Aggie Trends December 2009

Vol. XXIV No. XII A Monthly Publication of the Department of Agriculture December 2009

(Pls turn to p11)

Agri projects attract

P400-M investments

Christmas 2009 MessageChristmas 2009 Message

More than a dozen

agribusiness projects worth

P400 million have caught the in-

terest of prospective investors,

during the first-ever ‘National

Convergence Agri-Investment

Forum,’ held November 25, 2009,

at the Asian Institute of Man-

agement, in Makati.

The one-day event -- orga-

nized jointly by departments of

agriculture (DA), agrarian reform

(DAR), and environment and

natural resources (DENR) -- has

attracted prospective investors

in such ventures as coconut oil

Rice processingcenter to risein Pangasinan

Corn prod’nto grow 1.6%

As we join family and

friends in celebrating the

birth of Christ, we are

reminded of the season’s

universal message of hope,

peace and goodwill.

This makes Christmas an

opportune time to look

back at the past year and

to strengthen our resolve to

overcome our weaknesses,

push ourselves to do more

and surpass previous

achievements.

Ushering a new year

means meeting new chal-

lenges, and a chance to

intensify our pursuit of our

objectives of food security

and higher incomes for

farmers, fishers and other

agricultural industry players.

The Year 2009 has had

its share of trials and

triumphs for us at the

Department of Agriculture,

and to the millions of Filipino

farmers and fishers.

Weather disturbances such

as Ondoy and Pepeng

damaged billions worth of

pesos on crops and other

farm commodities, proper-

ties and infrastructure.

Crude prices also remain

high, which in turn prop up

prices of farm inputs,

notably fertilizers.

All these, plus the global

economic meltdown that

dampens investments and

reduces purchasing power,

have slowed down the

agriculture industry to a

virtual standstill.

The challenges may be

enormous, but I see that the

DA family is ready to meet

them head-on. DA officials

Masaganang PaskoMasaganang PaskoMasaganang PaskoMasaganang PaskoMasaganang Pasko at Mapayapang Bagong Taon! at Mapayapang Bagong Taon! at Mapayapang Bagong Taon! at Mapayapang Bagong Taon! at Mapayapang Bagong Taon!



(Pls turn to p2)

Another modern rice process-

ing complex (RPC) worth P162

million, funded by the govern-

ment of South Korea through the

Korea International Cooperation

Agency (KOICA), will rise in Bgy.

Tebag, Sta. Barbara,

Pangasinan.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur

Yap,along with Pangasinan lo-

cal officials led by Governor

Amado T. Espino and Congress-

woman Rachel “Baby” Arenas,

and DA and KOICA officials led

the RPC’s document-signing

and groundbreaking ceremonies,

November 26, 2009.

Other officials

present were DA

The country’s total 2009 corn

harvest is projected to grow by

1.6% to a little over 7 million

metric tons , despite losses due

to several typhoons.

In a report to Agriculture Sec-

retary Arthur Yap, Director

Romeo Recide of the DA’s Bu-

reau of Agricultural Statistics

(BAS) said the total projected

volume is composed of the first

semester output of 3.22 million

MT, 3.82 miilion tons for the sec-

ond semester.

The second semester harvest

is projected to be 5% more than

last year, partly due to the DA’s

interventions such as expansion

of planting areas and the provi-

sion of high-quality seeds to

(Pls turn to p2)

production, organic garlic pro-

duction and processing, mush-

room production and expansion,

and establishment of corn post-

harvest facilities, among others.

Keynoted by Agriculture Sec-

retary Arthur C. Yap, the agri-

investment forum was coordi-

nated by the National Conver-

gence Initiative Secretariat

chaired by Marriz B. Agbon,

president of the DA’s Philippine

Agricultural Development and

Commercial Corporation

(PADCC).

Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap (2nd from left) andABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. (AFI) President Regina Lopez(2nd from right) hand over vegetable seedlings to PriscillaNavarro (left) and her children, who are among the 1,000new settlers in Bgy. Dayap, Calauan, Laguna, one of theresettlement sites of AFI’s ‘Bayan ni Juan’ and ‘Kapit BisigPara sa Ilog Pasig’ projects. With them are DA Ass’t. Sec.Dennis Araullo (right) and Calauan Mayor BuenafridoBerris (3rd from right). Please see story on page 3.(Photo by Joe Lucas, DA Info Service)

(Pls turn to p2)

2

Writers: Adora D. Rodriguez, Arlhene S. Carro,

Mc. Bien Saint Garcia

Contributors: Info Officers of DA-RFUs, Bureaus, Attached Agencies & Corps., Foreign Assisted Projects

is published monthly by the Department of Agriculture Information Service, Elliptical Road, Diliman,

Quezon City. Tel. nos. 9288741 loc 2148, 2150, 2155, 2156 or 2184; 9204080 or tel/fax 9280588. This issue is now

available in PDF file. For copies, please send requests. via email [email protected].

Photograhers: Jose Lucas, Alan Jay Jacalan & Alarico Nuestro

Lay-out Artists: Bethzaida Bustamante, Almie Erlano,

Alan Jay Jacalan

Printing & Circulation: Teresita Abejar & PCES Staff

Editor-In-Chief : Noel O. Reyes

Associate Editors: Karenina Salazar, Cheryl C. Suarez

Agribiz projects ... (from p1)

and employees have always

shown competence, resolve

and willingness to serve our

clienteles through the

centerpiece program,

dubbed as FIELDS, and

other key initiatives such as

the Ginintuang Masaganang

Ani (GMA) programs on rice,

corn, livestock, fisheries,

and high-value commercial

crops.

For 2010, we see the

continuation of increased

investments in infrastructure

and technology, provision of

interventions and promotion

of agri-business among

farmers and fishers for them

to a stable, more profitable

livelihood.

We will also greet new

leaders, following the na-

tional elections in May 2010.

Thus, I count on our

greater effort, cooperation

and determination in our

respective tasks.

These, together with the

strong partnerships and

active participation of LGUs,

farmers’ and fishers’ groups,

NGOs, and other stakehold-

ers give a positive outlook

for the industry.

Kaya naman dalangin ko

na bigyan tayo ng

panibagong lakas at higit na

determinasyon sa pagharap

natin sa mga darating na

pagsubok, tungo sa

pagtupad ng ating mga

hangarin.

Maligayang Pasko at

Masaganang Bagong Taon

sa inyong lahat!

Christmas 2009 message... (from p1)

farmers.

During the third quarter (July-

September), corn production

surpassed last year’s output by

5%, from 2.26 million MT to 2.37

million MT, largely due to the ex-

pansion of harvest areas and the

improvement in per-hectare

yields.

For his part, DA Ass’t. Sec.

Dennis Araullo--who also serves

as national GMA corn program

coordinator--said another ma-

jor factor that encouraged farm-

ers to plant more corn was Presi-

dent Arroyo’s directive increas-

ing the buying support price for

corn, from P 11 to P 13 per kilo,

by the National Food Authortity.

During the third quarter,

Recide said harvest area grew

by 3.1%, from 921,000 hectares

Corn prod’n ... (from p1)

to 949,000 hectares, and aver-

age yield increased by 2%, from

2.45 MT to 2.5 MT per hectare.

Moreover, “inspite of the dam-

ages caused by tropical storm

Ondoy and typhoons Pepeng,

Ramil and Santi, the standing

crop for the October-December

2009 period points to a produc-

tion gain of 5.2%, from last

year’s level of 1.38 million MT

to 1.45 million MT,” Recide said.

He added expected harvest

area may expand by 0.5%, from

604,000 hectares to 607,000

hectares, while average yield

may improve by 4.6%, from 2.3

tons to 2.4 tons per hectare.

Recide said there were signifi-

cant corn production increases.

Thirteen out of 17 proposed

projects met the requirements

of investors present during the

event.

Follow-up meetings and

more detailed discussions of

the proposals are set between

the investors and proponents.

“They want to see and visit

personally the farm sites of

palm oil plantation,” said Ms.

Loreta Garcia of Alicia Commu-

nity Multi-Purpose Cooperative

(ACMPC), which proposes to

provide market support services

to palm oil production in Alicia,

Bohol.

The cooperative met with Son

Bo Ram, of the Korean Cham-

ber of Commerce and Industry,

and representative of the

CCALS International, a Philip-

pine-based raw material trading

firm.

Said company also met with

the officers of the Tungawan

ARB Multi-purpose Cooperative

(TIMARBEMCO), which is pro-

posing a rubber production main-

tenance and marketing project.

Other prospective foreign and

Filipino investors and business-

men present during the forum

were: Agri Nurture Inc. (ANI), Phil-

ippine Chamber of Commerce

and Industry (PCCI), Develop-

ment Bank of the Philippines

(DBP), Landbank of the Philip-

pines (LBP) and Qatar Embassy.

DAR Undersecretary Rosalina

Bistoyong explained how agrar-

ian reform communities can be

a vehicle for rural investment; and

DENR Undersecretary Manuel D.

Gerochi discussed the invest-

ment opportunities in appropriate

upland areas in the country.

The conduct of the event was

supported by the DA-PADCC

and two foreign agencies: the

German Technical Cooperation

(GTZ), the Spanish Agency for

International Development Coop-

eration or AECID.(DA-PADCC)

Editorial

Established on December 9,

1959, with support from the

Ford and Rockefeller

Foundation and the government

of the Philippines, the

International Rice Research

Institute (IRRI) has become the

largest non-profit agricultural

research center in Asia.

Since it found its home in Los

Baños, Laguna, IRRI has

expanded and established

offices in 14 nations in Asia and

Africa, and expanded its reach

to Latin America.

From the initial support

extended by Ford and

IRRI helpsfeed the world

Rockefeller, IRRI now enjoys the

partnership and support of

agricultural research institutes in

other countries, international

development agencies, and new

philanthropic organizations. In the

last three years, IRRI, along with

other organizations working for

eliminating hunger around the

world, obtained support from the

Bill and Melinda Gates

Foundation (pls see related story

on page 10).

The institute has helped feed

much of the world’s population,

reduce poverty and hunger,

improve the health of rice farmers

and consumers, and ensure that

rice production is environmentally

sustainable.

Arthur C. YapSecretary

*Editor’s Note: In recognition ofthe continuing efforts and hugecontribution of IRRI -- astaunch partner of the Philip-pine Department of Agriculture-- to rice R&D, and in increas-ing rice production in Asia andthe rest of the world, we arereprinting excerpts of aneditorial published in a majornewspaper.

(Pls turn to p11)

December 2009 3

The Department of Agriculture

(DA) recently launched a

Farmers’ Contact Center (FCC)

to enable farmers, fisherfolk, and

the general public easily access

agriculture-related information

and extension services via the

telephone, internet or short

messaging service (SMS).


C. Yap said the FCC is part of

the extension component of

President Arroyo’s flagship

program on food security

dubbed as FIELDS.

The FCC is spearheaded by

the DA’s Agricultural Training

Institute (DA-ATI) in partnership

with Philippine Long Distance

Telephone Company (PLDT).

Farmers, fishers, and the

general public may simply call

the FCC through telephone

numbers 982-2474 (AGRI) for

Metro Manila, 1-800-10-982-2474 (AGRI) for provincial tollfree calls, and 0928-4990-965 formobile users.

Inquiries can also be sentthrough text at 391-32 (DA) forSMART and TalkNTextsubscribers and 0928-4990-965for non-SMART subscribers.

The FCC can also beaccessed through e-mail [email protected].

“The FCC is the DA’s

alternative delivery channel in

providing timely information and

extension services to our

farmers and fisherfolk, including

the general public,” Yap said.

DA unveils info service center

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap (5th from left) leads the launch of the Farmers’ Con-tact Center (FCC) in Tagbilaran City to provide timely technical, marketing and exten-sion services to farmers and fishers, as well as current food prices and other inquiries bythe general public, who should simply call or text designated telephone and mobile num-bers or inquire through email. The FCC is led by the DA’s Agriculture AgriculturalTraining Institute (DA-ATI) and Information Technology Center for Agricultureand Fisheries (DA-ITCAF) in partnership with the Philippine Long Distance Tele-phone company, Devolved Agriculturists of the Phils., Inc., Phil. Ass’n. of Provin-cial and City Agriculturists , and DOST-PCARRD. (Photo by Darwin Bibit, DA-ATI)

The DA-ATI has organized

three levels of support for the

FCC to quickly and adequately

respond to queries.

Level 1 involves the contact

center agents with agriculture

background who will first answer

the queries.

Should the callers or texters

need further information, they

will be referred to Level 2, or

experts from concerned DA

agencies and institutions.

If the query needs further

probing or requires field and farm

visits, they will be referred to

Level 3 experts, who include

agricultural extension workers

and members of the Devolved

Agriculturists of the Phils., Inc.

(DAPI), and Phil. Ass’n. of

Provincial and City Agriculturists

(PAPCA), and scientists and

researchers from agricultural

State Universities and Colleges

(SUCs).

FIELDS is the acronymn for

the six major interventions --

fertilizers, irrigation and otherrural infrastructure, extensionand training, loans, dryers andother postharvest facilities, andseeds and other geneticmaterials -- that governmentthrough the DA provides to theagriculture and fishery to attainfood self-sufficiency andsecurity, increase theproductivity and incomes offarmers and fishers, andgenerate livelihood andemployment in the countryside.(Benedict Natividad, DA-ATI)

Some 1,000 urban poor fami-

lies who have resettled in

Barangay Dayap, Calauan, La-

guna, will also have vegetable

gardens and fishponds in their

backyards.

Thanks to the joint efforts of

the Department of Agriculture

and the ABS-CBN Foundation

(AFI) under its Bayan ni Juan

and Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog

Pasig project.


Yap and AFI president Regina

Lopez recently forged an agree-

ment to implement the joint ini-

tiative right in Barangay Dayap

Veggie, fishpond projectto benefit urban poor families

with some of the family-benefi-

ciaries from Metro Manila, who

were previously informally

settled along the banks of Pasig

River.

The DA will help them set up

their respective vegetable gar-

dens, train them on how to

grow vegetables and fish prop-

erly and profitably--through the

DA’s Bureau of Fisheries and

Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and

Bureau of Soils Water Manage-

ment (BSWM)--teach them en-

vironment-friendly technologies,

and provide them assorted veg-

etable seeds, fish tank and fin-

gerlings, shredder and

vermicomposting units to pro-

duce organic fertilizers.

For its part, the AFI will iden

tify and provide areas for the veg-

etable gardens and fishponds,

and assign counterpart person-

nel to help speed up the project.

The National Food Authority

has given the notice of awards

to four winning bidders to sup-

ply a total of 509,950 metric tons

of imported well-milled, long-

grain white rice of 25 percent

broken to the Philippines .

In the bidding held December

1, the NFA has awarded the rice

imports to Vietnam Southern

Food Corp., Louis Dreyfus Com-

modities Asia Pte. Ltd.,

Chairyaporn Rice Co., Ltd and

Asia Golden Rice.

A total of 300,000 MT of rice

NFA awards 509,950 MT rice importswill be sourced from Vietnam.

The balance of 209,950 MT will

come from Thailand , the United

States, China and Pakistan.

The shipment is scheduled to

arrive next year, from January

until May.

Vietnam Southern Food Corp.

won the right to supply a total of

300,000 MT. The first 100,000

MT is priced at US$598 per ton,

the next 100,000 MT at US$630,

and the remaining 100,000 MT

at US$648 per ton. (NFA-Public

Affairs Dep’t.)

4

Agribusiness ventures in thecountry have so far generatedP120-billion (roughly $2.5B)worth of committed investmentssince 2007, according to theDepartment of Agriculture’s Phil.Agricultural Development andCommercial Corp. (DA-PADCC).

Of the $2.5 bill ioninvestments, one-eight (12.5%)each went to food crops,banana exports, technologytransfer and informationexchange; and renewableenergy (6.25%).

The country’s 91-mill ionpopulation as a consumer baseis too compelling a reason (tostart agribusiness projects), saidAgriculture Secretary Arthur C.Yap.

And that traditional agricultureis giving way to modernagribusiness, added AgricultureAssistant Secretary Preceles H.Manzo said in a recent forum.“Progressive foreign businesspersons are always on thelookout for agribusinessprojects,” he added.

Since launching anagribusiness promotionprogram in 2007, the countryhas contracted to local andforeign companies 1.674 millionhectares of agribusiness lands.

Foreign companies fromBahrain, the US, and Kingdomof Saudi Arabia, among others,have committed to invest inlarge-scale agribusiness

Agri ventures attract

P120-B investments

Young Filipinos should

consider a career in agriculture

to reverse the country’s aging

farmer population and ensure

the sustained growth of this

critical sector.

This is the advice of

Agriculture Undersecretary

Bernie Fondevilla, who said that

just like other “white-collar”

career paths, agriculture can

become a profitable venture for

the country’s youth.

He lamented that many

Land Bank to lend P26.5Bto farmers in 2010

projects like jatropha andbanana plantations,aquaculture, corn productionand postharvest projects.

For instance, a USagribusiness and trade missionled by US Agriculture SecretaryThomas J. Vilsack in Octoberyielded potential investmentstotaling $351.3 million.

Far East Agriculture Co., anumbrella group of 10 SaudiArabian agribusinesscompanies, said it will invest

$300 mill ion in a banana

plantation in Mindanao.

In March, AMA Computer

University and Nader & Ebrahim

S/O Hassan Bahrain signed a

$300-M venture to develop

10,000 hectares of banana

plantation in Davao Region.(BusinessWorld)

lion, according to estimates

made by the World Bank.

The World Bank noted that

it will take about three years

for the Philippines to fully re-

cover from the series of ca-

lamities that hit the nation this

year.

LandBank releases loans to

farmers through relending to

rural banks and farmers’ co-

operatives.

Pico added that the bank is

accrediting more conduits to

reach more farmers.

As of end-September 2009,

Land Bank’s loans to priority

sectors have reached

P117.5B, up by 18 percent

from the P99.5B a year

ago.(Business Mirror)

The Land Bank of the Phil-

ippines is targeting to make

loan releases of P26.5 billion

to small farmers and fisherfolk

in 2010.

The amount is 15 percent

higher than the projected P23-

billion worth of loans this year.

“We want to give our priority

sectors the best exposure. In

this time of crisis, [our farm-

ers] need more support in

terms of financing to recover

what was lost to them in the

2009 series of tragedies,”

LandBank president and chief

executive officer Gilda Pico

said a recent briefing.

The farm sector was badly

hit by recent typhoons, with

damages reaching $849.3 mil-

Filipino youth should consider agristudents usually shy away from

agriculture-related courses,

preferring instead to pursue

careers in more prestigious

professions such as law and

engineering, despite the many

potentials offered by the

country’s farm and fisheries

sector for the country’s

enterprising young Filipinos.

This is why the priority thrust

of the DA on the watch of

Secretary Arthur Yap is not only

to further boost farm yields, but

Experts from the University of the Philippines in Los Baños (UPLB) recently launched abook, entitled “Modern Biotechnology and Agriculture,”which chronicles the history ofthe commercialization of biotech maize in the Philippines. The authors are shown abovewith Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap (3rd from left), namely (from left): Dr. RubenVillareal, National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) academician; Dr. EmilJavier, NAST president; Dr. Leonardo Gonzales, president of SIKAP/STRIVE Founda-tion; Dr. Flerida Cariño, UP Diliman biochemistry professor; Dr. Dolores Ramirez,UPLB professor emeritus; and Arthur Baria, assistant vice president of Nestle Phils.

to make agriculture and fisheries

a lot more profitable for farmers

and fisherfolk, and at the same

time encourage more investors.

Fondevilla expressed concern

over the country’s aging farmer

population where the average

age is above 60 years old.

“The problem of an aging

farmer sector population is not

just in the Philippines. This is

also a problem of countries like

Japan, the US, and many of our

neighboring countries.”

“Sa mga kabataan po natin,

gusto ninyong magkaroon ng

napakagandang posibilidad sa

kinabukasan ninyo? (To our

youth, you want to have bright

possibilities for your future?)

Consider agriculture,” Fondevilla

said during the recent National

Awareness Month Celebration.

“The future is bright, the future

is actually agriculture,” he said.

Despite the twin challenges

of a growing population and

climate change on agriculture,

the agriculture and fisheries

sector offers young Filipinos

various opportunities for career

growth because food will always

be in high demand, Fondevilla

noted.

December 2009 5

To sustain the growth of the

country’s coconut industry, the

Department of Agriculture

through the Philippine Coconut

Authority (PCA) will massively

promote and market coco-based

health and wellness products,

notably virgin coconut oil (VCO),

coco sugar, fresh coconut sap,

and galactomannan--all with

supporting clinical studies and

researches.

“These non-traditional and

newly emerging products

possess the huge promise of

boosting the country’s income

from coconuts,” PCA

Administrator Oscar G. Garin

said,

To further promote

agribusiness in the Philippines,

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap

has written a book, “The Art of

Agribusiness,” which compiles

the triumphs and successes of

124 model farmers, fishers and

entrepreneurs.

In her foreword, President

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said

“the stories featured in this book

about successful farmers,

fisherfolk, and agribusiness en-

trepreneurs who have benefit

from the assistance of the DA

and other government agencies

will not only help promote

agribusiness in the country, butwill also inspire Filipinos to en-gage in agriculture and fisheriesas profitable ventures... and willcontribute, in no small way, insustaining growth of our econmyand helping our country achievefodd self-sufficiency.”

For his part, Secretary Yapsaid: “Real and sustainable eco-nomic growth would not happenif the agriculture sector would beleft behind.

“In this book, we feature someof the trailblazing experts in themany fields of agriculture andtheir life stories are as varied as

the industries, products, people

and organizations that they rep-

resent.

“All of them prove that there

truly is wealth in agriculture.”

‘The Art of Agribusiness’ now available

Originally, the book was in-

tended to feature success sto-

ries of 111 agri-entrepreneurs in

celebration of the 111th anniver-

sary of DA, but the abundance

of agri-entrepreneurs worthy of

getting featured in the book ex-

ceeded the targeted number of

success stories.

The book is the first of its kind

in the country and in the history

of DA.

Joey Concepcion of Go

Negosyo and the Philippine Cen-

ter for Entrepreneurship gives the

foreword, as Go Negosyo shares

in the DA’s vision to promote en-

trepreneurship in the Philip-

pines.

In partnership with National

Bookstore’s Bestsellers, Anvil

Publishing, and The Podium,

the book launch has gathered

dozens of agri-entrepreneurs fea-

tured in the book, as well as rep-

resentatives from the private

sector and government agen-

cies.

The book is being distributed

in partnership with Anvil Publish-

ing and will be available in the

top 50 National Bookstore out-

lets in the National Capital Re-

gion. (DA-BAR)

PCA to promote VCO, coco sugar, etc.

The Department of Agricul-

ture through the Agricultural

Credit Policy Council (DA-

ACPC) has to date lent P64

million, benefiting 3,438 farm-

ers and fisherfolk nationwide,

under its Agri-Microfinance

Program for Small Farmers

and Fisherfolk and their

Households (AMP).

The loans were coursed

through the People’s Credit

and Finance Corporation

(PCFC).

Thus far, PCFC has relent

P64 mill ion out of the

program’s P100-million fund

through its network of

microfinance institutions

(MFIs) as conduits.

Borrower organizations

and eligible sub-borrowers

may avail of either:

Agri-Fishery Microfinance

Loan Facility or credit funds

to finance farm, off-farm/non-

farm income generating

projects.

Eligible sub-borrowers in-

clude heads of the family,

spouses or adult working

members of small farming/

fishing households. Only one

member per household is

qualified to borrow up to

P50,000;

Value Chain Financing Fa-

cility or credit funds to finance

value chain activities and ac-

quisition of assets for post

production, agri-enterprise or

agribusiness project.

Eligible groups can bor-

row up to P1 million but not

to exceed P150,000 per

member, whichever is higher.

The AFMP is one of the pro-

grams under the Agro-Indus-

try Modernization Credit and

Financing Program (AFMP),

the government’s umbrella fi-

nancing program for agricul-

ture and fisheries. (DA-ACPC)

DA-ACPClends P64Mto farmers

“The key is to conduct the

studies and researches needed,

and in this effort we need the

support of all stakeholders,” he

added.

For instance, coco sugar is

good for diabetics, with its low

glycemic index of 35, as

confirmed by studies done by

the Food and Nutrition Research

Institute.

In defense of VCO, he said not

all oils increase cholesterol level,

and of all oils touted as heart-

friendly, VCO is the most

cholesterol-neutral.

“In this light, we are

challenging all stakeholders and

institutions to support a clinical

study on the neutral effect of

VCO on cholesterol level, on the

cardio-vascular system, and on

the body’s general health, which

the PCA will be initiating.

Finally, fresh coco sap has

inositol that inhibits cancer cell

growth, and that galactomannan

can be used for food, cosmetics

and pharmaceuticals.

Galactomannan is a gum

product, similar to carageenan,

and used in food as extender,

thickener, emulsifier, stabilizer

and edible wrapping/packaging

material. (DA-PCA Coconut

Media Service)

Secretary Arthur Yap (left) and Roberto Amores ofPhilFoodEx unveil the book, ‘The Art of Agribusiness,’while Joey Concepcion of Go Negosyo look on.

The yellow group has beta

carotene and flavonoids

which reduce the risk of heart

diseases, some cancers and

slows down ageing.

Squash, mango, oranges,

cantaloupes and carrots are

the popular sources.

December 20096 7

For its successful and profitable operation, serving about 5,000households and providing employment to dozens of residents, theBalligi Barangay Bagsakan (BB), in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, was ad-judged as the national 2009 Gawad Saka winner under the non-LGU operated BB category.

The rustic town of Sta. Ana

which lies at the northernmost

part of Cagayan is not only

known as a tourists’ paradise

and a haven for adventurers.

Situated 632 kilometers north

of Manila , this simple town is

also home to the Cagayan

Economic Zone Authority

which continues to draw fresh

investments and international

tourists.

And through the years, it is

considered as one of the major

crop and fishery producing

towns of Cagayan as it is

blessed with fertile soils, vast

marine resources and

hardworking farmers and

fishers.

Thus, with an abundant

supply of crops such as corn,

vegetables and fruits, le-

gumes, rootcrops, and other

high value commodities, Sta.

Ana Mayor Norberto Victor

Rodriguez was compelled to

look for a central drop-off point

where producers and consum-

ers can meet and trade.

“We needed a place where

we can showcase and sell our

products,” he said.

Barangay Bagsakan

As luck would have it, the

Department of Agriculture (DA)

through its Agribusiness and

Marketing Assistance Service

(AMAS) has been implement-

ing a market linkage program

popularly known as Barangay

Bagsakan (BB) to link the

farmers and fishers to the

consumers.

Cagayan town benefitsfrom model food depot

By Adora D. Rodriguez

Now on its two-year running,

the barangay-based food depot

which sells basic food prod-

ucts at low costs continues to

ensure that every family can

afford to buy and eat quality

and nutritious food.

Having signified his intention

with the support of the munici-

pal council, Rodriguez applied

for a BB unit in their town.

Under the implementing

guidelines for the establish-

ment of a BB, the local

executives select a recipient

association and a strategic

site for the BB to be validated.

Balligi rural women

In Sta. Ana’s case, the Rural

Improvement Club of Balligi

was chosen to manage the

center to be established in

Barangay Centro, in an area

approximate to the municipal

hall.

“We believe that the

location is strategic for any

business operation,”

Rodriguez explained.

According to Leni Pecson of

AMAS, “the validation part of

the process is crucial in the

establishment of the food

depot to make sure that the

community passes the criteria

set.

It also ascertains that the

area is suitable for a retail food

distribution system.”

From there on, a series of

training was undertaken by the

management team with the

assistance of the national and

regional BB team until the

bagsakan commenced its

operation in September of

2008.

P240K start-up capital

Starting with a P100,000

grant from DA and P140,000

fund from the LGU, the Balligi

BB was launched.

“When we started, many

came to see our low-priced

commodities and I believe that

we have created a pool of

satisfied consumers,”

Rodriguez said.

True enough, many buyers

were encouraged to visit the

Balligi BB as it remained true

to its vision of providing quality

and affordable foodstuff to local

residents.

Almost all commodities

traded at the BB are P5-P10

cheaper compared to those

being sold in regular markets,

Do you know that the color of

a certain fruit or vegetable

determines the essential

phytochemical it contains?

Here’s a simple guide--

prepared by Dr. Evelyn B.

Rodriguez, an associate

professor at the Institute of

Chemistry at UP Los Baños--

that will benefit those who

regularly eat vegetables and

fruits.

She said phytochemicals are

compounds in fruits, veg-

etables, grains and other plant

foods that reduce or retard the

risk of major chronic diseases.

The red color group includes

lycopene, which reduces the

risk of cancer, and anthocya-

nin, which delays several

diseases associated with

Eat a rrrrraaaaaiiiiinnnnnbbbbbooooowwwww of colorsThe blue and purple group

includes anthocyanin and

phenolics which also prevents

cancer, heart disease and

ageing.

Eggplant, grapes, plums,

duhat and blueberries are rich

in these two phytochemicals.

Lastly, the white, tan and

brown group contains allyl

sulfides and polyphenols


disease. Banana, garlic, ginger

onions, mushrooms, potatoes

and white corn are just some

rich sources of allyl sulfides

and polyphenols.

Dr. Rodriguez said one does

not have to eat raw food always

to receive the health benefits of

foods rich in phytochemicals.

She noted that many

phytochemicals are reasonably

heat-stable, and most of them

are not water-soluble--hence,

they are not appreciably lost

during conventional cooking

methods.

However, on top of eating

vegetables and fruits regualrly,

Dr. Rodriguez added that

exercising regularly, avoiding

smoking, reducing stress and

maintaining a healthy body

weight are also essential to

sustaining one’s health.

She presented these tips

during a seminar on indigenous

plants for health and wellness

sponsored by the Bureau of

Agricultural Research at the

recent Agrilink 2009. (Johanna

B. Benavente, DA-BAR)

the main reason why a number

of consumers have remained

loyal to the food depot.

“Mas mura kasi dito, kaya

dito kami,” exclaimed a

regular buyer. (We go here

because it’s cheaper.) “Malaki

ang natitipid namin,” he added.

(We save a lot.)

Goods: P5 to P10 cheaper!

The bagsakan’s regular

patrons locally known as suki

enjoy P5-P10 savings on meat

products and an average of P6

from a kilo of lowland veggies

such as ampalaya, squash,

eggplant and okra, among

others.

Cabbage, habitchuelas, and

other highland vegetables can

be bought at P12 less than the

ones being sold in regular

markets.

The Balligi BB takes pride

on their fresh produce since

delivery from farming commu-

nities within the town arrive on

a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

“This is to assure consum-

ers that they can always buy

high grade produce here,” said

Rodriguez.

For its rice supply, the BB

acquires at least 30 cavans of

rice per week from the

Gonzaga warehouse of the

National Food Authority.

Another 20-30 cavans of

commercial rice come from

rice-producing communities.

RIC members from different

barangays supply the pork and

chicken products in monthly

and weekly basis respectively,

while lowland veggies such as

squash, ampalaya, tomato,

eggplant, okra, daludal,

alugbati, upo and green

pepper are delivered weekly.

Fish and its by-products

provided by local fisherfolk are

delivered twice a week and

twice a month respectively.

Carrots, onion, ginger, garlic

and legumes from Tuguegarao

City arrive twice a month,

while cabbage, habitchuelas,

and chayote arrive weekly.

Native mangoes, bananas,

apples, ponkans and other

fruits from Sta. Ana, Gonzaga,

Tuguegarao and Ilocos farms

are delivered weekly.

As the bagsakan continues

to cater to a variety of con-

sumers, it has prompted the

management team to increase

the assortment of goods being

offered.

From staple farm products,

Cebuana couturieris dairy farmer, too!

As of December 2009, the BarangayBagsakan program of the Department of

Agriculture has served more than 110,000families through 113 operational retail

food markets nationwide

Minerva Sotto Yuvienco used

to be a revered name in the high

world of fashion.

Her Best of New York bou-

tiques in Cebu, whose products

she designed, were much pa-

tronized.

Her influence reached other

Visayan cities and up to Davao

City, where she had held fash-

ion shows regularly in the nine-

ties.

Now, this glamour woman,

schooled at the Traphagen

Fashion School in New York

City, is now into dairy farming.

Her success in the milk pro-

duction business was docu-

mented by the Department of

Agriculture’s National Dairy Au-

thority (NDA), chaired by Agri-

culture Secretary Arthur Yap,

with Orkhan Usman as NDA

administrator.

The NDA has been assisting

Yuvienco in raising her dairy

herd, now consists of 54 dairy

cows.

“Thanks to NDA, we have the

services of their veterinarians

who are knowledgeable in dairy

cow management,” she said.

She believes that the dairy

industry has a bright future in

the country because Filipinos

have begun appreciating the

benefits of drinking fresh milk.

She sells a big bulk of her pro-

duce to the Cebu Federation of

Dairy Cooperatives, but keeps

some at her Cebu City home

where ordinary folks go to buy

their milk supply.

Before venturing into dairy

farming, which she set up on a

six-hectare land inherited from

her physician parents — Dr.

Merito Yuvienco and Dr. Suga

Sotto Yuvienco — this

grandaughter of Cebu’s great

statesman, the late Sen.

Vicente Sotto, had to close her

boutiques due to the economic

downturn.

Finding no choice and buoyed

by her sense of resiliency and

never-say-die character, the

fashion guru plunged into dairy

animal raising.

She has no regrets and is

enjoying her success in the in-

dustry.

She looks forward to bringing

the business to a higher notch,

and that is to be able to produce

cheese and trade her cheese

products abroad.(Teddy Molina -

The Philippine Star)

ageing.

Tomatoes, watermelon and

strawberries are rich in lyco-

pene and anthocyanin.

The yellow group has beta

carotene and flavonoids


diseases, some cancers and

slows down ageing.

Squash, mango, oranges,

cantaloupes and carrots are

the popular sources.

The green color group

contians lutein which helps

maintain good vision. Plants

rich in lutein are pechay,

kangkong, gabi leaves, mus-

tard, spinach, alugbati, saluyot

and malunggay.

the Balligi BB now has frozen

products available for the

consumers.

Diversified into trading

As a blooming enterprise,

the Sta. Ana BB has ventured

into projects not confined with

the trading of agri-produce

alone. From time to time, it

has embarked on other

business opportunities to

augment its income.

And so, with barely a year of

operation, the bagsakan

maintains a regular monthly

income close to P19,000 even

as it faces inevitable adversi-

ties such as the varying

capability of consumers to buy

from time to time.

Serving 4,783 households

and generating employment for

local residents, the bagsakan

is committed to its vision of

providing quality and safe

agricultural products at lower

prices. Accordingly, it as-

sumes capability of being both

a destination and source of

superior agri and fishery

commodities.

It’s no wonder why it was

recently awarded first prize at

the regional search for out-

standing BB’s.

Now, more than ever, distant

Sta. Ana has a bigger reason

to be discovered.

8

More than 150 farmers in

Aklan have completed their

season-long training on ‘Palay-

check,’ conducted by the

Department of Agriculture in

Western Visayas (DA-RFU 6)

via a radio program or School-

On-the-Air (SOA) aired over the

Community Broadcasting

Information System (CBIS) in the

province.

“The SOA has helped me fully

understand the palay-check

technology,” said Ariel Igong-

Igong of Barangay Liloan,

Malinao, Aklan, who is among

the 157 farmer-graduates.

The SOA was initiated by the

DA-RFU 6 in collaboration with

the Office of the Provincial

Agriculturist and the Municipal

Government of Kalibo.

Engr. Remelyn R. Recoter,

Regional Technical Director for

Operations of DA 6 said through

the SOA farmer-graduates

share what they have learned to

other farmers in their respective

communities.

Meanwhile, Kalibo Mayor

Raymar Rebaldo has affirmed

his strong support and

partnership with the DA in the

implementation of the SOA

The Department of Agriculture

RFU 9, in coordination with the

International Training Center on

Pig Husbandry (ITCPH)

conducted recently a biogas

technology seminar in

Zamboanga.

Raul Ramon Bucoy,

agricultural program coordinator,

said the three-day seminar

taught participants on how to

produce biogas and use for

cooking and fuel to run engines.

Biogas is a flammable gas

(methane) produced by bacteria

when organic materials such as

animal manure, human excreta

and some agricultural and

industrial wastes.

There are contained and

fermented in a certain range of

temperature, moisture content,

and acidities, under air-tight

conditions.

Biogas has a high heating

temperature, clean, bluish and

produces a soothless flame.

Experts from the ITCPH

lectured and demonstrated how

to install an engine carburetor

to generate electricity using

biogas as fuel.

The other topics discussed

during the seminar were: the

biogas situation in the region,

the latest technology on animal

From the RegionsSelected news and developments on agriculture, fisheries, agribusiness and

related sectors, as reported by the DA-Regional Field Units, and those published

in national and provincial publications.

Aklan farmers trainon palay-check via SOA

program and other agriculture

related projects in the

municipality.

“Through the SOA we can

provide vital information and

technologies to far-flung

barangays where our farmers

are in need of new technologies

to improve their farming

practices and increase their

production,” said Mayor

Rebaldo.

The SOA on palaycheck

system emphasizes on the

eight key checks farmers should

follow in order to increase yield,

harvest quality grains, minimize

production and postharvest

losses.

The eight imperatives are: use

of certified seeds of a

recommended variety, no high

and low soil spots after final

leveling, practice synchronous

planting after a fallow period,

sufficient number of healthy

seedlings, sufficient nutrients at

early panicle initiation to

flowering, avoid excessive water

or drought stress situation, no

significant yield loss due to

pests and cut and thresh the

crop at the right time. (JEEO/

DA-RFU 6)

DA-Region 5 (Bicol) Director Jose Dayao (3rd from left)and Camarines Sur Congressman Luis Villafuerte (3rdfrom right) unveil the marker of a farm-to-market road(FMR) at Paolbo-Binanuanan Grande, in Calabanga,Camarines Sur. It is one of the eight FMR sections total-ing 24.159 kilometers recently improved and constructedunder the DA’s Infrastructure for Rural Productivity En-hancement Sector (InfRES). Also shown are CalabangaMayor Evelyn S. Yu (2nd from left), Vice Mayor RaffyPalma (2nd from right), and members of the CalabangaMunicipal Council. (Photo by Jun Collantes-DA-RAFID5)

DA-RFU6 Technical Director Remelyn Recoter (left)discusses the importance of using new rice farmingtechnologies during the graduation ceremony of the firstSchool-on-the-Air on Palay-check in Kalibo, Aklan.

DA-Zamboanga, pig centerconduct biogas tech seminar

waste management and

utilization and its importance to

the environment, the economic

benefits/ value of Tubular Poly-

ethylene Digester (TPED),

conversion/computation of

animal manure to biogas, and

the hands-on tapping of

carburetor from biogas operated

generator.

The seminar also taught the

participants, mostly hog and

livestock raisers, how to

manage animal wastes using

environment friendly

technologies, and how to

efficiently produce biogas.

The participants also had a

chance to visit a hog farm with

installed biogas in Barangay

Talisayan, Zamboanga City,

where the hands-on tapping of

carburetor to the engine to

biogas was conducted.

Regional Biogas Coordinator

Julie Rubio said there are now

48 biogas units installed all over

the region.

The seminar was also

participated by livestock

technicians from the different

provincial, municipal, cities, and

some invited biogas operators

from the private sectors all over

Zamboanga Peninsula. (Willy

Penaflor, DA-RFU9)

December 2009 9

Two Department of Agriculture

officials and a training center on

pig husbandry figured

perominently at the 2009 Honor

Awards Program (HAP) of the

Civil Service Commission (CSC).

For his various contributions

in the field of agriculture,

Gumersindo Lasam received

the posthumous award in

Lingkod ng Bayan for his exem-

plary effort as the DA’s Regional

Executive Director in Cagayan

Valley.

During his term, he initiated

various programs that increased

agricultural productivity in

Cagayan Valley, exceeding

growth targets for rice and corn

sectors.

He also addressed the lack

of training of farmers in the re-

gion and formed a farmer-led ex-

tension where leaders train their

fellow farmers on new technolo-

gies.

He spent 37 years in public

service and received various

awards during his tenure.

The second awardee is like-

wise from Cagayan Valley, Dir.

Jovita Ayson of the DA’s Bu-

reau of Fisheries and Aquatic

Resources (BFAR Region 2),

who received the Pagasa award

ASEAN Agri-Ministers Meeting. Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap (5th from right)leads the Philippine delegation to the 31st ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and ForestryMeeting (AMAF) held recently in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam. Duringthe meeting, yap called for the urgent covening of a Senior Officials meeting to handlethe technical details of establishing the East Asia emergency Rice reserve (EAERR) as apermanent mechanism to ensure food security in East Asia.

Two DA officials, training centerare 2009 best civil servants

for protecting her region from

poachers and illegal fishers.

She investigated and closed

down dummy corporations by

poachers.

Aside from her continuous

effort in initiating measures in

preserving marine habitat in their

region, she also upheld gender

awareness, development and

empowerment of women through

different activities that uplift

women’s condition in Cagayan.

Another winner under the

Pagasa Award (group category)

is the Agricultural Training In-

stitute-International Training

Center on Pig Husbandry (ATI-

ITCPH) in Lipa City, Batangas,

which is considered as the lead-

ing technology depot on swine

breeding and production in the

Asia-Pacific region.

It has emerged successful

despite limited budget by team-

ing up with various private com-

panies and generous groups and

individuals to fund training ma-

terials, office equipment and

swine feeds.

The honor awards program,

now on its 50th edition, is an

annual undertaking of the Civil

Service Commission to recog-

nize the exemplary performance

of government workers and

agencies.

The program is divided into

three categories: The Lingkod

ng Bayan (LB), Pagasa and

Dangal ng Bayan (DNB) Awards.

The LB award is bestowed on

an individual or group for excep-

tional contributions from an idea

or performance that created na-

tional impact on public interest;

the Pagasa award is granted to

an individual or group for out-

standing contributions that ben-

efited more than one government

department; and the Dangal ng

Bayan Award is conferred on an

individual for extraordinary per-

formance in dishcharging his/her

duties and tasks.

A total of 25 individuals and

five groups have emerged this

year’s outstanding public ser-

vants.

Implementing agencies of the

North Luzon Agribusiness Quad-

rangle (NLAQ) -- of which Agri-

culture Secretary Arthur Yap is

the designated ‘development

champion’ -- are fast-tracking

their respective infrastructure

and postharvest projects to

meet their target timelines.

To date, six projects have been

completed, while 19 projects are

ongoing,according to NLAQ

project manager Dir. Roy Impe-

rial.

The completed projects

amounting to more than P11 bil-lion are: Casecnan Multipurpose

Irrigation and Power project, San

Fernando Airport Development,

Dingalan Port Development,

33MW Bangui Bay Wind Power

Project (Phase II), La Trinidad

Six NLAQ infra projects doneMinimal Processing Plant, and

several tramlines.

“Despite the fact that most of

our projects were affected by a

series of typhoons, the perfor-

mance we’ve done in the field is

satisfactory,” Dir. Imperial said

during the recent annual evalu-

ation/inter-agency consultative

meeting in Quezon City.

The Poro Point project

amounting to P471.406 M was

completed last February. It in-

cluded the construction of a run-

way extension and several build-

ings in the site. A component

under this project is the upgrad-

ing of the San Fernando Airport,

a secondary airport serving as

alternate to Loakan Airport in

Baguio City.

The Dingalan Port project, on

the otherhand, completed Janu-

ary 2008, included the construc-

tion of a passenger terminal

building. The project, costing

P96.78M, is expected to in-

crease efficiency in the trans-

port and handling of goods,

people and services between

Aurora and the neighboring prov-

inces.

Among the projects expected

to be finished soon is the

Cagayan Economic Zone Au-

thority (CEZA) International Air-

port under a joint-venture with

Cagayan Land Property Devel-

opment Corporation (CLPDC).

The P1.6 B project is expected

to needed investments, tourists

and goods in the province and

will complement Port Irene,

which is also under construction

and expected to be operational

by May next year.

(Pls turn to p11)

10

A second Green Revolution

must be waged to end hunger

and poverty in the drylands.

This is the call raised by the

International Crops Research

Institute for the Semi-Arid

Tropics (ICRISAT) through its

Director general William Dar and

the International Fund for

Agricultural Development

(IFAD), through its President

Kanayo Nwanze.

The two leaders also called on

national governments to draft

polices that would transform

dryland agriculture into a

successful business.

To turn agriculture profitable

for farmers, governments need

to create local demand and

make local markets viable, they

said. This would be the only way

to attain food security in a world

afflicted by climate change.

Dr Dar and Dr Nwanze

stressed the urgent need for a

second Green Revolution

focused in the semi-arid tropics.

In the face of unrelenting pres-

sure on Asian rice production,

the International Rice Research

Institute (IRRI) to mark its 50th

anniversary in 2010 launched a

US$300-million fund-raising

campaign.

The five-year campaign has

already raised $59 million, with

over $50 million provided by the

Bill & Melinda Gates Founda-

tion.

“Although we obviously have

a long way to go, we are very

grateful to the Bill & Melinda

IRRI starts $300M fund-raising campaignGates Foundation for giving the

campaign such a strong philan-

thropic start,” said IRRI Director

General Dr. Robert Zeigler.

He noted that already the cam-

paign was developing a wide

range of support from personal

donations of $1,000 to larger

gifts from big companies. “Rice

is fundamental not just to Asian

economies but also to Asian

culture, so the people we are

meeting are very motivated to

provide support – I believe we

already have another $20 to $25

million in the pipeline,” Dr.

Zeigler said.

The campaign’s launch

comes at a key time for rice pro-

duction and food security in Asia

and around the world. Rice

prices are again approaching

last year’s historic highs that

caused social upheaval in some

nations.

A range of factors, including

extreme weather events such

as droughts and floods, put in-

creasing pressure on production

in countries such as India and

the Philippines.

”There is no doubt that rice re-

search can help,” Dr. Zeigler

said. “For more than four de-

cades, rice production has

steadily increased in Asia,

pushed ahead by new varieties

developed through research that

has helped ensure enough rice

for all Asians.

We have the knowledge.

What we need more than any-

thing is to make the necessary

investments, especially with the

looming threat of climate

change.”

Although the campaign has

received some government sup-

port, such as a seed grant from

Singapore’s Economic Develop-ment Board, its main focus ison philanthropy in Asia and sup-port from individuals, organiza-tions, and companies fromaround the region.

”IRRI was founded by the phi-lanthropy of the U.S.-basedRockefeller and Ford Founda-tions in 1960,” said Dr. Zeigler.“We would now like to urge thegreat philanthropists of Asia –of which there are many – to lookat these examples and realizethat rice is fundamental to thefuture of not only their familiesbut also their nations and theentire region.”

To support the campaign, IRRIhas established The IRRI Fundin Singapore as an internationalcharitable organization and will

also be active in Hong Kong.

“We want to reach out to all

Asians and ask for their support

as rice research touches the

lives of all rice consumers,” Dr.

Zeigler added. “After all, in Asia,

rice is life.” (IRRI)

Drylands need ‘2nd green revolution’“Nearly 80 million hectares of

India ’s net sown area is rainfed.

However, productivity levels of

crops like millets, pulses and

oilseeds continue to remain low.

Though potential yields of up

to 2 tonnes per hectare are

possible, the yield gaps are

exacerbated by vagaries of

climate,” Dr Dar added.

Dr Nwanze said that a key

strategy should involve small

farmers as they feed one-third

of the world population. He also

stressed the need to organize

them into groups and provide

them with access to inputs and

markets.

Emphasizing the need for

political will and the right policy

atmosphere he points out: “We

need a different landscape to

feed a population of 9.6 billion

by 2050.”

There is a need to develop

better seeds that can withstand

water shortage, new pests and

adverse weather conditions.”

In developing countries

Small fisheriessupply 95%fish harvestOver half of the catch in de-

veloping countries comes from

small-scale fisheries, from

which 90 to 95% is for human

consumption.

This is the preliminary finding

of a joint study conducted by the

Food and Agriculture Organiza-

tion of the United Nations (FAO)

and the WorldFish Center, fo-

cusing on the contribution of

small and inland fisheries in de-

veloping countries to national fish

harvest and supply.

The WorldFish Center said

small and inland fisheries are

often more informal and dis-

persed than their larger marine

counterparts, making them hard

to track.

Thus, the general public per-

ceive that they are less produc-

tive, which simply reflects lack

information about them.

This is the reason why the

FAO, many national agency

partners, and WorldFish have

conducted and recently com-

pleted a re-analysis of the con-

tribution of the small fisheries

sector in terms of catch and

participation to better guide

policy makers and attract invest-ments.

Preliminary findings are com-pelling, as over half of the catchin developing countries comesfrom small-scale fisheries, fromwhich 90-95% of landings aredestined for domestic humanconsumption.

Hence, this is how much smallfisheries contribute to local foodsecurity.

Further, they also provide over90% of all fishery jobs, withwomen accounting for aboutone-half of the total workforce indeveloping countries, both full-and part-time.

Small fisheries also provide

food and income to millions of

occasional fishers and fishery

workers, serving as a security

net for poorer populations, es-

pecially in coastal areas.(WorldFish Center)

December 2009 11

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap (2nd from left) and Mr. Cho Sang-Woo, team leader of

the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Multi-Industry Clusters (MIC)

exchange the Record of Discussions (ROD) on the establishment of rice processing

centers in the Philippines. With them are DA Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat

(left) and KOICA Philippine resident representative Kim In. (Photo from PHILKOFA website)

Rice processing ...(from p1)

Undersecretary Bernadette

Romulo Puyat, KOICA Philip-

pine resident representative Mr.

Kim In, and Mr. Cho Sang Woo,

KOICA-MIC team leader.

KOICA is funding three other

RPCs in the country: in Davao

del Sur, Iloilo, and Bohol. It has

previously funded a similar fa-

cility in Aurora province.

The Sta. Barbara RPC can

store up to 1,100 tons of palay,

and dry 5,600 metric tons per

year or 1,000 bags per day, and

mill 2.5 metric tons a day, or 50

cavans per hour.

“With the putting up of this

rice processing complex, we will

move the income of our farm-

ers here from P15 per kilo to

P40 per kilo,” Secretary Yap

said.

Yap cited the success of the

RPC in Aurora, where farmers

are now producing premium

quality rice, enabling them to

earn more incomes as they now

sell premium rice at P35 to P40

per kilo.

For his part, Gov. Espino

thanked the DA and the KOICA

for selecting Pangasinan as a

project beneficiary, and assured

them that the province will pro-

viding proper care and secure the

complex, which will benefit more

than 200,000 farmers in Sta.

Barbara and other adjoining

towns.

Six NLAQ ... (from p9)

The development of Bagabag,

Itbayat and Basco airports was

slightly delayed due to the con-

tinuous typhoons that struck the

region late this year. Construc-

tions are expected to be finished

early nest year.

The National Irrigation Author-

ity (NIA) is expediting the con-

struction of irrigation projects

such as in Agno, Banaoang, and

Addalam and rehabilitation of

Balog-Balog Irrigation Canal.

The irrigation systems, once fin-

IRRI’s high-yielding rice

varieties have helped

significantly increase world rice

production, especially in Asia,

saving millions from famine,

while protecting the environment

and training thousands of

researchers.

Further, its work on

sequencing of the rice genome

is providing researchers with

new knowledge that is allowing

them to attack many old

problems with new solutions.

In all, IRRI--which launched

the ‘Green Revolution’--has

remained a constant contributor

to the continuing quest for food

security around the world.

(Manila Bulletin)

IRRI helps ... (from p2)

The RPC will be initially oper-

ated by the DA’s Nat’l.

Agribusiness Corp. (NABCOR),

along with a prospective farmer’s

organization that would later

operate and manage the rice

complex. (DA-Region 1 Info Div.)

profit margin,” Navarro said.

The EETS also assures

accredited farmers that NFA will

procure deposited stocks at a

pre-determined price, while

buyers’ bids can be transmitted

electronically through the NFA’s

computer system for the sellers

to have the option to get the

highest price.

In addition, the electronic

system is more transparent and

a credible monitor of price and

market trends for decision

making by the private and

government sectors.

Eligible to participate are corn

buyers who are will ing to

withdraw their stocks from

designated withdrawal sites, and

corn sellers who are willing to

deposit their stocks at

designated depository sites.

Sellers include NFA

accredited individual farmers

and farmers’ organizations and

other suppliers, while buyers

include feed millers, registered

poultry and hog raisers, and

other corn buyers. (DA-NFA)

NFA launches ... (from p12)

ished, will benefit farming fami-

lies and provide potential jobs

in North Luzon.

To supplement the major in-

frastructure expansion in the

region, Department of Public

Works and Highway is also

speeding up the construction of

several roads in the region to

support faster delivery of farm

products. Halsema Highway,

Bontoc-Tabuk-Tuguegarao, and

Baler-Aurora-Casiguran Roads

are 63.01% completed and are

expected to be operational next

year.

Greenhouses are ideal for

tropical countries such as the

Philippines to prevent damage

to crops in times of storms and

also to boost production.But

because they are very expen-

sive, not all farmers or farmers

associations are able to have

greenhouses.

Realizing the importance of

greenhouses to boost produc-

tion, the Northern Mindanao of-

fice of the Department of Agri-

culture (DA) is building inexpen-

sive greenhouses using indig-

enous materials for a vegetable-

growers association in the

region.Using bamboo, lumber

and ultraviolet-treated plastic

roofing, the DA-RFU Regional

Local ‘greenhouses’ to boost veggie prod’nAgriculture Engineering Divisiondesigned the indigenous green-houses, which they are calling“rain shelters” and funded underthe Ginintuang Masaganang Ani-High Value Commercial CropsProgram. Each rain-sheltercosts P300,000.

The rain-shelter project, initi-ated by DA-RFU and NorthernMindanao Vegetable Producers’Association (NorminVeggies), isgeared toward the maximumproduction of vegetables inNorthern Mindanao.Recently,the DA-RFU turned over 14 rainshelters worth P4.2 million to

NorminVeggies. NorminVeggiesprovided a counterpart fund ofP1.2 million, while the DA pro-vided P3 million. (Business Mir-

ror)

Typhoon victims to benefit from Japan fertilizer grant

Corn farmers and end-users

will only have to press computer

keys to seal their respexctive

transactions with the formal

launch of the “Enhanced

Electronic Trading System”

(EETS) for corn by the

Department of Agriculture’s

National Food Authority (NFA).

Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura(right) hands over bags of fertilizers to AgricultureUndersecretary Bernie Fondevilla, in simple ceremoniesin Subic, Zambales..

NFA launches corn e-trading

Farmers reeling from the af-

termath of typhoons Ondoy and

Pepeng are the primary benefi-

ciaries of the 13,500 metric tons

(MT) of ammonium sulphate fer-

tilizers from the Government of

Japan (GOJ) under the 31st

Japanese Grant Assistance for

Food Security Projects for Un-

derprivileged Farmers, formerly

known as the Japan 2KR grant.

Agriculture Undersecretary

and Chief of Staff Bernie G.

Fondevilla said the 13,500 MT

will be made available in the ar-

eas affected by the two ty-

phoons.

The grant agreement between

the two governments involves 2

phases of implementation: mon-

etization and utilization.

The monetization phase re-

quires the Government of the

Philippines (GOP) to sell the

fertilizers through public bidding

among local fertilizer companies

and farmer cooperatives, which

in turn, will sell to the farmers in

the distribution areas.

The utilization phase, on the

other hand, allows the DA and

the National Economic and De-

velopment Authority (NEDA), in

coordination with the GOJ, to

utilize the peso proceeds from

the sale to fund their respective

agriculture and fishery-based

and social development

projects.

The 13,500 MT is part of the

total 26,135 MT fertilizer grant

worth P253 million, previously

programmed for distribution in

15 provinces as agreed upon by

both governments.

However, the massive destruc-

tion caused by the two ty-

phoons, prompted the GOP to

request the GOJ to change the

distribution areas for the 13,500

MT from Regions 6, 7, 4B and 5

to Regions 1,2 and 3. This was

done in cooperation with

Agrotech Agricultural Products,

Inc., the winning bidder and con-

signee of the fertilizer.

Shipment of the total volume

of fertilizer was done in four

batches: the 1st ( 6,635 MT)

was shipped to Davao on Sep-

tember 9, 2009; the 2nd (6,000

MT) was delivered in Iloilo on

October 2, 2009; the 3rd ( 6,000

MT); and the 4th (7,500MT) ar-

rived in Subic, on November 12,

2009 and December 14, 2009,respectively.

As part of the continuing re-

habilitation efforts, the new plan,

according to Usec. Fondevilla,

is for the famers in the typhoonaffected areas to benefit from the

proceeds from the sale of fertil-

izers. Fondevilla added the GOJ

has expressed support to the

use of the peso proceeds for the

rehabilitation.

Fondevilla said that a moni-

toring system will be established

by both the GOP and GOJ

through the Japan Embassy in

Manila to check the distribution

of the fertilizers and ensure that

they reach the target beneficia-

ries.

Since the Philippines be-

came a recipient of the Japan

2KR program in 1977, a total of

155 agriculture and fishery-

based development projects

worth P7.15 billion have been

funded out of the grant proceeds.

The system answers the

stakeholders’ clamor for the

establishment of an agricultural

commodity exchange system

that will provide corn buyers and

sellers a wide choice of sources

and markets for the commodity,

said NFA administrator Jessup

P. Navarro.

He said the price of corn

fluctuates widely because of the

mismatch of supply with demand

due to seasonalities in

production.

The unstable pricing gets even

worse with the differences in

distance between production

and consumption areas, he

added.

The EETS for corn is a web-

based network of Designated

Depository and Withdrawal

Sites (DDWS) linked together

by the Central Corn Exchange

Center at the NFA Central Office.

The DDWS serves as trading

center that would provide

information exchange.

It also serves as clearing

house and functions as a

commodity trading venue for

buyers and sellers. It will initially

cater to four pilot areas: Isabela,

Pampanga, General Santos and

Cagayan de Oro City.

Through the electronic

exchange system, corn

producers, suppliers and sellers

can transact directly with the

end-users and buyers thus

cutting layers and costs in

marketing to improve their

income.

“Marketing is the crux of any

business endeavor and the more

choices given to producers to

sell their produce and the end-

users to avail of supply, the

better their opportunity to get

better prices and improve their

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap (middle) explains thefeatures and advantages of the corn e-trading systemduring its launch at the National Food Authority (NFA)in Quezon City. With him are NFA administrator JessupNavarro (left) and former Agriculture Secretary and nowParty-list representative Leonardo Montemayor. (Pls turn to p11)

Aggie Trends December 2009

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