pepperagainst fowl pox; antibacterial gin-ger and onion; anti-diarrheal guavaleaves, star apple, and banana;and dewormer ipil-ipil, beetle nut,and kakawate.

Government aims to train farm-ers on how to select superiorbreeds to be used for reproduc-tion of better offspring. Among thepreferred traits are good litter sizeof eight piglets and up, fast growthrate, thick body, strong legs, atleast five to six pairs of teat, andgood mothering ability.

NSPRDC has already come upwith a standard feeding practice.

This is 1-1.5 kilos of low-costbreeder mash per day with ad-libitum (at one’s pleasure) feed-ing of other feeds source suchas from forages, kitchen left over,and root crops.

For suckling piglets, feed is hogstarter mash from one to sixweeks old while for weanergrower, its feed is 0.5 to one kiloof low cost grower mash with ad-libitum feeding of other feeds.

Farmers can opt to feed theanimals with indigenously growncrops. Among these are therootcrop Gabing San Fernandoand Madre de Agua which is easyto propagate and has high pro-tein and calcium content whilealso palatable to pigs.

NSPRDC also trains farmers onmaintaining a healthy herd. Thisis through quarantine of an ani-mal for one month upon arrival inthe farm so that it can be checkedup for any disease, keeping ani-mals from stress, and preventivemedicine and good nutrition andhousing.

The pigs may also be vacci-nated for hog cholera at 45 daysold and every six months. How-ever, NSPRDC stressed farmersshould not claim their animalsorganically grown when treatedwith antibiotics.

Aside from lechon, nativepigs are ideally used for other

Filipino specialties like longanisa,etag, and bagnet.

“I think our original longanizacame from native pigs becausethe delicious longaniza has agood amount of fat,” saidSantiago.

With government support, thereare already emerging small andmedium enterprises that are go-ing into commercial native pigproduction.

Among them is Mr. Elmer

Rivero of Nasugbo, Batangas.Under the training program,

each farmer was provided witha set of five female and one malenative pigs as breeder stocks.BAR gave a grant of P10,000 fora one-time housing and P1,000worth of feeds for each farmer.

Recommended housing ma-terials are available in rural ar-eas including coconut coir dust,saw dust, and rice hull forbeddings; nipa, cogon, andanahaw for roofing; and bamboo,and coconut husks for walling;and hog wire and coconut husksfor range fences.

“The good thing about usingrice hull, saw dust, coir dust,and other biodegradable mate-rials for bedding is you have abeddings that after 1 to 2 yearsof using you have organic fertil-izer for plants and replace it withnew one. This kind of beddingtype pig pen use no water to baththe animals. And these do notemit four air,” Santiago said.

To demonstrate housing fororganic pigs, NSPRDC con-structed its own housing modelfor native pigs using steel, con-crete, and other locally-availablematerials including coconuthusk, bamboo, nipa, coconutlumber, and rice straw.

The farmer-cooperators of thenative pig program in Quezonare: Dionesio Samiano and Vir-ginia Bautista from Dolores;Renato Macalendro and DexterNase, both fromTagkawayan;Teresita Saniano from Tiaong;and Aristotle Ilao from Sariaya.

From Laguna, the farmers areEdmer Valencia, Jun Alacasid,and Sister Rosalie. (Dr. Rene C.Santiago, NSPRDC)

8

Sec. Proceso J. Alcala stresses that Filipinos have the capability toproduce and create new opportunities in agriculture with the helpof both government and the private sector, during the 20th SouthLuzon Area Business Conference, at the Capitol Convention Centerin Pili, Camarines Sur, August 27, 2011.

Agriculture Secretary urgedparticipants to vigorously supportthe production, processing andpromotion of pili nuts, ‘formosa’pineapple, coconut and abaca--Bicol region’s major commodi-ties, during the 20th South LuzonArea Business Conference(SOLABC), August 27, 2011.

The affair was spearheaded bythe Camarines Sur Chamber ofCommerce and Industry (CSCCI)together with the Local Govern-ment Unit of Camarines Sur, heldat the provincial convention cen-ter, in Pili, Camarines Sur.

Some 1,000 participants at-tended the conference, with thetheme, “Leveraging Growth andNew Opportunities under a Strongand Dynamic Public-Private Part-nership” – One global, Filipino.

The theme was coined to en-hance collective efforts in attract-ing as many domestic and for-eign investors as possible to findinvestment opportunities in theregion.

CSCCI president Jeremie S. Losaid the region needs investorswho will help modernize the agri-culture and f isheries sectorsthrough agribusiness ventures.

Secretary Alcala graces SOLABCand 7th Bicol Business Week

DA-PCIC, Negros launchP180-M crop insurance programThe Department of Agricul-

ture through the PhilippineCrop Insurance Corporation(PCIC) in partnership with theProvince of Negros Occiden-tal recently launched a P180-million crop insurance pro-gram that is expected to ben-efit 10,000 rice farmers.

The joint initiative, called theNegros First Universal CropInsurance Program (NFUCIP),was launched August 5, 2011by Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala and Gover-nor Alfredo J. Marañon, Jr., atthe Negros Occidental multi-purpose activity center, inBacolod City, where 2,000farmers, fishers, livestock rais-ers and local officials attended.

Sec. Alcala and Gov.Marañon distributed crop in-surance policies to 1,500 farm-ers to kick-off the NFUCIP.They were assisted by lawyerJovy C. Bernabe, president ofthe DA’s Philippine Crop Insur-ance Corporation (PCIC).

Bernabe said the insurancepolicy guarantees each farmer

a maximum of P17,680 perhectare in insurance claims ifhis or her insured crop is to-tally destroyed or lost due topest infestation, plant diseaseor natural calamities.

Assuming that NegrosOccidental’s estimated10,000 rice farmers have atleast one hectare each, theNFUCIP guarantees closeP180 million in crop insurancecoverage, Bernabe said.

Under the program, the pro-vincial government of NegrosOccidental agreed to shoulder60 percent or P500 of the in-surance premium worth P840per hectare per cropping. Thebalance of P340 is paid by thefarmer.

The PCIC indemnifies thefarmer of up to P17,680 whenhis rice crop is totally dam-ages by pests, diseases orflood.

In some special cases,Bernabe said, the provincialgovernment has agreed tosubsidize the entire crop in-surance premium.

In his speech, SecretaryAlcala also discussed the DA’scurrent thrusts and programsthat complement with theCSCCI in modernizing theregion’s agriculture and fisherysector.

He also discussed possiblepartnerships with the private,LGUs and farmers’ andf fishers’groups.

He also urged the differentstakeholders to support and pro-mote the respective regionalchampion commodities for themto build a niche in both local andforeign markets.

For region 4A (Calabarzon), hementioned coffee, pineapple,mango and cacao; and for re-gion 4B (Mimaropa) - cashewand kalamansi.

He said the DA will continueto empower small farmers andfishers to transform them intoiagri-entrepreneurs.

He added that DA is filling thegap through support services likeprovision of farm to marketroads, processing centers/facili-ties, post harvest facilities, trad-ing posts, farm machineries andequipment and appropriate

trainings.The agency is also pushing food

staples suff iciency programwherein it also considers promot-ing rice varieties tolerant to sa-line intrusion, flooding and otheradverse conditions.

Since Bicol region is flood-prone, he suggested farmers toplant the “submarino” variety ofrice, as it can survive flooding fortwo weeks.

He said the DA will also pro-mote other food staples like whitecorn, adlai, banana (saba), sweetpotato, cassava and gabi.

While in Bicol, Secretary Alcalaalso graced the 7th Bicol Busi-ness Week jointly sponsored bythe Metro Naga Chamber of Com-merce and Industry and the localgovernment of Naga, held at NagaCity Coliseum on August 27,2011.

The activity showcased andpromoted the region’s best busi-nesses and provided investmentopportunities that will spur eco-nomic growth and developmentin the region.

The activity also tackled newpolicies, reforms, and initiativesto guide industry stakeholders inaddressing the need to ensurefood security and self-sufficiencyamidst the threats caused bychanging global climatic and trad-ing conditions.

This year’s theme, “Make itBicol: Bicol Heats Up,” focusedon the advancements and ac-complishments of local businessthrough their best practices.

The activity also highlightedconferences, techno fora, tradeshows, exhibits.

The DA for its part conducteda farmer’s forum where over 100farmers participated. It also as-sisted the organic agriculture

advocators/producers in the re-gion to set up two booths toshowcase their products.

In his speech, Sec. Alcalahighlighted the agriculturesector’s accomplishments forthe first semester of 2011, wherepalay and corn harvest boostedthe growth of the sector by 5.48percent (%).

He lauded the efforts of theorganic farming advocaes for pro-moting organic agriculture in theregion. He urged farmers to con-sider organic farming as a busi-ness enterprise.

Right after the farmer’s foruma press conference followed at-tended by over 20 media per-sons.

In the afternoon, Sec. Alcaladistributed 400 bags of certifiedseeds to farmers affected by ty-phoon Juaning in Canaman,Camarines Sur. He also distrib-uted certificate of awards for cer-tified seeds to Calabanga MayorEvelyn Yu for 600 bags,Bombon Mayor Maria Luisa An-geles 175 bags and 150 bagsfor Magarao.

Aside from certified seeds,the DA also provided each mu-nicipality with a carabao com-plete with implement and oneunit handtractor. In addition,Canaman was also a recipientof one unit flatbed dryer. Alsopresent during the distributionwere: 3rd district CongressmanLuis R. Villafuerte, AgricultureRegional Executive Dir. Jose V.Dayao, RTDs Ellen de losSantos and Edgar Madrid,Canaman Mayor EmmanuelRequejo, BFAR Regional Direc-tor Dennis del Socorro, NIA Re-gional Manager W illiamRagodon and the municipal offi-cials of Canaman. (DA-RAFID5, Mabelle R. Ilan)

9August 2011

By Angelito E. Arceo II Public Information Office NIA-ARIIP, Rosales, Pangasinan

The municipality of Cateel inDavao Oriental is being trans-formed into the province’s ricegranary.

Davao Oriental GovernorCorazon Malanyaon said this willbe realized after they have suc-cessfully bidded out the biggestirrigation project, worth P256 mil-lion, in the province to be imple-mented in Cateel town.

When completed, the projectwill irrigate at least 1,600 hect-ares.

It is a joint investment of theprovincial government and the De-partment of Agriculture –Mindanao Rural Development Pro-gram (DA-MRDP).

“This priority project is a valu-able investment to develop therice production potentials of theprovince,” the governor said.

“We have a wide rice field ca-pable of producing enough[grains]. We see that this irriga-tion system can help us achievefood sufficiency in the provinceand contribute to the country’s,”she added.

In the vast rice field in Cateel,only 500 hectares are irrigatedbut once the irrigation project iscompleted it can be expanded to1,600 hectares.

She also said the MRDP fundswill benefit rice farmers and cre-ate other livelihood opportunities.“If there would be enough liveli-hood, farmers will have sufficientincome to sustain their basicneeds,” she said.

“This is the biggest singleprojects under MRDP,” saiddeputy program director Arnel V.De Mesa.

De Mesa added that this bigticket project is divided in threepackages: one for the diversionworks or the dam constructionwith fish ladder with direct costof P139.78 million, one packagefor canalization amounting 65.62million and another for canalstructures for 7.01 million.

The province will also receivelivelihood projects from MRDP un-der the Community Fund for Ag-ricultural Development (CFAD)while the towns of San Isidro andGov. Generoso are beneficiariesof environment conservationprojects under the Program’sNatural Resources Managementcomponent.

Except for the town of Manay,all other towns in the province:Gov. Generoso, Mati, Tarragona,San Isidro, Lupon Caraga, Banay-banay, Boston, and Baganga are

Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala (4th from left) and Congressman Luis Villafuerte(2nd from left) distribute 925 sacks of certified rice seeds to farmersin four towns in Camarines Sur (Canaman, Calabangan, Bombonand Magarao) as part of the Aquino government’s assistance tothose affected by Typhoon ‘Juaning’ last July. The seeds form partof the rehabilitation project extended by the Department of Agri-culture to Bicol region, where more than 17,000 hectares of farm-lands were affected. Also in photo are (L-R) Canaman MayorEmmanuel S. Requejo, farmer-beneficiary Jose Sapalaran, DA-Re-gion V Dir. Jose Dayao and farmer-benficiary Salvador Salodes.

DA-MRDP boosts rice yieldin Davao Oriental

also receipt of the MRDPprojects.

Malanyaon expressed grati-tude for MRDP as it comple-ments her administration’sagenda of addressing food suffi-ciency and improving rural in-comes.

“As we are an agricultural area,we need to invest in agriculturalinfrastructure and sustainablelivelihoods to maximize our pro-duction potentials as this willhelp farmers improved incomesand other economic opportuni-ties for my constituents,”Malanyaon said. (Sherwin B.Manual/DA MRDP)

DA to expand ... (from p3)

To ease the pressure on riceand minimize its importation, theDepartment of Agriculture willencourage and convinceMindanaoans to once again eatwhite corn grits as a staple.

Hence, in ZamboangaPeninsula, the DA Regional FieldUnit 9 will distribute certifiedcorn seeds to farmer-beneficiaries in expansion cornareas, according to FelizardoSalomes, regional corncoordinator.

He said the quality cornseeds were procured from theUniversity of Southern Mindanaoin Kabakan, Cotabato.

These are composed of twovarieties: USM-VAR-10 and IPBVAR 6, which are found to behigh in protein and lysine, andof the tryptophan varieties idealfor human consumption.

He said under the DA OPV(Open Pollinated Variety) whitecorn seed exchange program,each farmer benef iciary willreceive nine kilograms (9kg) ofseeds which he will repay doublein-kind, or simply 18 kg of cornseeds.

This will in turn beredistributed to other farmerbeneficiaries for the next plantingseason.

The same seed varieties aregood for three generations, hesaid.

For his part, Dionisio Adante,DA-regional seeds coordinator,said that the official list of farmer-benef iciaries were jointlyvalidated in coordination withconcermned local governmentunits in Zamboanga region.

DA to promote whitecorn in Mindanao

For instance, 800 bags eachof certified white corn seeds areallotted for Districts I and II ofZamboanga del Norte,respectively.

Another 800 bags is allotted tothe NABCOR (NationalAgribusiness Corp.) in support ofits postharvest facility situated inthe town of Liloy that will soonbe inaugurated.

Six hundred (600) bags are fordistribution in Districts I and II in

Zamboanga Sibugay, whileZamboanga del Sur and IsabelaCity will receive 500 and 100bags, respectively.

Each bag contains ninekilograms (9kg) of certified cornseeds.

Salomes said that thedistribution and planting ofcertified white corn seeds is insupport of the government’sfood staple sufficiency program.(DA-RAFID 9)

give-and-take (symbiotic) relation-ship with a (soil) bacteria calledrhizobia that thrive in the plants’root nodules.

Rhizobia can supply about 225kilos (4.5 bags) of nitrogen perhectare per year or equivalent toa chemical feritilizer input costof P4,500 ,” Aquino said.

The DA-CVIARC has developedhigh-yield peanut varieties likeNamnama-1 or NSIC Pn 11 andNamnama 2 or NSIC Pn 14.

Both varieities produce a grosspeanut pod yield of 2.2 to 2.6 tonsper hectare.

The varieties were developed outof the ‘mother varieties’ sharedby the India-based InternationalCrops Research Institute(ICRISAT) to the Philippines.

Another high-yielding ICRISATvariety is the Asha or “hope,”with a pod yield of up to 3.1 MTper hectare.

It is called a “3-in-1” variety be-cause of its flexible size of ClassA “export” quality (one gram per

seed), Class B for domesticmarket, and Class C for plant-ing and processing.

Aside from their high proteincontent at 26 to 28 percent, pea-nuts are rich in B vitamins, folate,niacin, and Vitamin E.

It has the good fat that helpsremove cholesterol from blood,consequently helping reducethe risk of heart disease and can-cer.

Peanut as a plant has otheruses. Its hay is a good fodderfor livestock with its rich crudeprotein, better palatability com-pared to other fodder materials,and digestibility.

Peanut hay also makes qual-ity forage for cattle, carabao,horses,goat, sheep, rabbits.

The peanut protein cake resi-due from oil processing and ex-traction is also used as feed.

Crops inter-planted with pea-nut usually have better perfor-mance even with low or no fertil-izer application due to legumes’nitrogen-fixing capability.(DA-BAR)

10

DA to prioritize ... (from p5)

BAR will also support R&D onmudcrab, which includes devel-opment of a hatchery system,production of quality broodstock,and value adding technologies.

Similar R&D initiatives willalso be undertaken on rabbitfish,sea cucumber, abalone, andother shellfishes.

For pangasius, the R&D con-cern is on the production of fin-gerlings.

The rest of the research ar-eas are on identification of po-tential sites for oyster and qual-ity control standards particularlyfor the depuration from PSP(paralytic shellfish poisoning)toxins of oyster; genetic finger-printing for breeding of grouper;and development of grow outculture protocol and marker as-sisted breeding for abalone andother shellfishes.

Among the goals are to pro-duce one million metric tons (MT)of bangus and 500,000 MT of ti-lapia, and 90,000 MT of shrimpfrom the present 35,000 MT;establish a 1,000-hectareaquaculture area that is mecha-nized and a tilapia grow-out fa-cility for private farmer partner-ship; and set up a fisher techni-cian training program and a com-munity organizing volunteersproject. (Carol Rosqueta, BFAR)

DA-PCIC ... (from p4)

bered 9,929. Of the total, 8,892are rice farmers while 1,037 arecorn farmers.

“We have estimated the totalvalue of crop losses at aboutP22.844 million,” Bernabe said.

The PCIC’s damage assess-ment report showed that the af-fected farmlands were located in18 provinces in six regions.

Region V suffered the mostcrop damage, estimated atP8.523 million, P7.770 million ofwhich in rice. Camarines Surposted the greatest damage inrice, at P6.238 million, whileIsabela posted the greatest dam-age in corn, at P2.210 million.

The other affected areas are:Quirino and Nueva VizcayainRegion 2; Bataan, Bulacan,Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales,Nueva Ecija and Aurora in Region3; Quezon in Region 4; Albay,Camarines Norte, and Sorsogonin Region 5; and Bohol, Cebuand Negros in Region 7. (DA/PCIC)

The Department of Agriculturethrough its Agricultural CreditPolicy Council (ACPC) recentlycrafted a strategic action planaimed at making agriculturalcredit more accessible to smallfarmers and fishers.

The strategic action plan, ac-cording to ACPC Executive Di-rector Jovita M. Corpuz, wasamong the outputs at the ‘Agri-culture and Fisheries Credit Sum-mit,’ held August 18, 2011, atCentrury Park Hotel in Manila.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoAlcala graced the affair along withSenator Francis ‘Kiko’Pangilinan.

The credit summit was a jointundertaking of the DA-ACPC andthe Congressional OversightCommittee on Agriculture andFisheries Modernization(COCAFM), co-chaired by Sena-tor Pangilinan and Batangas Rep.Mark Llandro Mendaoze.

“The strategic action plan willserve as the country’s roadmapfor agricultural finance over themedium-term,” Corpuz said.

She said they have identifiedfive core credit issues, namely:

• Microfinance for agricultureand other innovative credit deliv-ery mechanism for small farmersand fishers;

• Interest rates on agricultureand fisheries loans;

• Absorptive capacity andbankability of small farmers andfishers;

• Risk management in agricul-ture and fisheries credit; and

ACPC crafts credit action plan

Philippines to export mangoes to China. Sec. Alcala (left)guarantees Mr. He Rirong (center) and Mr. Hong Xiaojun of China’sDepartment for Supervision on Animals and Plants, that the Philip-pines is ready to improve its current facilities for quality controlsystem as well as procedures and regulations to respond to China’sstandard requirements for imported mangoes during a courtesy callon August 2, 2011 at the DA Central Office. The Chinese delegatesvisited the country to evaluate six mango treatment facility sites inManila and Mindanao for the eventual export of mangoes to China.

Cagayan Farmers Gifts DA Chief with Corn Artwork.Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala (left) receives an artwork made of corn kerneland other plant parts as a token of appreciation from the officers ofthe Cagayan Valley Center for Rural Development Empowerment,Inc. (CREDO), when he served as main guest and speaker duringtheir second annual general assembly, August 26, 2011, at CauayanCity, Isabela, while typhoon ‘Mina’ breezed through the region. Hecommitted to support the group, whose members are mostly cornfarmers, by initially providing them with P1.3-million worth of handtractors (5 units), draft carabaos (5 head with implements), and 100bags each of certified palay seeds and OPV corn seeds. Handing theartwork to him are CREDO cooperative board chairman SantiagoCorpuz and vice chairman Vicente Macapulay, while general man-ager Essex Lara looks on.

• Governance and institutionalreforms necessary for improvingcredit access of farmers and fish-ers.

During the summit, partici-pants agreed to pursue possiblesolutions to the problems thatsurround said five issues.

Other personalities whoserved as resource speakersduring the credit summit were:

• Dr. Emil Javier, of the Na-tional Academy of Science andTechnology and former presi-dent of the University of the Phil-ippines;

• Dr. Aris Alip of CARD Bank,and 2008 Ramon MagsaysayAwardee;

• Former Agriculture Secre-tary Senen Bacani;

• National Credit CouncilDeputy Executive DirectorJoselito Almario; and

• Federation of Free Farmers’Cooperatives, Inc. businessmanager Raul Montemayor.

The summit is a follow up tothe Agriculture and Fisheries2025 Summit initiated by theCOCAFM in February 2011.

Corpuz said they are hopefulthat with the support of high-levelofficials, the credit strategic ac-tion plan we would be able toclose the P252-billion credit gapin the agricultural sector, andmake more credit available tosmall farmers and fishers.

Also present duirng the sum-mit were: COCAFM membersRepresentatives ImeldaDimaporo, Agapito Guanlao,

and Jesus Sacdalan; ClimateChange Commission Vice-Chair-person Mary Anne Lucille Sering;DA Undersecretary BernadetteRomulo Puyat; and DARUndersecretary Jerry Pacturan.(DA-ACPC)

11August 2011

Surplus sugar...(from p1)

Alcala said.Due to the bumper harvest,

supply of raw sugar increasedfive-fold to more than 623,500MT. This is also due to lessersugar consumption, whichdipped to 1.5 million MT, from1.8 million MT in CY 2009-10.

As a result, too, prices of rawsugar fell from a high of P2,480per 50-kilo bag to P1,300.

The same is true with refinedsugar. Domestic consumptiondramatically dropped to 655,840MT, 31% less than last year,leaving a balance of more than300,000 MT.

Similarly, prices of refinedsugar also dropped from a highof P2,600 per 50-kilo bag toabout P1,950 per bag.

Secretary Alcala said thecountry remains confident tomaintain a high level of produc-tion for CY 2011-12, of at least2.4 million MT of raw sugar.

“We look forward to build fromthese gains next year, as morefarms are planted and programinterventions continue for CY2011-2012,” he said.

In particular, he said the DA-SRA will improve the efficiencyand productivity of small farmsby providing necessary infra-structure like bigger and auto-mated loading ports, farm-to-millroads, irrigation facilities, fi-nancing windows, and othersupport services through the DAconvergence initiatives withother departments, particularlyagrarian reform (DAR) and envi-ronment and natural resources(DENR).

Further, he said the DA-SRAwill continue to partner with theBureau of Customs, other con-cerned agencies and sugar in-dustry players to prevent the en-try of smuggled sugar, which ad-versely distorts local supply andprices.

Also, the DA-SRA will supportthe development of other fea-siblealternative uses of sugarcaneand its by-products such as bio-ethanol and power co-genera-tion.

“As we near the realization ofthe full potential of sugarcaneespecially in biofuel, and with amore stable supply, we antici-pate a more productive and prof-itable Philippine sugar industry,”Secretary Alcala told over 2,000conference delegates from Eu-rope, India, Thailand, Malaysia,Brazil, Indonesia, China andHongkong, Singapore, and Af-rica.

Agriculture Sec. Alcala (inset, right) announces during the 17th AsiaInternational Sugar Conference (AISC), in Cebu, August 16-17, 2011,that the Philippines is set to export at least 300,000 metric tons (MT)of raw and refined sugar due to a bumper harvest of 2.39 million tonsof sugarcane for CY 2010-11. He said the DA through the Sugar Regu-latory Administration will continue to improve the efficiency andproductivity of small farms by providing necessary infrastructure likebigger and automated loading ports, farm-to-mill roads, irrigationfacilities, financing windows, and other support services. These ini-tiatives will ensure a sustainable income for sugarcane farmers andat the same time provide consumers with reasonably-priced sugar.

He presented the proposed DA2012 budget, August 17, 2011,before members of the House ofRepresentatives appropriationscommittee.

He said the 2012 budget‘frontloads’ investments in irriga-tion (P27.1B), postharvest and

DA wants P61.73-B ... (from p1)

Study on jackfruit ... (from p6)covered under the PNPL, whilesimple random and proportionalsampling was performed in theselection of jackfruit farmers whoavailed of the EVIARC Sweetunder the regular distributionscheme.

The researchers also used theGeographic Information System(GIS) in making a jackfruitsuitability map that indicates thesuitable and unsuitable areas forthe production of the fruit in theregion.

All the data gathered or resultsgenerated will be uses by the DA-RFU8 in charting the futuredirection of the jackfruit industry.

For their feat, Dr. Torres and co-researchers Dr. Leonarda A.Londina, Dr. Pastor P. Garcia andArnel Nombre received a cashaward of P7, 000 plus a plaque ofrecognition from Director Edwin C.Villar of the Livestock ResearchDivision of PCARRD, who is alsothe chairman of the panel ofevaluators in this year’s Searchfor Outstanding Local R & DProjects. (DA-RAFID 8, FrancisRosaroso)

The DA’s Bureau of Agricultureand Fishery Products Standards(DA-BAFPS) recentlyconducted a one-day seminaron Food Safety and QualityStandards in Zamboanga City.

DA Region 9 Dir. CarlosMendoza said the seminar wasaimed at setting safety andquality standards for fresh meat,poultry products, fresh fruit andvegetables, and acquiring thenecessary knowledge and skillsin the general principles andpractices on food safety,purchasing, receiving, storing,preparing and serving food.

In his message read for himby Ferdinand Gamorot, chief ofthe Agribusiness and MarketingAssistance Division, Mendozaurged the participants todisseminate to their respectiveclients and the general public --most particularly farmers,fisherfolk and their families, andconsumers -- the majorprinciples and practices of foodsafety standards.

Among the topics discussedduring the seminar were onhome food safety, fresh meatand poultry products, fruit andvegetables, safety quality frommarket to table, personalhygiene, and microbiological ,chemical and physical foodhazards.

It was attended by officialsfrom the national, regional andlocal government units and fromvarious state universities andcolleges in Zamboanga region.

BAFPS holdsfood safety seminarin Zambo City

other infrastructure (P11.28B),production support (P4.86B), andresearch and extension(P4.75B).

The proposed budget for othermajor components are:

• Policy formulation, planningand advocacy - P2.29B

• Market dev’t. - P1.32 B• Regulatory services - P1.2B• Information services - P770M;

and• Credit facilitation - P116M.The various DA attached cor-

porations have a total proposedbudget of P7.438B.

Also part of the 2012 DA pro-posed budget are automatic ap-propriations worth P553 million.

On a per banner program, irri-gation or the NIA is alloted thebiggest budget, at P24.765B.

The national rice program willget P6.18B, while construction offarm-to-market roads (FMRs) isalloted P5B.

The respective proposed bud-gets of other programs, OSEC,attached agencies and corpora-tions are:

• Corn - P950M• High Value Crops - P1.3B• Livestock - P1B• Fisheries - P1.9B• OSEC - P3B• Attached agencies - P1.86B• Attached Corps. - P7.44B.In his opening statement at the

committee of appropriations,Sec. Alcala highlighted that the

Food Staples Sufficiency Pro-gram (FSSP) is the centerpieceprogram of the Aquino adminis-tration.

He said an important featureof the FSSP is the frontloadingof investments, particularly of in-frastructure namely irrigation,FMRs, and postharvest facili-ties.

“We hope to regain our mo-mentum in irrigation develop-ment, particularly focusing oncheaper and shorter gestatingsmall irrigation systems,” Sec.Alcala said.

In support of the FSSP, theDA will also promote the in-creased production and con-sumption of white corn as amajor staple, including tradi-tional staples like cassava,saba, gabi and adlai.

AgriMach 2011. Agriculture Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala (top left, inset)proudly announces that from hereon qualified farmers’ coopera-tives and irrigators’ associations equity who will avail of any farmmachinery and equipment need only share 15% as their equity,instead of the previous 30%. He made the announcement duringan agricultural farm machinery and equipment roadshow, dubbedas ‘AgriMach 2011,’ at PhilMech, Muñoz City, Nueva Ecija, Au-gust 23-24, 2011, attended by more than 1,100 farmers, local offi-cials, and farm machinery manufacturers, distributors and deal-ers. At foreground, DA rice program national coordinator Dir. DanteDelima (right) and PhilMech Dir. Ricardo Cachuela (2nd fromright) inspect a drilling equipment at the exhibit ground.

day roadshow and exhibit.The DA through its regional

field units (RFUs) will screenIAs, farmers’ cooperatives andlocal government units wantingto avail of agricultural machin-ery and equipment.

Deserving recipients will bechosen based on a set of crite-ria.

Thereafter, they can choosefrom a range of agricultural ma-chinery and equipment that in-clude four-wheel tractors, ricecombine harvesters, hand trac-tors, drum seeders, threshers,reapers, rice seed cleaners,flatbed dryers, solar dryers, andmoisture meters.

Secretary Alcala said the

Aquino government is serious inits efforts to implement a farmmechanization and postharvestinitiative, as it will also contrib-ute to attaining self-sufficiency inrice and major staples.

With the lowering of the farm-ers’ equity to 15%, SecretaryAlcala hopes to encourage farmmachinery manufacturers anddistributors to follow suit by of-fering easy availment terms andfinancing schemes to farmers’groups and IAs.

He said the DA farm mechani-zation and postharvest programaims to address the declining andageing farm labor force, and toencourage more Filipino youthsto pursue agriculture.

He said the DA will makeAgriMach an annual affair to en-courage farmers mechanize theiroperations — from land prepara-tion, production, harvesting, pro-cessing to marketing — to in-crease their productivity and in-comes.

Pursuing agricultural mechani-zation will also address the de-clining and ageing labor force inthe agriculture and f ishery

DA lowers farmers’ ...(from p1)

sector, added Dir. Dante Delima,national rice program coordina-tor.

Another related strategy theDA is pursuing is encouragingmore Filipino youth to pursueagriculture, fishery and other re-lated courses by granting themscholarships.

The farm machineryroadshow—with the theme“Aangat ang ani at kita sapaggamit ng tamangmakinarya”—will also be held inIloilo for the Visayas cluster, onSeptember 22-23, and in Gen-eral Santos City for theMindanao leg, on September 28-29, 2011.

It is jointly spearheaded by theDA-Philippine Center forPostharvest Development andMechanization (PhilMech), DArice, corn, and high value cropsprogram directorates, and thehost DA RFUs in partnershipwith the Agricultural MachineryManufacturers and DistributorsAssociation Inc. (AMMDA) to-gether with independent farmmachinery and equipment manu-facturers and dealers.

Farmer’s Contact Center“Ang Inyong Kaagapay sa Usaping Agrikultura”

Call: 1800-10-982AGRI (or 1800-10-9822474)-for provincial toll-free calls 02-982-AGRI (or 982-2474)-for Metro Manila 0920-946AGRI (0920-9462474) for mobile callsText: 391DA (or 391-32) for Smart and Talk ‘N Text subscribers 0920-946AGRI (0920-9462474) for Globe, TM and Sun Cellular subscribersEmail: info@e-extension.gov.ph

For the Nutrient Manager for Rice (NMRiceMobile): Call 2378 for Globe SubscribersFor Market Information: www.afmis.da.gov.phOfficial Website: www.da.gov.ph, www.e-extension.gov.ph

Livestock farmers, traders andprocessors can now freely trans-port their animals and meat prod-ucts within the country, as longas appropriate permits are se-cured from concerned agenciesof the Department of Agriculture.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said this is one of thefavorable results of the recentrecognition and declaration of theentirePhilippines as free from footand mouth disease (FMD) with-out vaccination by the Office In-ternational des Epizooties (OIE)or World Organization for AnimalHealth, on May 26, 2011.

Secretary Alcala recentlysigned Administrative Order (AO)No. 19, August 2, 2011, lifting allFMD-related transport restric-tions for swine, cattle, carabao,sheep, goats, and other cloven-footed animals, including theirmeat, meat products, and otherby-products nationwide.

However, he urged livestockfarmers, processors and tradersto remain vigilant to maintain theFMD-free status of the country.

In fact, under AO 19, the DAand its concerned livestock agen-cies--in partnership with livestockfarmers and industry stakehold-ers--will continue to implement anFMD monitoring and preventiveplan, maintain a stock of FMDvaccines, and ensure that re-quirements are complied withprior to transport of animals, theirmeat, meat products, and otherby-products.

As a requirement, farmers andtraders wanting to transport liveanimals should first secure a writ-ten authority or permit from thedirector of the Bureau of AnimalIndustry (BAI) or his duly autho-rized representative.

The BAI will also issue a vet-erinary health certificate to attestthat the animals are healthy andcome from areas free of any out-break or disease.

Meanwhile, processors and

Transport of livestock animals,meat nationwide now allowed

traders are required to secure acertificate of meat inspectionfrom the National Meat Inspec-tion Service (NMIS) when theyintend to transport meat andmeat products,

Secretary Alcala enjoins BAIveterinary quarantine officersand regional and local govern-ment veterinarians to submit amonthly report on any positiveor negative disease incidence intheir respective areas.

In case of an FMD resur-gence, the DA through the BAIand other concerned agenciesand livestock owners shouldstamp out or isolate all infectedanimals, and vaccinate otherexposed susceptible animals.

The DA will also institute a‘ring certification’ and imposestrict quarantine rules within athree-kilometer radius, depend-ing on the scale of the outbreak.

Finally, the DA through theBAI will maintain a yearly stockof at least 2,000 bottles or about100,000 doses of FMD vaccineswhich could be readily used incase of resurgence.