Aggie Trends July 2013 Issue

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Vol. XXVIII No. 7 A monthly publication of the Department of Agriculture July 2013

Phl agri grows by 1.4%,Jan-June 2013

Govt to implement more livelihood, job-generating enterprises. Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala (right) forges a pactwith other heads of national agencies to engage in a stronger cooperation and complementation towards improving and speeding up theimplementation of community-based projects to alleviate poverty, create more jobs, ensure food security, and provide a healthy, safe andsustainable environment. They signed a convergence memorandum of understanding, July 24, 2013, in Manila, during a science, technol-

ogy and innovation event. Also shown (from left) are department secretaries Gregory L. Domingo (Trade and Industry), Corazon J.Soliman (Social Welfare and Deve lopment), Mario G. Montejo (Science and Technology), Rosalinda Baldoz (Labor and Employment),Dir. Lilibeth David (Health), Asst. Sec. Rolando Acosta (Interior and Local Government), Usec. Demetrio Ignacio (Environment) andVirgilio R. delos Reyes (Agrarian Reform).

Bolstered by the fisheries,poultry, livestock and palaysubsectors, the countrys agricul-ture industry grew by 1.44 per-cent (%) during the first sixmonths of the year.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said the fisheriessubsector, which grew by 4.44%

has started to rebound as a re-sult of sustainable productionand conservation initiatives dur-ing the last three years, includ-ing the strict implementation of

a three-month closed fishingseason in the Zamboanga andVisayan Seas.

The fishery subsector contrib-uted 18.1% to total agriculturalproduction during the first half ofthe year.

The poultry and livestock sec-tors also posted positive gains,

at 4.39% and 2.12%, respec-tively. The two subsectors con-tributed 30% to total agriculturalproduction, grossing P86.4 bil-

lion and P111.8 billion, respec-tively, at current prices.

Palay (paddy or unmilled rice)production also increased by1.34% to eight million metric tons(MMT), worth P129 billion at cur-rent prices, versus last yearsharvest of 7.89 MMT during thesame six-month period.

The total gross value of vari-ous agricultural products duringthe first semester of 2013amounted to P697.2 billion, atcurrent prices.

We are confident that wecould attain 100 percent suffi-ciency in rice by end of the year,as we continue providing farm-ers needed irrigation, qualityseeds, and technical,postharvest and marketing as-sistance, Secretary Alcala said.

Our quest for rice sufficiencyis also propped up by the results

of a 2012 survey of food de-mand, showing that per capita oraverage rice consumption perperson annually has gone downto 114.26 kilograms (kg),from119 kg, he noted.

The countrys total rice con-

Ag riculture Se cretar yProceso J. Alcala boasted thatthe Department of Agriculturein partnership with farmersgroups and the private sectorhas exceeded its self-imposedtarget of 100 metric tons (MT)

of rice exports this year.The agri chief favorably re-

acted on a report of DAUndersecretary and nationalrice program coordinatorDante S. Delima, who led asendoff of 45 MT of aromaticrice to Singapore, July 22,2013, at the Manila North Har-bor.

Delima said the rice exportwould in part satisfy the de-mand of 146,000 overseasFilipino workers in Singapore,and other rice-consuming

Singaporeans and foreigntourists.The shipment consisted of

25 MT from farmer-membersof Firmus Service Cooperative(FSC), in Koronadal City,South Cotabato, and 20 MT

DA exceeds100-MT riceexport target

(Pls turn to p2)(Pls turn to p2)

Contrary to claims by certaininternational agriculture experts,Filipinos are eating lesser quan-tities of rice in the past five years,

and population growth rate from1990 to 2010 is declining.Agriculture Undersecretary for

Field Operations and concurrentNational Rice Program Coordi-nator Dante S. Delima said thesefacts debunk recent claims thatthe countrys population and rice

DA debunks agri experts claim,study shows Pinoys eating less rice

consumption patterns posethreats to the governments riceself-sufficiency program.

Citing the findings of the 2012

Survey of Food Demand for Ag-ricultural Commodities in thePhilippines (SFD) conducted bythe Bureau of Agricultural Statis-tics (BAS), Delima urged agricul-ture experts to update their dataas these may be used for dan-

(Pls turn to p2)


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Editorial

2

Mahigit na 1.4 porsyento

ang naitalang pag-angat ng

Philippine Agriculture sector

sa nagdaang unang anim na

buwan ng kasalukuyang taon

bunsod ng pinagsama-

samang kontribusyon ng sari-saring salik ng agrikultura.

Batay sa datos ng Bureau

of Agricultural Statistics (BAS)

nakapag-ambag ng apat na

porsyento ang Philippine fish-

ery sector kasunod ng mga

inilunsad na pagkilos at

pagtugon ng Department of

Agriculture, sa pangunguna

ng Bureau of Fisheries and

Aquatic Resources (BFAR)

hinggil sa mga suliranin na

kinaharap ng sektor sa mga

nagdaang taon.Positibo ang naging resulta

ng pagkakasa ng mga pre-

ventive measures ng BFAR

bilang tugon sa pagkaubos ng

mga yamang-tubig at

pagbagsak ng industriyang

sandalan ng milyon-milyong

Pilipino na naninirahan sa

mga coastal areas ng bansa.

Naging matagumpay at

nagresulta sa mas mataas na

huli at kita para sa mga

mangingisda ang ang fishing

Matatag na agrikultura, matatag na sambayananban program na ipinatupad ng

DA sa mga piling karagatan sa

bansa. Kasunod nito, patuloy pa

rin ang paglalatag ng ahensya

ng iba pang proyekto tulad ng

mangrove reforestation at

pagtatatag ng multi -specieshatcheries upang kamtin ang

mas malaking produksyon.

Bukod sa pangisdaan,

nagtala din ng positive growth

ang pagmamanukan sa 4.39%

at paghahayupan sa 2.12%.

Dahil dito umabot sa 30% ang

kabuuang kontribusyon ng ani-

mal sector sa National Agri-

growth.

Pero nananatili pa ring bida

ang pangunahing staple ng

Pilipinasang bigas. Tila nga

namamayagpag ang palay niJuan dahil mas mataas ng

1.34% ang itinaas ng

produksyon nito mula sa 7.89

million metric tons na ani noong

nakaraang taon, sa parehong

panahon. Ngayong taon, naitala

sa walong milyong metriko

tonelda ang naani ng mga rice

farmers. Kaya naman, di na

nakapagtataka na umakyat na

sa P697.2 bilyon ang naging

kabuuang kita ng industriya.

Di na rin dapat ipagtaka ang

Phl agri grows ... (from p 1)

sumption last year, with an esti-mated population of 98 million,have amounted to roughly 11.2MMT of rice or 17.23 MMT ofpalay.

Based on a 114-kg rice percapita, our total harvest last yearof 18.03 MMT of palay was morethan sufficient to meet our do-mestic requirements, saidUndersecretary and National

Rice Program Coordinator Dante

gerous policy directions.Recent reports attributed to

studies made by the Interna-tional Rice Research Institute(IRRI), Southeast Asian Re-gional Center for Graduate Studyand Research in Agriculture(SEARCA), and the PhilippineRice Research Institute(PhilRice) cite population andconsumption as hindrances tothe viability of the governmentsFood Staples Sufficiency Pro-gram.

However, the latest BAS sur-vey pegs the annual per capitaconsumption of rice at 114.26kilograms. For corn, it was 10.27kilograms.

From a reported high of about128 kilograms per person in2008, BAS data show a down-ward trend in rice consumptionat 119.25 kilograms in 2009,114.81 kg in 2010, 115.30 kg in

2011, and the latest at 114.26 in2012.

The study also showed thatthe annual per capita consump-tion of rice was highest amonghouseholds belonging to Class

AB at 123.60 kg , and leastamong Class E households at109.90 kg.

It also showed that house-holds in the poorest group werethe biggest consumers of ricesubstitutes. Among the substi-tutes to rice in this sector, cornwas the most popular (21.13 kg),

followed by banana (12.30 kg),camote (5.28 kg), cassava (4.80kg), and gabi (1.83 kg).

Nationwide, 95.74 percent ofhouseholds reported rice as theirstaple food, while only 4.13 per-cent cited corn, and 0.13 percentfor other food like bread, cas-sava, and gabi.

The present BAS survey ne-gates a recent SEARCA studythat showed Filipinos have pro-gressively consumed more ricein the last two decades.

According to SEARCA study,while rice consumption has de-

clined in most other Asian coun-tries, per capita consumption inthe Philippines rose to 13 per-cent, from 106 kg in 2000 to 119kg in 2009.

In terms of population, Delimanoted that official figures fromthe National Statistics Office in-dicate a decline in populationgrowth rate, from 2.34 percentfor the period 1990 to 2000, toonly 1.90 percent for 2000 to2010.

BAS, the statistical arm of theDepartment of Agriculture, con-

ducted the SFD in four surveyrounds in 2012. (Adam Borja, DA-National Rice Program)

DA debunks ... (from p 1)

Writers: Adora D. Rodriguez, Arlhene S. Carro, Bethzaida N. Bustamante,Catherine N. Nanta, Marshall Louie Asis, Danica Melegrito

Contributors: DA-RFU Info Officers, Public Info Officers of DA Bureaus,Attached Agencies & Corporations, MRDP & other Foreign-Assisted Projects

Photographers: Jose Lucas, Alan Jay Jacalan & Kathrino Resurreccion

Lay-out Artist: Bethzaida BustamantePrinting &Circulation: Teresita Abejar & PCES Staff

Editor-In-Chief: Noel O. ReyesAssociate Editors: Cheryl C. Suarez & Adora D. Rodriguez

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.

malapit nang abutin ang rice

target, sa kabila ng

pangungutya ng ibang mga

grupo na suntok sa buwan

ang binitiwang pangako ni

Sec. Procy at P-Noy sa

sambayanan. Bagamatpatuloy ang pambabalewala

ng ilang sektor sa ating mga

pagsusumikap na kamtin ang

target ng kasapatan sa bigas

at iba pang pangunahing

pagkain, nanatiling focused

ang DA na maabot ang

binitiwang pangako.

Marapat na magkaisa

tayong lahat at pagsama-

samahin ang ating mga

kakayanan upang tagumpay

ay kamtin sa mas madalingpanahon? Ang tagumpay ng

DA sa pagkakamit ng suffi-

ciency target ay tagumpay ng

bawat Pilipino na umaasa sa

bigas di lamang bilang

pagk ain kund i

pangmatagalang kabuhayan

na ipamamana pa sa mga

susunod pang henerasyon.

Mahalagang magkaisa ang

lahat, dahil sa usapang bigas,

ang tagumpay ng isa ay

tagumpay ng sambayanan.

Delima. But we are sustainingefforts to meet our 2013 targetproduction of 20 MMT of palay.

The food demand survey wasconducted by the DAs Bureau of

Agricultural Statistics (BAS) lastyear, covering 13,558 house-holds nationwide during themonths of February, May, Augustand November.

Aside from rice, the surveyalso gathered data on the follow-

ing: per capita consumption of

corn and other major food com-modities, purchasing patterns ofhouseholds, shift in food prefer-ences, substitution of with otherfood commodities, quantity ofrice and corn leftovers and wast-age, and relationship of demo-graphic and socio-economic fac-tors with food consumption pat-terns.

from Magtutumana ng Sta. RosaMulti-Purpose Cooperative(MSR-MPC), in Nueva Ecija.

The rice was processed andexported by the Vegetable Im-porters Exporters Vendors Asso-ciation (VIEVA), carrying thebrand Golden Vieva aromaticwhite rice.

With this shipment, and at therate we are going, it is not far-fetched that our exports of pre-mium and organic, colored Phil-ippine rice will breach the 200-MT mark by the end of the year,

said Delima.As of July 22, the country has(Pls turn to p11)

DA exceeds ... (from p 1)


3/12July 2013 3

The Department of Agriculture(DA) will upgrade and modern-ize livestock trading in major ani-mal production areas to providefarmers, raisers and tradersmore income, and create more

jobs.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said the DA is pursuingthe initiative in partnership withthe Japanese government andhost municipalities and cities,during the inauguration of theupgraded livestock oksyon mar-ket (LOM) in Lemery, Batangas,on July 13, 2013.

The upgrading of the LemeryLOM is under the Rehabilitationand Modernization of LivestockOksyon Market in the Philip-pines jointly funded by the DAthrough the Bureau of Animal In-

dustry (BAI) sharing P3 million(M), the host municipal govern-ment counterparting P3.5-M, andthe Japanese government whichprovided P33.9-M under the 2KRgrant intended for the rehabilita-tion of 5 LOMs in key areas ofthe country. The program wasfacilitated by the National Agri-cultural and Fishery Council andimplemented by BAI.

BAIs share in the total fundwas used for the rehabilitationand upgrading of the oksyonmarket, plus additional supportamounting to P1 million in terms

of equipment such as digital live-stock weighing scale with printerand monitor, desktop computer,laptop computer, fax machine,LCD overhead projector, and of-fice supplies. There is also aseparate funding support for theconduct of training,groundbreaking activities, andsocio-economic profiling of theproject site.

Also present during inaugura-tion were Japanese EmbassyFirst Secretary of AgricultureRyutaro Aoki, Lemery Mayor

Charisma Alilio, DA AssistantSecretary Davinio Catbagan, Dr.Rubina Cresencio of the BAI,Manuel Jarmin of the LivestockDevelopment Council and DARegion 4A director VilmaDimaculangan.

Secretary Alcala commendedthe Japanese government, aswell as Lemery local governmentofficials, for upgrading the facili-ties and adopting an automatedtransaction system at the LemeryLOM, which is considered thebiggest in the country wherethousands of cattle, carabaos,hogs, goats, chicken are soldevery Saturday.

DA opens modern P40-M Lemery livestock auction market.

Secretary Alcala (5th from left) leads the inauguration of a modernP40-million livestock auction market in Lemery, Batangas, on July13, 2013. Once fully operational, livestock raisers are expected toincrease their income by 25 percent with the transparent and auto-mated livestock trading system (inset). It was jointly funded by the

Japanese government through a 2KR grant, the Department ofAgricultures Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), and municipal

government of Lemery. Secretary Alcala said the DA will continueto upgrade and modernize livestock auction and trading facilitiesin major animal production areas to provide farmers, raisers andtraders more income, and create more jobs. Also shown (from left)are DA-Livestock Development Council Director Manuel Jarmin,

BAI Director Rubina Cresencio, DA Region 4A Director VilmaDimaculangan, Japanese Embassy First Secretary of AgricultureRyutaro Aoki, Lemery Mayor Charisma Alilio, DA Assistant Secre-tary Davinio Catbagan, DA-National Agriculture and Fishery Coun-cil Director Ariel Cayanan, and Rolando Promentilla, manager of

DA-NAFC 2KR project.

DA to upgrade livestockoksyon markets

When fully operational, Secre-tary Alcala said livestock raisersare expected to earn 25 percentmore with the transparent andautomated livestock trading sys-tem. More jobs will also be gen-erated.

He said the Lemery LOM willalso serve as a model of otherlivestock auction markets in thecountry. He enjoined other live-stock raisers and local govern-ment officials to visit Lemery topersonally see the new and mod-ern facilities like animal sheds,weighing scale house, and load-ing and unloading ramps, andobserve the automated transac-tion and trading system.

Aoki said the auction marketwill serve as the public face ofthe livestock industry in Lemery,

and will be the center for ahealthy and fair livestock trad-ing.

He added that the projectserves as a testimony of thestrong RP-Japan friendship andthe Japanese governments rec-ognition of the plight of livestockfarmers.

Secretary Alcala urged MayorAlilio to further improve the trad-ing system and provide efficientservices, and to fully maximizeits capacity. The Agri chief spe-cifically suggested the develop-ment of a master development

plan to improve drainage andwaste disposal.

He also instructed DA Region

4A director Dimaculangan to vali-date and assess the viability ofconstructing a farm-to-marketroad that will connect the LemeryLOM to the main highway to en-courage more livestock raisersand traders from other parts of

Batangas, and Luzon provincesto sell and trade their livestockand poultry animals there. (AdoraRodriguez-AFIS/Elmer Esplana-

BAI)

For the second time this year,the Philippines is exporting 45metric tons (MT) of premium oraromatic white rice, particularlyto Singapore.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said the aromatic, long-grain white rice was sourcedfrom farmer-members of Fitmus

Cooperative, in Koronadal City,South Cotabato, andMagtutumana ng Sta. RosaMulti-Purpose Cooperative, inNueva Ecija.

It was shipped on July 22,2013, to Singapore, where thereare more than 146,600 overseasFilipino workers.

The DA chief thanked theSouth Cotabato and Nueva Ecijafarmers for their perseveranceand hardwork, along with thestrong support of the VegetableImporters, Exporters and Ven-dors Association Philippines, Inc.(VIEVA), which processed and

Agriculture Undersecretary Dante Delima (5 th from left) leads thelatest export of 45 metric tons (MT) of aromatic r ice to Singapore,

July 22, 2013, at the Manila North Harbor. Also shown are farmer-members of FSC and MSR-MPC, VIEVA President Leah Cruz (3rd

from right), and DA officials led by Bureau of Plant Industry Dir.Clarito Barron (4th from right), National Food Authority (NFA)marketing operations director Joseph dela Cruz NFA-NCR direc-

tor Piolito Santos, and Santa Rosa municipal agriculturist NicanoraBautista. (Pls turn to p11)

Phl exports 45MTpremium rice to Singapore


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The Department of Agricul-ture (DA), in collaboration withvarious stakeholders, hascrafted a national roadmap toboost the global competitive-ness of the Philippines coffeeindustry.

Ag riculture SecretaryProceso Alcala said the na-tional roadmap will not onlysustain the increasing demandfor coffee in the country today,but would also lead the Philip-pines to being a net exporterof coffee.

As of 2011, the Philippinesis a net importer of coffee whileneighboring nations, which in-

clude Indonesia and Vietnam,are net exporters.

We have the capability toproduce yet we are importinga lot. Import substitution andexportation is the way to go,

Alcala said.To attain this, the DA said the

master plan has provided theneeded direction towards at-taining a cost-competitive sec-tor that is reliable and environ-ment-friendly, aligned with glo-bal quality standards, and ca-pable of providing sustainablebenefits to farmers, proces-sors, traders and exporters.

The roadmap also high

DA crafts roadmapto boost PHL

coffee industry

(Pls turn to p11)

The Department of Agriculture(DA) is tapping State Universitiesand Colleges (SUCs) nationwideto serve as production sites ofquality rice seeds.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said partnership withthe SUCs, particularly those withidle lands suitable for rice pro-duction, will complement effortsof research stations of the DA re-gional offices and the PhilippineRice Research Institute(PhilRice) in the production ofregistered seeds of inbred vari-eties for distribution and sale tofarmers.

The SUCs have idle areassuitable for rice cultivation, in-

DA taps SUCs to produce quality rice seeds

cluding enough manpower andtechnical know-how, which couldcontribute to our rice sufficiencyefforts. We want to tap their po-tential, Secretary Alcala said .

He said the DA throughPhilRice will provide the SUCsparental or breeder seeds forpropagation, which would in turnproduce registered seeds.

The DA will provide SUCs aninitial funding of P50,000 perhectare to cover the cost of pa-rental seeds, and training oftechnical staff in rice seed pro-duction, said Assistant SecretaryDante Delima, who also servesas the DA national rice programcoordinator.

The DA-SUC rice seed pro-duction program will entail SUCsto allot at least two hectares andup to a maximum of 10 hectares,depending on the available landthat would be developed, Delimaadded.

The SUCs will also be taskedto train farmers in their respec-tive areas to plant registeredseeds that would in turn yieldcertified seeds.

The SUCs could also tap ac-credited farmers cooperativesand Irrigators Associations thatare already engaged in the pro-duction of certified inbred riceseeds, Delima said. They coulddistribute or sell the registeredseeds to farmers under a profit-sharing scheme, he added.

In all, the DA aims to encour-age more farmers to plant highquality seeds (HQS) that includegood inbred seeds, certifiedinbreds, and hybrids. Certifiedinbred rice varieties produce an

average of at least five metrictons per hectare (MT/ha), versusthe national average yield of 3.8

MT/ha, while hybrids produce anaverage of about 6.5 MT/ha.Delima said the current utiliza-

tion of HQS totals 51 percent(%), which the DA wants to in-crease to at least 68 percent (%)in the next three years, brokendown as: hybrids (6%), certifiedor inbreds (36%), and goodseeds (26%).

Only five regions have highaverage HQS utilization, rangingfrom 66% to 94%. These are re-gions III (with 94%), I (73%),

ARMM (73%), 2 (70%), and XI(66%).

Other regions can further in-crease their respective harvests,by one to two MT/ha, by plant-ing HQS, coupled with balancednutrient-fertilizer application, suf-ficient water supply, and effec-tive pest management. (Adam O.Borja, DA National Rice program)

The Department of Agriculture(DA) is pushing for the use of

more coconut oil in biofuel mix-tures to enable the Filipino co-conut farmers to earn bigger in-comes and reduce dependenceon imported fuel.

On July 30, 2013, the Philip-pine Coconut Authority (PCA)launched a 25-day on-road test-ing of the B5 biofuel blend to de-termine its fuel economy andpower efficiency. The new oilproduct contains 3 percent morecoco methyl esther from its origi-nal 2% (B2) blend.

PCA Administrator Euclides G.

Forbes said that increasing the(Pls turn to p11)

DA banks on B5 to boostPHL coco industry

Secretary Alcala administers the oathtaking of Claro Maranan,former National Irrigation Administration (NIA) senior deputy ad-ministrator, as the agencys new chief. He was also designated mem-ber of NIAs board of directors. Prior to his stint at the NIA, Marananserved as acting manager and assistant general manager of the Phil-ippine Ports Authority. He finished a civil engineering degree fromthe Luzonian University Foundation in Lucena City. He also holds

a masters degree in public administration from the Lyceum of thePhilippines.

DA Undersecretary Siegfredo Serrano (left photo) orients the employees of the DA and its line agencieson theAsean Economic Community (AEC). The AEC adopted during the 13th Association of South

East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, in November 2007, in Singapore envisions a single marketand production base, a highly competitive economic region, and a region of equitable economic devel-opment, fully integrated into the global economy. It aims to transform ASEAN into a region with freemovement of goods, services, investment, skilled labor, and freer flow of capital.


5/12July 2013 5

The Department of Agriculturethrough its Public-Private Part-nership Unit (DA-PPP) is cur-rently working on three majorprojects aimed at supporting thedifferent stakeholders in varioussectors of the countrys agricul-ture and fisheries sectors.

DA Project Development Ser-vice Director and head of theDA-PPP Coordinating staffZenaida M. Villegas said that theprojects for consideration underthe PPP scheme include theconstruction of a multi-purposereservoir dam, improvement ofexisting postharvest processingand trading centers, and the es-tablishment of a cold chain sys-tem.

JRMP IIThe multibillion Jalaur River

Muti-Purpose Project Stage II(JRMP II) to be implemented bythe National Irrigation Adminis-tration (NIA) will soon take-off toprovide year-round irrigation toagricultural areas in the provinceof Iloilo.

The project fund amounting toP11.212 billion will be sourcedfrom the Economic DevelopmentCooperation Fund (EDCF) viathe Export-Import Bank of Korea(Korea Eximbank).

The KEXIM-EDCF through amemorandum of understanding(MOU) with the DA has signifiedits intention to finance the con-duct of a study to determine thefeasibility of implementing JRMPII.

The Korean agency consid-ered providing such technical as-sistance once the detailed engi-neering design (DED) for the ir-rigation component is com-pleted. A draft Terms of Refer-ence (TOR) for the conduct ofsaid feasibility study (FS) hasbeen prepared by the DA andsubsequently endorsed byNEDA to the KEXIM-EDCF,Villegas announced.

NIA Region VI Division Man-ager and concurrent ActingProject Manager of JRMP IIEngr. Jesus L. Dato-on as of thiswriting said that construction ofaccess roads to the site is on-going.

NIA targets to finish the JRMPII before the term of PresidentBenigno Simeon Aquino III endsin 2016. The project will serve atotal of 21,227 farmer beneficia-ries, 14,893 for the new area and6,334 for the rehabilitated area.said Engr. Dato-on.

Aside f rom irrigation, the twoother components of the JRMPII are the hydro-power genera-tion and domestic water.

DA working on three PPP projectsGrains Central

Another project underway isthe Grains Central Project whichseeks to rehabilitate, expand,and enhance existing corn trad-ing and processing centers na-tionwide.

The Philippine Center forPostharvest Development andMechanization (PhilMech) is theproject proponent while the Na-tional Agribusiness Corporation(NABCOR) will serve as theprojects implementing agency.

Villegas said that the DA hasengaged the assistance of theLand Bank of the Philippines(LBP) and International Financial

Corporation (IFC) as transactionadvisors.

There are eleven (11) CornPostharvest Processing andTrading Centers (PHPTC) pro-posed to be included in the saidproject.

Cold Chain Project

The PhilMech has presented aproposal for a project which aimsto reduce postharvest losses,maintain the quality of perishablegoods, and promote direct mar-keting/online auctions.

The cold chain system projectof the agency has identified fiveroutes: Cagayan-Manila,

Visayas-Inter-Island Connec-tions, Manila-Cebu, Cebu-Ma-nila, and Benguet-Manila whichwill be the pilot route.

The DA-PPP Unit has alsoconducted ocular inspections onthe potential sites for the Fruitsand Vegetable Cold Chain Cen-ter in La Trinidad, Benguet andin Guiguinto, Bulacan for the

AAA abattoir project.Consultative meetings were

also undertaken with the Provin-cial Local Government Units(PLGUs) of Benguet andBulacan in order to confirm theavailability of sites being eyed forthe project. (Marlo Asis, DA-AFIS)

Alcala gets SEARCA reporton projects funded by DA

Southeast Asian RegionalCenter for Graduate Study andResearch in Agriculture(SEARCA) Director Dr. Gil C.Saguiguit Jr. briefed AgricultureSecretary Proceso J. Alcala onthe 25 development projects thatthe agency has implementedwith the funding support from theBureau of Agricultural Research(BAR), Agricultural Credit andPolicy Center (ACPC), National

Agriculture and Fishery Council(NAFC), Philippine Rice Re-search Institute (PhilRice) andthe Bureau of Fisheries and

Aquatic Resources (BFAR). (Pls turn to p10)

The briefing was conducted atthe one-day leadership work-shop attended by Alcala andmembers of the ManagementCommittee of the Department of

Agriculture held at the SEARCAheadquarters in Los Baos, La-guna last July 30.

Saguiguit said, the attachedDA agencies spent P176 millionfor these projects.

Among the services renderedby SEARCA were research anddevelopment (R&D) coveringagricultural crops, livestock, fish-eries, biotechnology, food secu-rity and climate change adapta-

tion as well as graduate schol-

arship management.SEARCA also helped the DAin its knowledge managementcapacity building though in-coun-try and overseas training pro-grams.

The research institution alsoworked on project developmentand management includingpolicy studies and strategic plan-ning, institutional strengthening,market studies and impact evalu-ation.

Among the completed projectswas The Nature, Sources andCauses of Productivity Growth inPhilippine Agriculture (PGPA).

DA crafts PRDP pilot subproject for Oriental Mindoros calamansi. The Department ofAgriculture is pursuing the pilot subproject of the Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP)which seeks to develop the calamansi industry in the province of Oriental Mindoro. Mr. Shandy Hubilla( Program Coordinator of the PRDP Luzon B Project Support Office) said that the PRDP, a special

foreign assisted project of DA, has been approved by President Benigno S. Aquino III last June 26,2013. The DA has identified Oriental Mindoro as the site and calamansi as the commodity for the pilotsubproject while the provincial local government unit (PLGU) under Gov. Alfonso V. Umali Jr. alsowishes to revive the calamansi industry in the province. The photo shows the pilot PRDP sub-projectworking team from the DA-PRDP, Mr. Shandy Hubilla of PRDP Luzon-B (standing 9th from the left),

Agribusiness Marketing and Assistance Service (DA-AMAS), Oriental Mindoro's Office of the Provin-cial Agriculturist led by Mr. Petronillo Dimailig (standing 2nd from the left), Business DevelopmentConsultant- Mr. Patrick Belisario (standing 4th from the right), Mr. Gilbert Braganza of World Bank(standing 4th from the left), PRDP Focal Person for Region IV-B - Mr. Alex V. Ronquillo (standing 6th

from the left), and leaders of Oriental Mindoro Federat ion of Farmers Association (OMFFA).


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Leonardo Leo Libreja ofBarangay Pinit in Ocampo,Camarines Sur is currentlyenjoying the spotlight after hisstrawberry farm attractedcurious agri-enthusiasts andwas featured as a cover storyin a national daily. His expo-sure in the print media wasimmediately followed byinterviews by the local T.V.networks making him a celebri-ty instantly in the Bicol region.

And why not? Libreja hassuccessfully grown the succu-lent red berried is a parcel ofland where temperature ranges

from 24- 35 C during summertime. As soon as words gotaround, visitors from neighbor-ing towns and provinces as far

as Pampanga, Iloilo andNegros, swarmed his strawber-ry fields, bringing crates andbaskets, expecting to see afarm teeming with fruits.

His most recent visitors werethe president of the National

Agribusiness Corporation(NABCOR), Honesto BongBaniqued, along with his vicepresident, Melody de Guzmanand Jennifer Remoquillo,director of the High ValueCrops Development Program ofthe Department of Agriculture.

They personally came over foran exploratory discussion withLeo on possible collaborationwith NABCOR and DA. Mr.Baniqued said they want tohelp Leo level up his strawber-ry undertaking into a businessmode. But first they wanted toknow what was unique orextraordinary practices he haddone to make strawberrythrive under lowland and hotconditions. They also wantedto know what are the gaps, hisneeds, and his plans.

Leonardos toil: Acclimatizing strawberry plantsto Bicol condition by Emily Bordado

Libreja explained that hisstrawberry plants and othernon-tropical plants thriving inhis garden were currentlyacclimatizingor adapting to achanged environment until itbecomes used to it. The youngfarmer added that when hereturned to the country after hisnine month-stint in Hawaii as ayouth exchange trainee hebrought home with him someseedlings of green apples,grapes, tangerine, lychee andstrawberry.

Although unsuccessful duringhis first few tries, Libreja didnot lose hope and patientlynurtured the plants focusingmore on strawberries as theywere easy to grow and propa-

gate. He also crossbredvarieties and developed themost resistant to the tempera-ture and condition in hislocality. Libreja decided tomass produce the end-resultand started planting thecuttings or runners in plasticbags using rice hull, loam soiland chicken dung as media.He uses plastic chicken wire ascanopy over the plants and asenclosures around the gardento protect them from chickenand other animals.

Librejas trade secrethisown organic flower inducer.

He observed that the motherplant of a strawberry isstemless and like an octopuswith a number of runnersaround it. He would then putplastic bags filled with soiland rice hull around the parentplant and place the runnersover these without severingthem from their parent plants.In a weeks time the runnerswould have their roots and after

two weeks he could cut therunners from the parent plantas they are now stable togrown on their own. With theapplication of his own formulat-ed organic flower inducer, theplants would be flowering andbearing fruits in 35t to 45 days.During peak month which is

from March to May one straw-berry plant could have anaverage of 25 fruits. Fruitingwould take about one to oneand a half months. About 2weeks after fruiting suckerswould begin to appear andthese again he would separatefrom the mother plant andtransfer to plastic bag s and in35-45 days they are stable andready for sale

To date, he has over 7,000 ofstrawberry plants in plasticbags at different stages ofgrowth but are already stable

and ready for sale. He sellsthem at P300 per bag and thisprovides him a steady income.

During agri-fairs, peopleoften express amazement athow he was able to propagatenon-tropical crops in his farm.

Although, some were skeptical,Libreja is determined to pursuehis passion.

How it startedEquipped with a formal

education in agriculture fromthe Camarines Sur State

Agricultural College and drivenby his passion for farming,

Libreja started his farm careerby assisting his father managethe family farm located in theinterior of barangayMoriones. He attended therequired training to be accredit-ed as seed grower. As watersupply was not enough to hisexpanding farm operations he

availed of a loan and technicalassistance for the constructionof a small farm reservoir. Hethen transformed their farm intodiversified rice based farmplanted with an assortment ofvegetables and fruits andornamental plants and integrat-ed with fish culture. He alsoraised hogs and Chinesechicken. For his innovationsand good farm practices hewas adjudged by the DA as itsGawad Saka Regional Out-standing Young Farmer in2002.

This recognition paved theway to his being chosen by the

Agricultural Training Institute,the training arm of the DAunder its Philippine AgricultureTraining Program as one ofthe farm youth delegates totrain at the University ofHawaii and actually work invegetable farms there andearn his wage while under thecare and supervision of fosterparents. Although he worked ina vegetable farm he made themost of his stay there, learning

what there is to learn such as(Pls turn to p10)

DA HVCDP director Jenny Remoquillo and President of theNational Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) Honesto Bong

Baniqued (both holding strawberry plants in plastic bag) at thefarm of Leonardo Libreja (3rd from right). Also in photo areNABCOR vice president Melody de Guzman, Mrs. Libreja, Ma.Cristina Zaballa, HVCDP staff and RAFID Chief Emily B.

Bordado.


7/12July 2013 7

AMASMarketAccessProgram

Sierra Madre is the longestand one of the most beautifulmountain ranges in the country,and in one of its cornersinBrgy. Darangan, Binangonan,Rizallies a beautiful story ofperseverance and success.

The village is teeming withlowland vegetables such as

eggplant, string beans (sitaw),squash, tomatoes, bitter gourd(ampalaya), jute (saluyot), andcamote, to name a fewthanksto its fertile soil. You can alsofind here a variety of fruit-treeslike mango, avocado, jackfruit(langka), santol, apple custard(atis), and duhat. Aside from thefruits of good soil, the villagersalso enjoy blessings of theLaguna de Bay which includefreshwater fish like milkfish(bangus), tilapia, catfish(kanduli), ayungin, and dalag.

However, with all these

abundant agricultural re-sources, farmers are notmotivated to plant and producebecause they are not surewhether their harvest would besold by not. The members ofthe Mabuhay MultipurposeCooperative (MPC) in MabuhayHomes 2000 in Brgy. Daranganthought otherwise when theyheard about the Department of

Agricultures (DA) BarangayFood Terminal (BFT) project in2009.

Before the Mabuhay BFT wasestablished, the coop members

had to devise different income-generating activities likeestablishing a small eatery.Mabuhay coop member MarieBernardo narrated, noonsimpleng lugawan lang kami sailalim ng puno. Kahit anongdifficulties, nakakay namin kasibuo ang aming samahan.

From a humble lugawan, theywere able to put up a minimarket which caters to theneeds of the local residents andhelps farmers find market fortheir produce. They received aninitial amount of P170, 000 from

Mabuhay BFT: Success story at the foot of Sierra Madrethe DA through its Agribusinessand Marketing AssistanceService (AMAS) and they usedit to construct the food terminal.

Through the establishment ofthe BFT, many farmers wereencouraged to plant again.Before, many farmers wouldonly plant a few veggiesbecause it is difficult for them tosell their harvest. They can nowdirectly sell their veggies andfruits to the Mabuhay MPCinstead of going aroundMabuhay Homes or sending the

produce to the market inBinangonan.A farmer from the village, Gil

Bayanes testified, Noon kontilang ang tanim kong gulay kasiwalang market. Ngayon ibat-ibang gulay na ang aking tanimkasi may BFT na pagdadalhan.Mas madali na ring magtanimkasi may patubig at generatorna, may tractor at kuliglig din nalahat ay galing sa DA.

Little by little, through theMPC members unity and hardwork, they were able to buyfacilities to upgrade the

Mabuhay BFT. They alsoestablished rolling stores toexpand the business, whicheventually helped residents

earn extra income.To prevent spoilage of the

produce, they cook unsoldveggies and sell in thecarinderia which is part of theBFT as well.

They also constructed asatellite store which employsseven personnel. Aside fromselling basic goods, the satellitebranch also offers services like

remittance payment for utilities,extension of loan to its mem-bers, and training on livelihoodsuch as candle-making andsoap-making among others.

Residents expressed their joyof having a nearby BFT, whichsaved them transportation costand time. They used to spendP120-180 to go to the nearestmarket in Binangonan to buyingredients for their house-holds.

Dati sa palengke kaminamimili pero ngayon sa BFTna. Kumpleto rin naman. Tipid

na sa pamasahe, tipid pa saoras. Maraming oras anghindi nasasayang at ito aynagagamit na sapagbubukid. AngelVillanueva.

Even out-of-school youthsor tambays who used todawdle around the village

found work through the BFT.The MPC members hiredthese youths as staff in theBFT, and many of them haveeven become professionalsnow.

Aside from the profit, theAbuhay Coop works hard tooffer community and socialservices as way to thank theirka-barangays. Every now andthen they conduct medicaland dental mission, clean andgreen drive, and campaignagainst drug abuse. Theyalso conduct values educa-

tion seminars and varioustrainings.Because of their dedication,

hard work, and ingenuity, thecooperative won the GawadSaka Regional Search for theMost Outstanding BFT, Non-LGU Category.

To further expand theirventures, they used theirprize to buy a piece of landand construct storage andprocessing plant and startedmalunggay production andprocessing project.

The project was able tohelp a lot of farmers in the

vicinity, as the cooperativetapped them as producers ofmalunggay, which are thenturned into powder and soldin different forms.

With the blessings of thesoil from the Sierra Madre,matched with cleverness andperseverance of the peoplefrom the cooperative and thewhole community, its nosurprise to see the MabuhayBFT expanding and reachingout to more consumers andfarmers, even far out of thevillage.


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A multi-sectoral group has al-ready piloted an area for sugarproduction in Kapangan,Benguet where plantations of an-thurium and mulberry trees re-placed those of marijuana morethan seven years ago.

This was learned from BrunoCanuto, municipal administrator,who said that some 500 localfarmers selected sugarcane, co-conut and rambutan to diversifytheir already viable and well-es-tablished cutflower and silk pro-duction industries.

Canuto has credited formerMunicipal Mayor Rogelio Leonfor wiping out the former mari-

juana production here throughviable livelihood to the commu-nity while paving the way for thedevelopment of the potentials ofeco-tourism.

Canuto added that the Bureauof Plant Industry (BPI), Depart-

ment of Trade and Industry (DTI),Department of Labor and Em-ployment (DOLE), Department of

P4.4B fund to boost Mindanao agricultural developmentThe governments crusade in

alleviating poverty in Mindanaohas geared up, as the Japanesegovernment funded a P4.4-bil-lion comprehensive package ofsupport services project benefit-ing around 70,000 agrarian re-form beneficiaries (ARBs) in 216barangays in Mindanao.

The project, dubbed asMindanao Sustainable Agrarianand Agriculture Development(MINSAAD), funded under theJapan International Cooperation

Agency (JICA), also aims to im-prove the living condition of morethan 400,000 residents locatedin 12 settlement areas in Cen-tral, Northern and SouthernMindanao.

MINSAAD Director NasserMusali said the project is de-signed to increase agriculturalproductivity, product value and

income of agrarian reform ben-eficiaries and other small-scalefarmers through provision of ag-ricultural infrastructures andother capacity-building support.

The comprehensive packageof support services involves theconstruction of farm-to-marketroads, bridges, irrigatios andpotable water systems, amongothers, as well as providing tech-nical assistance and linking thefarmers with financing institu-tions.

The settlement areas coveredby MINSAAD, with a populationof 404,175, include the Blaan

Benguet town pilots sugarcane,coconut, rambutan

Settlement Reservation Area,Bukidnon Settlement AreaProject, Karagan Valley Settle-ment, Lanao del Norte Resettle-ment Area 1, Lanao del NorteResettlement Area 2, Lanao delNorte Resettlement Area 3,North Cotabato Resettlement

Area 1, North Cotabato Resettle-ment Area 2, South CotabatoResettlement Area 1, SultanKudarat Resettlement Area 1,Sultan Kudarat Resettlement

Area 1-2, and Sultan KudaratResettlement Area 2.

Musali said the project isfunded by a P3.3-billion JICAloan complemented P1.1-billioncounterpart fund from the Phil-ippine government.

The project is a colossal chal-lenge and it requires interagencyand multi-sectoral cooperation,he added.

For project implementation,the Department of Agrarian Re-form (DAR) serves as the leadexecuting agency, while the De-partment of Public Works andHighways (DPWH), National Ir-rigation Administration (NIA) andother government agencies, aswell as the local governmentunits, are co-implementing agen-cies.

DAR Undersecretary JerryPacturan said MINSAAD iscomplemented by a larger frame-work of support within the DAR,which is called the Agrarian Re-form Community Connectivity

and Economic Support Services(ARCCESS).

Through ARCCESS, the DARprovides professional agri-exten-sion services, business develop-ment and enterprise to ARB or-ganizations, and accessible ag-ricultural credit for all crops,grants common service facilitiesand ensures land tenure stabil-ity in distributed lands such asthe settlement areas and theconstruction of rural infrastruc-ture, Pacturan said.

The interventions ofMINSAAD and the DARs

ARCCESS program would defi-nitely play an important role inthe current administrations fo-cus on food security, rural house-hold incomes, peace and stabil-ity, sustainable rural develop-

ment, and improved basic socialservices, Pacturan added.

Counselor Koichi Ibarra of theJapan Consular Office, for hispart, said the JICA loan was partof his countrys efforts to contrib-ute to the success of agrarianreform in the Philippines.

I believe that the success ofagriculture is the foundation ofstability in this country, he said.

Mindanao Development Au-thority (MINDA) SecretaryLualhati Antonino said theproject supports the MINDA2020 development project goalsand the peace process inMindanao.

I am looking forward onMINSAAD as a partner in bring-ing Mindanao to economicprogress, Antonino said. (PNA)

Agriculture (DA), and some pri-vate local organizations havedesignated a five-year programwhich the town would produce incommercial scale muscovado,a kind of molasses which is moresticky and brownish than theregular brown sugar.

Within the five-year period, thefarmers would also produce ram-butan and coconut that can besold to outlying markets likeCervantes, Ilocos Sur andBaguio City.

Government technical workershave already acclimatized theinitial planting materials for theagricultural pilot project.

We have to succeed in thisfive-year program in order thatthe multi-sectoral group will alsoimplement the same in the other12 municipalities of Benguet,Canuto said.

Out of flower and silk pro-

duced, majority of the farmingfamilies in Kapangan now havean average income sufficient to

send their children to school, andthe basic necessaries of life likedecent homes, good nutritionand access to medical services.

Meanwhile, Canuto also saidthat their eco-tourism programhad started to take-off with thegrowing interest of local and for-eign tourists to see the planta-tions of anthurium, and the mul-berry trees which yellow greenleaves are sold to those who rearsilk worms.

He said the success of theresidents livelihood not only im-proved their quality of life butalso made us proud for our townunlike before when we were in

the news being raided by militaryand police due to the plantationsof marijuana. (PNA)

About 5,000 fisherfolks inEastern Visayas will benefitfrom the fisheries insuranceprogram, a joint project of thePhilippine Crop Insurance Cor-poration (PCIC) and Bureau ofFisheries and Aquatic Re-sources (BFAR).

PCIC Eastern Visayas re-gional manager Dominico

Digamon said that the program

PCIC, BFAR target 5,000beneficiaries for fisheryinsurance in E.Visayas

(Pls turn to p9)

Agri dept. pushes alternative food staples. AgricultureUndersecretary for Operations Joel S. Rudinas (representing DA

Secretary Proceso J. Alcala) shared the Aquino administrations me-dium term efforts through the Department of Agriculture to attain

food self sufficiency and security, to the officials and members ofthe Philippine Association of Nutritionists at the opening of their66thAnnual Convention held in Dusit Thani Manila, Makati on July2, 2013. He promoted DAs banner program- the Food Staples Suf-

ficiency Program or FSSP which is mainly anchored in attainingsufficiency in rice by end of 2013 and increasing the productionand consumption of other major staples like corn, cassavaor kamoteng kahoy, sweet potato, banana, and adlai. He added thatthe DA will vigorously promote an increase in the food staples pro-duction and eventually encourage Filipinos to put these alternativestaples back in the dining table.


9/12July 2013 9

For the restoration of ecologi-cal integrity in tobacco growingregions, the Department of Agri-culture-National Tobacco Admin-istration (DA-NTA) led the Syn-chronized Tree Planting Activityin various areas in Region I and

the Cordillera Administrative Re-gion.

The NTAs regreening projectis in consonance with thegovernments National GreeningProgram which seeks to improvewater quality in rivers and irriga-tion in farm lands, and lessenflooding potential.

Five hundred and fifty oneseedlings of Acacia, Neem, andMahogany were planted duringthe initial tree planting activity ledby NTA Administrator EdgardoZaragoza on July 30, 2013 at the

Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State Col-lege (ISPSC) main campus inSta. Maria, Ilocos Sur.

The unified tree planting ispart of the agencys effort to con-tribute its resources towards eco-logical restoration.The tobaccoindustry is one of the biggestusers of fuelwood in tobacco-growing areas. To restore andmanage the environment, theNTA initiated the effort to unifyall partner agencies and stake-holders. We are all here becausewe believe in the cause of thisundertaking, Zaragoza said.

For her part, Department ofAgrarian Reform Undersecretaryfor Special Programs and Agrar-ian Stakeholders and RelationOffice Rosalina Bistoyong com-mended the NTA for initiating theactivity. Through this, we do not

National Tobacco Administration (NTA) chief Edgardo D. Zaragozaplants a tree during during the kick-off of the agencys Synchro-nized Tree Planting Project on July 30, 2013 at the Ilocos Sur Poly-technic State College (ISPSC) main campus in Sta. Maria, Ilocos

Sur. Looking on are Department of Agrarian Reform Undersecretaryfor Special Programs and Agrarian Stakeholders and Relation Of-

fice Rosalina Bistoyong, ISPSC Executive Dean Francsico Lopez,and NTA Deputy Administrator Rex Antonio Teoxon.

DA-NTA pilots synchronizedregreening project in Tobaccolandia

only stop the continuing degra-dation of the environment espe-cially the upland areas in theIlocos Region, we also providelivelihood for the tobacco farm-ers. We plant for food security,we plant for climate change, and

for livelihood, Bistoyong said.The syncronized regreening

project is supplementary to theNTAs livelihood assistance fortobacco farmers KahuyangPangkabuhayan at Pangkali-kasan, a component of theagencys Renewable FuelwoodEnergy Farm DevelopmentProject. The project aims to pro-vide adequate source offuelwood and other resourcesneeded in tobacco curing byplanting trees and bamboos in1400 hectares.

For this year, the NTA targets

4 million trees mostly giant Ipil-ipil, Neem, Gmelina, Mahoganyand Kakawate to be planted inall the component projects and100,000 bamboo seedlings forCagayan, Isabela andPangasinan.

Employees from the variousgovernment agencies, the pri-vate sector, and the academeparticipated in the activity: DA-Regional Field Unit I; DAR; De-partment of Education; Depart-ment of Environment and Natu-ral Resources led by Region IExecutive Director Samuel

Penafiel; the local governmentunits; Francisco Lopez, Execu-tive Dean of the ISPSC who rep-resented the colleges PresidentDr. Rafael Querabin; ISPSC stu-dents; and the private sector ledby Winston Uy. (BethsayBustamante, DA-AFIS)

has been existing for threeyears but it is only next yearthat it will be implemented, withthe BFAR providing insurancepremium to fisher folks.

The BFAR and PCIC are stillin the process of identifyingbeneficiaries. The two agenciessigned a deal on May 30, thisyear.

The PCIC provides insur-ance protection to fisher folksagainst losses in un-harvestedcrop or stock in fisheries farmsdue to natural calamities andfortuitous events.

The BFAR will include cover-age of non-fishery assets, suchas service vehicle trucks,equipments and buildings, un-der the Non-Crop Agricultural

Assets Insurance Program ofPCIC.

The insurance covers thecost of production inputs, thevalue of the fish farmers laborand those of the members ofhis own household, includingthe value of labor of hired work-ers per Fisheries Farm Planand Budget, Digamon said.

Under the agreement, thePCIC covers risk due to natu-ral disasters and an extended

PCIC, BFAR ... (from p 8)

covered against loss of cropdue to unexpected events.

The premium rate will de-pend on the result of the pre-coverage evaluation of thetype, and other factors such asagro-climatic conditions andterrain, project managementfactors and production and lossrecords.

Nationwide, BFAR has setaside P150 million for premiumsubsidy.

Considered as beneficiaryare licensed operators of fish-ponds, fish cages, fish pensand fisheries farms which cul-ture produce selected fish spe-cies such as milkfish, shrimps,groupers, snappers, tilapia,mudcrab, and seaweeds.

Beneficiaries must agree toplace themselves under the

technical supervision of an ac-credited Fishery Technologistto qualify for coverage underthe program.

The extent of loss will be de-termined based on the severityof damage with the use of ex-isting applicable loss predictionmodels. The state-owned cropinsurance firm is expected tosettle claims in 60 days. (PNA)

A total of 47 local farmer tech-nicians (LFTs) were updated onpest surveillance by the Depart-ment of Agriculture (DA) VI toaugment existing agricultural ex-tension workers (AEWs) in moni-toring pest and diseases affect-ing crops in the region.

Accord ing to Manuel O.Olanday, OIC Regional Techni-cal Director for Operations, yieldloss due to pest infestation onrice production reaches as much

as 35% of the total production.He stressed that pest if notgiven much attention can greatlyaffect increase production andultimately food sufficiency of ourcountry.

Olanday said that the 156LFTs region-wide performing ad-ditional functions of AEWs shallbe the first to monitor and assesspest in their own farm being amodel farmer in the barangay.

We need to utilize their abili-ties and skills to increase riceproduction and make sound de-cision through the utilization of

good agricultural practices.added Olanday.

DA-VI updates local farmer technicians

on pest surveillanceMeanwhile, Rene B. Famoso,

entomologist said that the train-ing had greatly enhanced knowl-edge, attitude, and skills in vari-ous sampling techniques, pestidentification and managementof identified pests.

Eventually we can create apool of local farmers surveillanceteam in rice cluster barangay allover the region for easy and fastmonitoring and management ofpest. Famoso said.

Among the topics discussedwere: Major insect pests of rice,their injuries and management;Major diseases of rice, their in-

juries and management; Ricepest monitoring form and how toconduct AESA; weeds of riceand their management; Golden

Apple Snail (GAS) ecology andits management and Rat ecologyand its management.

Succeeding LFT training-up-dates will be conducted in theprovinces of Aklan, Capiz, An-tique, Guimaras and Negros

Occidental.(James Earl E. Ogatis,RAFID VI)


10/1210

Leonardos toil ...(from p 6)

the different skills in propagat-ing food crops and ornamentalplants scientifically, the use ofdrip irrigation, hydroponicfarming and several othermodern techniques in raisingplants. Upon his return to thecountry he tried these new

learnings in his own farm.Leo is not only innovative, but

also creative and gifted withgreat insight and foresight. Butmost important he has a highsense of social duty andobligation to his community. Hegenerously shares his knowl-edge and skills with fellowfarmers without asking anythingin return.

Inspired by all the goodthings that are now coming hisway, Leo now plans to expand

his strawberry nursery to coverthe 1,000 square meter totalarea of the land he currentlyoccupies on a lease agreementwith the intention to purchasethe adjoining area. He intendsto branch-out to propagatingready-to-bear fruit grapes alsoin plastic bags and other plantslike stevia, whose leaves aremuch sweeter than sugarcaneand thus, considered a naturalsubstitute for sugar.

Libreja is currently enjoying

support from the DA-Region V,including technical and finan-cial assistance through its HighValue Crops Program (HVCP).Recently, he was also providednursery supplies such HighDensity Polyethylene (HDPE)pipes; plastic drums (250 literscapacity) and polyetheleneplastic bags.

NABCOR is also ready andwilling to provide him assis-tance. President Baniquedsaid, that the agency will send

him to Benguet to establish anursery equipped with modernfacilities including a green-house. He will also be sent toLa Trinidad Benguet to observegood practices in strawberryproduction there. TheNABCOR will then inviteexperts in nursery establish-ment and protective culture todesign the nursery and greenhouse in his farm. DA will alsoassist him in the marketingaspect and will help in the fine

tuning of the research aspect ofthe project.

Pledge to end hunger and malnutrition.Agriculture Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup (3rdfrom left) joins representatives from various sectors in a pledge to end hunger during the 2013 Nutri-tion Month National Launch on July 3 at the Manila Hotel. During the event, Salacup pronounced

Department of Agricultures support in mitigating hunger and malnutrition in the country by produc-ing safe, nutritious, and affordable foods. He also assured the audience that the country is on track inachieving self sufficiency in rice and other staples by the end of the year. Joining him in the pledge are(L-R): Concepcion Benosa, President of NCR Barangay Nutrition Scholars Federation; Director Erlinda

Capones, National Economic and Development Authority; and Undersecretary David Lozada Jr., De-partment of Health.

Alcala gets ... (from p5)

The project, implemented withBAR and PhilRice, examined thedifferent scenarios for productiv-ity growth which was deemedessential to formulate an outlookon overall state of Philippine ag-riculture.

Saguiguit informed Alcala thatthe results of the projects will

soon be released through mono-graphs covering the followingtopics: scenarios and options,total factor productivity, grains,R&D and extension, traditionalexport crops, infrastructure, high-value export crops, natural capi-tal, livestock and poultry, humancapital, aquaculture, and socialcapital.

SEARCA also completed theassessment of the Gulayan ngMasa Program of the DA.

The project aimed to quantifythe impact of the Gulayan ng

Masa Program in terms of alle-viating hunger and malnutritionin the country, as well as drawlessons that can serve as guidesfor policymakers and decision-makers in formulating and imple-menting similar targeted pro-grams.

Another project was Strength-ening the National TechnologyCommercialization Program(NTCP) under BAR, which in-tended to accelerate the com-mercialization of technologies for

increased productivity and prof-

itability of stakeholders and keyplayers.

NTCP aims to transform theagriculture and fisheries sectorsfrom being resource-based tobeing technology-based.

Saguiguit also told Alcalaabout the success of the Ca-pacity Development Program on

Knowledge Management,which was targeted mainly tostrengthen national capacities ofagricultural and fisheries infor-mation stakeholders on knowl-edge management with empha-sis on knowledge products de-velopment and knowledge shar-ing technologies.

Ongoing DA-funded projectsbeing implemented by SEARCAinclude a capacity developmentprogram for DA executives andprofessional staff; strengthening

of project development andmanagement for Agri-Pinoy; as-sessment of smuggling of se-lected agricultural commodities;improving agricultural insuranceto enhance resilience against cli-mate change; and responding toclimate change through R&D inagriculture.

All of these are within the pur-view of SEARCAs mandate,which is to build capacities of in-stitutions working in agriculturaland rural development in South-

east Asia.(Pls turn to p11)

The countrys farmers scoredanother breakthrough as theystarted exporting atsuete (an-natto or bixa orellana), a foodcolorant and additive, to Viet-nam, initially at 20 metric tons(MT

Agriculture assistant secretaryDante Delima, who representedSecretary Proceso J. Alcala, ledan inaugural send-off on July 8,2013, at the Manila North Har-bor Center, where a 20-foot con-tainer van was loaded with 40050-kilogram sacks of atsueteseeds, with a gross value ofabout P1.3 million (or $30,000).

The atsuete export was con-solidated by Lingkod Saka, Inc.,an NGO, and exported throughthe Vegetable Importers, Export-

ers and Vendors Association ofthe Philippines (VIEVA), withassistance from the DAs HighValue Commercial Crops Pro-gram (HVCDP).

Delima said the atsuete wasbought from farmers at P45 toP50 per kilo. Of the total volume,10MT each was sourced fromfarmers inBarangay DatuLadayon, in Arakan, NorthCotabato and in Sitio Kibalang,in Barangay Marilog, Davao City.

Actually, the country still im-ports raw and powder atsuete, at

Phl exportsatsuete to Vietnam


11/1211July 2013

already exported a total of106.55 MT of premium and or-ganic black rice varieties, includ-ing the recent 45-MT shipmentto Singapore. The previous ship-ments included 35 MT to Dubai,15 MT to Kuwait and Hong Kong,and 11.55 MT to Germany, HongKong, Macau, Canada, and the

Netherlands.Delima said the DA looks for-ward to exporting another batchof 97 MT until year-end to Rus-sia, Italy, the Middle East, andthe United States before the yearends.

Rice exports to the Middle Eastwould further increase as soonthe DA task force on rice expor-tation has completed and com-plied with the Halal certificationfor premium rice, including theestablishment of a code for goodagricultural standards for Philip-

pine rice. (Adam Borja, DA Na-tional Rice Program)

DA exceeds ... (from p1)

packed the rice, labelled asGolden Vieva, and consoli-dated the export shipment.

Another 20 MT of heirloom ricefrom the Cordillera region will beexported to the United States insucceeding months.

For the rest of the year, the

country targets to export at least100 MT of premium and organiccolored rice varieties. We wantto show the world that we arecapable of producing quality,world-class premium and or-ganic rice, Undersecretary andNational Rice Program Coordi-nator Dante Delima said.

Last May 2013, the Philippineshas started exporting rice againafter 40 years, initially to Dubai.The shipment, totalling 35 MT,was composed of 15 MT of black

rice produced by farmer-mem-bers of Don Bosco Farmers Co-operative in Mlang, North

Phl exports ... (from p3)

lighted the difference betweentypical and modern coffee grow-ing, gaps in the value chain thatneeded to be addressed, goodfarming and management prac-tices, and support services whichinclude financing, logistics, andresearch and development.

The DA chief likewise toutedthe high potential of coffee as anintercrop to increase the incomeof coconut farmers.

Ang kape, kapag isinama saniyog, aasenso ang mgamagsasaka. (PNA)

DA crafts ... (from p4) biodiesel content from 2% (B2)to 5% (B5) will directly benefit ourcoconut farmers because(CME), which is a component ofcoconut oil, would be sourcedlocally.

He added that with the 3% in-crease in biodiesel blend, thecountry could save as much asP10 billion. It would also boostfarmers income, help in climate

change mitigation, and improvethe Philippine economy.Admin. Forbes said that B5

means greater demand for coco-nut oil (CNO), hence the movewould consequently generate P19.6 billion income and save asmuch as P 15.5 billion in fuel dis-placement.

Increasing the CME blendfrom 2% to 5% would employabout 1,099 CME plant workers,13,183 coconut oil milling work-ers, and 23,070 farmworkers.

The coconut farmers will also bethe beneficiaries of P4,838,000annual collection of the Social

Amelioration and Welfare Pro-gram (SAWP).

DA banks on ... (from p4)

Cotabato, and 20 MT of SLAgritech Jasponica aromatic riceproduced by farmers fromTalavera, Nueva Ecija.

Leah Cruz of VIEVA, whichalso consolidated the Dubai riceexport shipment, said they pro-

cess and pack all rice productshygienically to preserve their richaroma and eating quality.

Switching to B5 targets to re-duce the dependence on im-ported fuels and at the same timeprotect human health, the envi-ronment, and ecosystems in linewith sustainable economicgrowth that would pave the wayfor increased income, added

Admin. Forbes.B5 is being tested on seven

public utility jeepneys (PUJs)belonging to transport groupsselected by PCA and the Depart-

ment of Energy (DOE). TestPUJs will be fuelled with the cur-rent B2 during the first 5 days,and with the B5 in the succeed-ing 20 days.

The test jeepneys will be as-sessed at the North Motor Ve-

hicle Inspection Center (NMVIC)

of the Land Transportation Office

(LTO) for their road worthiness

and compliance to emissionstandards.

In 1983, the DA-PCA spear-

headed scientific studies on the

use of coco biodiesel as fuel, incoordination with the IndustrialTechnology Development Insti-

tute (ITDI), Philippine National

Oil Company (PNOC-ERDC),

National Power Corporation(NPC), and the Department ofScience and Technology(DOST).

In May 2001, the Departmentof Agriculture and the PCAlaunched a Biodiesel Develop-ment Project that tests the viabil-

ity of coconut biodiesel as enginefuel.Test results showed approxi-

mately 50% reduction on smokeemissions.

According to Admin. Forbes,the visible cloud of black smokeconsisting of carbon and sulfurparticulates is diminished by asmuch as 80% with the B5 blend.Carbon dioxide, a greenhousegas emitted by vehicles, largelycontributes to global warming.

The DA-PCA continues toimplement its massive plantingand replanting programs to en-

sure the increased productivityand sustainable supply of biofuelfeedstock, said Forbes. (MarloAsis, DA-AFIS)

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Deputy Director General for Communications and Part-nership Bruce V. Tolentino (center) and Maria Bernardita Flores, assistant secretary of health andexecutive director of the National Nutrition Council pose with members of the media who participatedin the agencys Media Day on or Kanin Get It on July 16, 2013., at IRRI Headquarters. The event

focused on promoting IRIs research on high-nutrient rice and grain quality. The IRRI Media Day ispart of activities in celebration of the Philippine Nutrition Month that has the theme Gutom atMalnutrisyon, Sama-sama nating Wakasan!

Phl exports atsuete...(from p 10)

10,000 MT annually, but Cruzsaid they took the opportunity toexport because the Vietnamesebuyers offered a good price, andpreferred Philippine atsuetewhich is of better quality thanthose from Africa, where theyregularly import.

Cruz said VIEVA and SikatSaka are currently consolidatinganother order of 40 MT that willbe exported again to Vietnam.She said importers from Hawaiiand the US mainland are alsointerested to buy Philippineatsuete.

The inaugural send-off wasalso attended by DA-HVCDP di-rector Jennifer Remoquillo, DA-Bureau of Plant Industry direc-tor Clarito Barron, farmer-lead-ers from North Cotabato and

Davao, and officials from SikatSaka and VIEVA. (Marlo Asis, DAInformation Service)


12/12

The Department of Agriculturethrough its Agribusiness andMarketing Assistance Service(DA-AMAS) in partnershipwith the Philippine ConsulateGeneral in San Francisco andLos Angeles, California and thePhilippine Trade and InvestmentCenter will participate in the3 rd Outbound Business Mis-sion, also called Barkadahan2013, aimed at promoting vari-ous Pinoy products among USFilipino and Asian, American na-tionals.

Representatives from the DA,led by Assistant Secretary AllanUmali, and 19 companies, mostlymembers of the Philippine FoodProcessors and Exporters Orga-nization, Inc. (PhilFoodex), will

join Barkadan 2013 to promotetheir respective products.

DA-AMAS Director Leandro

Gazmin said the road show iscomposed of a three-leg agri fes-tival, business matching andfood fair, at San Francisco, Los

Angeles and San Diego, fromAugust 10 to 18, 2013.

A wide range of globally-com-petitive Pinoy food products will

Since July 2010, the Depart-ment of Agriculture has suc-cessfully regained the trust andconfidence of its clienteles andstakeholders.

We have put in place neededpolicies to ensure that all agri-fishery infrastructure and liveli-

hood projects, and other initia-tives are implemented as perspecifications, and are under-taken in a transparent, graft-freemanner.

Initially, the DA did not imple-ment agri-fishery projectsfunded under the Priority Devel-opment Assistance Fund(PDAF) of legislators. However,it was only in August 2012, orafter 25 months, that we havestarted receiving and process-ing PDAF agri-fishery projects.

This acceptance, however,was predicated on the installa-

tion of sufficient safeguards toensure the proper implementa-tion of projects under the PDAFof legislators.

Immediately, we formed aspecial committee and put inplace a system to accredit Non-Governmental Organizations(NGOs) and Peoples Organiza-tions (POs) that will implementPDAF projects. The system en-sures that the NGOs and POsare legitimate, and have goodtrack record.

To ensure that PDAF projects

are well-monitored, we haveimplemented stringent mea-sures and safeguards like re-leasing funds in tranches, of upto four installments, based onprogress implementation ofprojects. Reports are submittedby the DA Monitoring Team tocheck the actual implementa-tion of the project and ensurecorrect liquidation of the fund.

All of these were undertakenprior to any report or issue onPDAF was heard of. These sys-tems were precisely installed inthe spirit of transparency in gov-ernment transactions.

Unfortunately, when news ofPDAF misuse broke out we

Statement on PDAF & NGOissues by Agriculture Sec. Alcala

thereafter convened the DASpecial Technical Committee onPDAF chaired by DAUndersecretary for Finance and

Administration Antonio Fleta.The Secretary has asked DA

Assistant Secretary for financeOphelia Agawin to submit soon-

est her reply to allegations thatshe was involved in the selec-tion of ghost NGOs that wereproponents of PDAF projects.

In the spirit of transparency,we have appointed DA AssistantSecretary Edilberto de Luna asinterim chair of the NGO / POaccreditation committee, effec-tive August 2, 2013. He replaces

Asec Agawin, who will howevercontinue to perform her othertasks, functions and responsi-bilities as assistant secretary forfinance.

Additionally, the Internal Au-dit Service (IAS) of the DA wastapped to conduct an investiga-tion on the issues related toPDAF and the alleged fictitiousNGOs.

At this juncture, the IAS isconducting a more in-depthstudy into the fund releases andthe liquidation reports submittedby the NGOs that implementedPDAF projects.

The IAS is expected to sub-mit their Initial Audit Report onthe accreditation process andcompliance by Thursday, 08

August 2013. Thereafter, IAS ispoised to submit their findingson the liquidation reports of theNGOs on a weekly basis or assoon thereafter as an NGO iscompleted.

Bilang pangwakas, patuloy poang aming imbestigasyon.

Sinuman angmapapatunayan na maynagawang katiwalian o

pagkakamali sa pagpapatupadng mga proyekto ng DA hindilamang sa pagpipili ng mgaNGOs at POs sa ilalim ng PDAF ay aming papatawan ngkarampatang penalty okaparusahan sa ilalim ng mgakasalukuyang batas

DA-AMAS to participate in Agri trade, food fair in USbe exhibited during the threeevents, Gazmin said. These in-clude calamansi juice, choco-lates, champorado, malunggaytea, noodles, pastries, snackfood, coconut products (VCO,coco sugar, coco jam, coco vin-egar and coco wine), frozen na-tive delicacies, biscuits, cookies,polvoron, pastillas, coffee, herbalfood supplements, dried/pro-cessed fish, and other marineproducts will be on sale at the

Annual Pistahan Parade andFestival in Yebra Buena Gardensin San Francisco, California.

At the business matching legin Pacific Palms Hotel in Los An-geles, on August 14, 2013, doz-ens of US food importers anddistributors are expected to at-tend, who will have the opportu-nity to link directly with the rep-resentatives of PhilFoodex com-

panies and forge marketingagreements.

The Barkadahan Food Fair inSan Diegos Seafood City Super-market, on August 17-18, fea-tures promotion, sales and sam-pling of various Pinoy aquacul-ture and marine products.

Barkadahan, now on its thirdepisode, is an initiative of agroup of experienced and nov-ice exporting food companiesfrom the Philippines, to promotetheir respective products in theUS, and take a foothold in thehuge market, composed of Fil-

Americans, Asian-Americans,

DA Chief promotes Science Departments technology

on brown rice . Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala inspectsthe High Impact Technology Solutions (HITS) developed by De-

partment of Science and Technology for stabilizing brown rice. TheDOST innovation extends brown rices shelf-life, preserves the nu-tritional benefits, and enhances brown rices economic viability.Under DAs Food Staples Sufficiency Program, brown riceor pinawa is being promoted as a substitute to well-milled or whiterice because it is more nutritious in terms of niacin, thiamin, phos-

phorus, and calcium that help prevent diet-related diseases associ-ated with nutritional deficiencies of these micronutrients. The DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) is currently doingresearch on the development of processing equipment to supportbrown rice production, and technology and process to help increasebrown rice production. Standing next to the right of Sec. Alcala is

DOST Sec. Mario Montejo. Secretary Proceso J. Alcala joined other

members of the Aquino administration in signing a convergenceMemorandum of Understanding during the DOST led Small Enter-prise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) Forum held at theSMX M ll f A i J l 24 2013

and other US nationals and for-eign tourists.

This is the first time that theDA-AMAS is partnering withBarkadahan by providing fi-nancial counterpart and supportin organizing the agri trade andfood fairs, and related marketingevents.

Aggie Trends July 2013 Issue

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