Taking care of your crop seeds is just as important as the actual planting and growing of those seeds. Read and review the article below to properly care for and store your seeds before planting them.
Click here to give your seeds the essential organic macro and micro nutrients they need at germination time to produce high quality, and high yield at harvest time.
The quality of stored seeds must always be ensured to produce viable seedlings that grow into healthy plants.
It's no wonder then why seed growers diligently take care of their seeds, especially during storage when the seeds are most vulnerable to pests.
From its end, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), through its engineers led by Engr. Ricardo F. Orge, developed the admixture treatment machine (STM) and sealed storage enclosure for hybrid rice and other seeds (SACLOB). These technologies use locally available materials as cheaper and efficient alternatives to properly preserve seed quality in storage.
Shooing pests with seed treatment
Admixture seed treatment is a method of treating and safeguarding the seeds from storage pests by combining the chemicals applied in the process. The STM is especially designed to optimize the use and efficiency of these chemicals by ensuring the application and absorption of the right amount of solution on the seeds.
The process requires that the seeds are clean and have reached moisture content of 12% or lower. The seeds first pass through the STM with a solution of pirimiphosmethyl (28ml) and deltamethrin (30ml) dissolved in a liter of water. A liter of solution is good for one ton of seeds. From the machine, the seeds directly go to prescribed bags for packing. Bags are properly labeled so that their contents would not be used for food or other purposes.
The chemicals and dosages were based on recommendations of the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension .
Based on PhilRice experiments, weevil infestation of Mestizo 1 seeds occurred only after six months and was lower by 71% in STM-treated seeds compared with untreated seeds stored at ambient condition.
“It must be noted that the STM is intended to prevent and not to control pests that are already present in the seeds. Such infestation can be dealt with by fumigation (filling an area containing the seeds with gaseous chemicals to poison the pests),” Orge said.
A common notion is that seed treatment involves a significant amount of money. “But while expenses in ambient storage may seem a little lower, savings from diminished seed loss during storage compensates for the cost,” Orge added.
Shielding the seeds with SACLOB
SACLOB comes from the Filipino word saklob which means “cover”. True to its name, SACLOB shields stored seeds from pest infestation.Image
In their paper, Orge and coworker Engr. John Eric Abon described SACLOB as a hermetic or airtight seed storage enclosure made of tarpaulin sheets. The 2004 design had top and bottom parts joined together at the seams using a fold-hold-seal mechanism to close.
“Originally, it had a 200-bag (20-kg/bag) capacity. The latest model has a capacity of 48 bags, the average produce from one seed production lot,” Abon said. The size, however, can be adjusted to fit specific requirements of a seed grower.
The recent model is shaped like a box that opens at the top. The sealing mechanism was also improved to a simple fold-hold method to maintain the hermetic condition inside the enclosure.
The mechanism of the enclosure works by lessening the oxygen to kill the insects. The seeds are placed inside the enclosure.
“If properly sealed, the oxygen level inside the enclosure is reduced, often to less than 4%, and the carbon dioxide content increases to a level where aerobic respiration is minimized. This condition impedes the development of the pests,” Orge explained.
“The use of SACLOB must be complemented with an oxygen meter so that if leaks are present (in case the enclosure is accidentally punctured or damaged by rats), it can be detected and immediate measures can be done,” Orge added.
The computed storage cost for the SACLOB prototype is lower than the price of the imported model and the use a cold storage facility by P1.98 and P7.9/bag/month, respectively. The acquisition cost of SACLOB is 93% lower than an imported model and 99% lower than the use of cold storage facilities.
“Considering the comparable performance of SACLOB with the imported version and a cold storage facility, it is worth its cost,” Orge said.
Seed grower cooperatives and other individuals have expressed interest to try SACLOB, especially seed growers in Isabela and Iloilo who have known it from participation in on-site experiments.
“We are planning to expand our on-site experiments to different provinces,” said Engr. Eden Gagelonia, head of the Seed Production and Health Division.
The group expects further refinements after the completion of ongoing tests at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Nueva Ecija and in its branch in Agusan.
Worry no more
Come rain or shine, seed growers need not worry on how to store their seeds. With the STM and SACLOB, they can choose the best option that fits their storage needs.
“We recommend the use of STM to farmers or farmer cooperatives with existing seed cleaning facilities. A chemical-free and environment-friendly alternative, SACLOB is best suited to conditions where seeds, if not used up for planting, can be milled and consumed as food,” Orge said.
At the moment, Orge’s group is testing other cheap materials that can preserve the quality of seeds.
“We will continue to explore resources we have to give our seed growers and farmers cheaper but equally effective storage technologies,” Orge said.
With knowledge and a little creativity, seed storage need not be expensive at all.
By Open Academy
Click here to give your seeds the essential organic macro and micro nutrients they need at germination time to produce high quality, and high yield at harvest time.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
NEDA Conducting Fertilizer Price Analysis Study
Fertilizer Price Comparison
The following article is from the Business Mirror Philippines. We are very pleased to see that Neda will be doing a fertilizer price comparison study. A key factor in comparing fertilizer products is the concentration of each product, and the amount of each product it actually takes to apply to a certain area or size of land during one cropping season.
Proper Fertilizer Price Analysis
So just comparing equal amounts of fertilizer product is not enough. The comparison must be done based on the amount of fertilizer that is required to cover a certain size area of land, and not the equal amounts of each product. Nutriplant is highly concentrated. Below we have outlined the higher quality and lower cost of Nutriplant organic fertilizer compared to synthetic granular bag fertilizer.
By Business Mirror
Following the clamor of farmers for an investigation into fertilizer prices, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) is set to conduct a price analysis of fertilizers manufactured in and imported by local firms in the country.
Ralph Recto, Neda director general and Socioeconomic Planning secretary, said this is the next study that the agency will be undertaking after the simulations it did on oil prices. Recto said the Neda will start making its study this week and will release its results soonest.
“I’m concerned with economic growth. I’m concerned with [the macroeconomy], with the bigger perspective and if you have high inflation, the economy will not grow as fast. That’s my concern. And definitely oil [and] rice play very important roles,” Recto said.
“We’re studying now the fertilizer industry. I think the fertilizer industry should have a rollback, too, to benefit farmers,” he said.
Recto explained that around 60 percent of fertilizer components are oil-based. He said that with oil prices in the world market already below $70 per barrel, fertilizer manufacturers should also bring down their prices.
He said the Neda will analyze not only prices of fertilizers manufactured in the Philippines but also those imported from abroad. An example of an oil-based fertilizer imported by the country is urea.
Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed that from January to August, imports of manufactured fertilizers increased by 172.02 percent to $443.65 million this year, from $163.09 million in 2007.
For urea alone, NSO data showed that from January to August, the value of this import has increased by 95.98 percent to $151.37 million this year, from $77.24 million last year.
Other imported fertilizers that are imported by the Philippines also increased by 240.43 percent to $292.28 million in the first eight months of the year, from $85.86 million in the same period last year.
However, in August alone, imports of urea increased by 159.38 percent to $13.42 million in 2008, from $5.17 million last year.
Imports of other manufactured fertilizer, on the other hand, decreased by 13.60 percent to $13.99 million in 2008, from $16.2 million in 2007.
Earlier, Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (Philmaize) president Roger Navarro was quoted as saying that while oil prices in the world market has declined by 33 percent, both petroleum- and nonpetroleum- based fertilizers still average P1,800 per bag.
Philmaize said that the Department of Agriculture should investigate fertilizer prices and warned that if high fertilizer prices persist, corn production will not post double-digit growth.
Nutriplant Organic Fertilizer Higher Quality & Lower Cost
Nutriplant organic fertilizer is of much higher quality and much lower cost than synthetic granular bag fertilizer. Nutriplant has essential secondary macro and micro nutrients that synthetic granular bag fertilizer do not have. Nutriplant costs 50% less than synthetic granular bag fertilizer. Nutriplant is all organic.
Price Comparision: Nutriplant Compared To Granular Bag Fertilizer
Example: 1 Hectare of Rice. Typical amount of Nutriplant and granular fertilizer applied to one hectare of rice during one cropping season.
Synthetic granular bag fertilizer: 4 to 8 bags per hectare.
Price per bag of granular feriliater: P1,800
Total Price Granular Fertilizer 1 Cropping: P7,200 to P14,400
Nutriplant SD organic seed dressing: 150 grams per 60 kilos of seeds. Price each P340
Nutriplant AG organic fertilizer: 2 - 3 liters per hectare. Price Each P1,260
Nutriplant Apsa80 Adjuvant: 1.5 liters per hectare. Price P1,200
Total Price Nutriplant Fertilizer 1 Cropping: P4,060 to P5,320
Nutriplant Fertilizer Savings & Higher Organic Quality
Significant cost savings, higher harvest yield, and quality of crop are the result using Nutriplant organic nutrient products.
Click here to see the significance Southern Leyte Congressman Roger Mercado is having with his farmers using Nutriplant.
The following article is from the Business Mirror Philippines. We are very pleased to see that Neda will be doing a fertilizer price comparison study. A key factor in comparing fertilizer products is the concentration of each product, and the amount of each product it actually takes to apply to a certain area or size of land during one cropping season.
Proper Fertilizer Price Analysis
So just comparing equal amounts of fertilizer product is not enough. The comparison must be done based on the amount of fertilizer that is required to cover a certain size area of land, and not the equal amounts of each product. Nutriplant is highly concentrated. Below we have outlined the higher quality and lower cost of Nutriplant organic fertilizer compared to synthetic granular bag fertilizer.
By Business Mirror
Following the clamor of farmers for an investigation into fertilizer prices, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) is set to conduct a price analysis of fertilizers manufactured in and imported by local firms in the country.
Ralph Recto, Neda director general and Socioeconomic Planning secretary, said this is the next study that the agency will be undertaking after the simulations it did on oil prices. Recto said the Neda will start making its study this week and will release its results soonest.
“I’m concerned with economic growth. I’m concerned with [the macroeconomy], with the bigger perspective and if you have high inflation, the economy will not grow as fast. That’s my concern. And definitely oil [and] rice play very important roles,” Recto said.
“We’re studying now the fertilizer industry. I think the fertilizer industry should have a rollback, too, to benefit farmers,” he said.
Recto explained that around 60 percent of fertilizer components are oil-based. He said that with oil prices in the world market already below $70 per barrel, fertilizer manufacturers should also bring down their prices.
He said the Neda will analyze not only prices of fertilizers manufactured in the Philippines but also those imported from abroad. An example of an oil-based fertilizer imported by the country is urea.
Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed that from January to August, imports of manufactured fertilizers increased by 172.02 percent to $443.65 million this year, from $163.09 million in 2007.
For urea alone, NSO data showed that from January to August, the value of this import has increased by 95.98 percent to $151.37 million this year, from $77.24 million last year.
Other imported fertilizers that are imported by the Philippines also increased by 240.43 percent to $292.28 million in the first eight months of the year, from $85.86 million in the same period last year.
However, in August alone, imports of urea increased by 159.38 percent to $13.42 million in 2008, from $5.17 million last year.
Imports of other manufactured fertilizer, on the other hand, decreased by 13.60 percent to $13.99 million in 2008, from $16.2 million in 2007.
Earlier, Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (Philmaize) president Roger Navarro was quoted as saying that while oil prices in the world market has declined by 33 percent, both petroleum- and nonpetroleum- based fertilizers still average P1,800 per bag.
Philmaize said that the Department of Agriculture should investigate fertilizer prices and warned that if high fertilizer prices persist, corn production will not post double-digit growth.
Nutriplant Organic Fertilizer Higher Quality & Lower Cost
Nutriplant organic fertilizer is of much higher quality and much lower cost than synthetic granular bag fertilizer. Nutriplant has essential secondary macro and micro nutrients that synthetic granular bag fertilizer do not have. Nutriplant costs 50% less than synthetic granular bag fertilizer. Nutriplant is all organic.
Price Comparision: Nutriplant Compared To Granular Bag Fertilizer
Example: 1 Hectare of Rice. Typical amount of Nutriplant and granular fertilizer applied to one hectare of rice during one cropping season.
Synthetic granular bag fertilizer: 4 to 8 bags per hectare.
Price per bag of granular feriliater: P1,800
Total Price Granular Fertilizer 1 Cropping: P7,200 to P14,400
Nutriplant SD organic seed dressing: 150 grams per 60 kilos of seeds. Price each P340
Nutriplant AG organic fertilizer: 2 - 3 liters per hectare. Price Each P1,260
Nutriplant Apsa80 Adjuvant: 1.5 liters per hectare. Price P1,200
Total Price Nutriplant Fertilizer 1 Cropping: P4,060 to P5,320
Nutriplant Fertilizer Savings & Higher Organic Quality
Significant cost savings, higher harvest yield, and quality of crop are the result using Nutriplant organic nutrient products.
Click here to see the significance Southern Leyte Congressman Roger Mercado is having with his farmers using Nutriplant.
Monday, October 27, 2008
RP Eyes Monthly Export of Corn to Taiwan
By BusinessMirror
Philippine corn farmers are setting their sights on exporting as much as 5,000 tons of corn to Taiwan on a monthly basis starting the first quarter of 2009.
Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (Philmaize) president Roger Navarro said his group started negotiations with a Taiwanese private firm in early October and that they are just awaiting the reply of the firm.
“We offered a minimum of 5,000 metric tons of monthly shipment. We are just waiting for the approval of the company on the volume and price,” said Navarro.
He said corn farmers offered to sell local corn at P16 per kilo and that the terms of their offer are almost the same as that which they presented to Korea Overseas Grains Investment Co. Ltd.
Initially, Navarro said local farmers will make a trial shipment, the bulk of which will come from Mindanao. Eventually, he said, most of the corn will be sourced from Luzon which is nearer to Taiwan. He disclosed that the plan is to ship out corn from Port Irene in Santa Ana, Cagayan.
“The problem is the port does not have bulk-handling facilities like terminal silos. But we’re trying to devise a way to ship out corn from Isabela,” he said.
Philmaize noted that Taiwan imports as much as 5 million metric tons of corn from various sources annually.
Just like the South Korean firm, Navarro said the Taiwanese entity is also keen on investing in postharvest facilities and terminal silos in the country to improve the capacity of local corn farmers to export in bulk.
He said negotiations with the Taiwanese and local corn farmers were facilitated by agricultural attaché to Taiwan Roque Mamon.
Navarro said Philmaize is urging Mamon to organize a trade mission involving Philippine corn farmers and Taiwanese traders.
Local corn farmers were encouraged to jump-start negotiations for the shipment of corn to Taiwan after Taipei had approved the quality of Philippine corn, according to Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dennis Araullo.
Earlier, Navarro said corn farmers are increasingly becoming more interested in exporting their produce as local prices pale in comparison with international prices.
Philmaize had been asking the government to approve a support price of P13 per kilogram for yellow corn, but the National Food Authority (NFA) approved only P11.50 per kilo.
The DA, however, said that they will ask the NFA Council to approve a P1.50 hike in support price for yellow corn.
Yellow corn is the main ingredient used for making feeds consumed by the hog and poultry sector.
Click here to use lower cost higher quality Nutriplant AG Organic Fertilizer on your corn crop to significantly increase your yield and quality.
Philippine corn farmers are setting their sights on exporting as much as 5,000 tons of corn to Taiwan on a monthly basis starting the first quarter of 2009.
Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (Philmaize) president Roger Navarro said his group started negotiations with a Taiwanese private firm in early October and that they are just awaiting the reply of the firm.
“We offered a minimum of 5,000 metric tons of monthly shipment. We are just waiting for the approval of the company on the volume and price,” said Navarro.
He said corn farmers offered to sell local corn at P16 per kilo and that the terms of their offer are almost the same as that which they presented to Korea Overseas Grains Investment Co. Ltd.
Initially, Navarro said local farmers will make a trial shipment, the bulk of which will come from Mindanao. Eventually, he said, most of the corn will be sourced from Luzon which is nearer to Taiwan. He disclosed that the plan is to ship out corn from Port Irene in Santa Ana, Cagayan.
“The problem is the port does not have bulk-handling facilities like terminal silos. But we’re trying to devise a way to ship out corn from Isabela,” he said.
Philmaize noted that Taiwan imports as much as 5 million metric tons of corn from various sources annually.
Just like the South Korean firm, Navarro said the Taiwanese entity is also keen on investing in postharvest facilities and terminal silos in the country to improve the capacity of local corn farmers to export in bulk.
He said negotiations with the Taiwanese and local corn farmers were facilitated by agricultural attaché to Taiwan Roque Mamon.
Navarro said Philmaize is urging Mamon to organize a trade mission involving Philippine corn farmers and Taiwanese traders.
Local corn farmers were encouraged to jump-start negotiations for the shipment of corn to Taiwan after Taipei had approved the quality of Philippine corn, according to Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dennis Araullo.
Earlier, Navarro said corn farmers are increasingly becoming more interested in exporting their produce as local prices pale in comparison with international prices.
Philmaize had been asking the government to approve a support price of P13 per kilogram for yellow corn, but the National Food Authority (NFA) approved only P11.50 per kilo.
The DA, however, said that they will ask the NFA Council to approve a P1.50 hike in support price for yellow corn.
Yellow corn is the main ingredient used for making feeds consumed by the hog and poultry sector.
Click here to use lower cost higher quality Nutriplant AG Organic Fertilizer on your corn crop to significantly increase your yield and quality.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Government to Stop Fertilizer Subsidy in 2009
By BusinessMirror
The government is set to stop its fertilizer-subsidy program for palay farmers next year as part of efforts to encourage farmers to use organic fertilizers.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the department will start promoting the manufacture of organic fertilizers next year.
“While the Department of Agriculture [DA] will continue providing seed support to farmers, it will do away with its fertilizer-subsidy program involving the grant of discount coupons for the purchase of petrochemical fertilizers,” said Yap.
Next year, Yap said, the DA is bent on promoting the use of organic fertilizers among palay farmers tilling some 400,000 hectares of farmlands all over the country.
As of September, the DA said it has already issued 2.66 million fertilizer discount coupons to palay farmers this wet cropping season to help them cope with the spike in the price of the petroleum-based input.
The discount coupons distributed already amounts to P665 million at P250 each. The coupons were distributed to farmers tilling 1.33 million hectares of farmlands. This represents 51 percent of the 2.58-million hectare target coverage area for the main cropping season.
The DA has allocated a total of P1.29 billion for the fertilizer-subsidy program it has undertaken with local government units.
The government launched the fertilizer subsidy program early this year after the prices of petrochemical-based fertilizer shot up to unprecedented levels due to the spike in the price of crude oil.
The increase in the price of fertilizer was cited by the DA as the single biggest threat to palay production for 2008.
Meanwhile, Yap said that 60 percent of the DA’s budget for 2009 would be devoted to the revised intervention programs in pursuit of FIELDS, while the balance of 40 percent will go to the regulatory, planning, general administration and other functions of the department.
Click here to use lower cost higher quality Nutriplant AG Organic Fertilizer on any crop for increased yields and highest quality.
The government is set to stop its fertilizer-subsidy program for palay farmers next year as part of efforts to encourage farmers to use organic fertilizers.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the department will start promoting the manufacture of organic fertilizers next year.
“While the Department of Agriculture [DA] will continue providing seed support to farmers, it will do away with its fertilizer-subsidy program involving the grant of discount coupons for the purchase of petrochemical fertilizers,” said Yap.
Next year, Yap said, the DA is bent on promoting the use of organic fertilizers among palay farmers tilling some 400,000 hectares of farmlands all over the country.
As of September, the DA said it has already issued 2.66 million fertilizer discount coupons to palay farmers this wet cropping season to help them cope with the spike in the price of the petroleum-based input.
The discount coupons distributed already amounts to P665 million at P250 each. The coupons were distributed to farmers tilling 1.33 million hectares of farmlands. This represents 51 percent of the 2.58-million hectare target coverage area for the main cropping season.
The DA has allocated a total of P1.29 billion for the fertilizer-subsidy program it has undertaken with local government units.
The government launched the fertilizer subsidy program early this year after the prices of petrochemical-based fertilizer shot up to unprecedented levels due to the spike in the price of crude oil.
The increase in the price of fertilizer was cited by the DA as the single biggest threat to palay production for 2008.
Meanwhile, Yap said that 60 percent of the DA’s budget for 2009 would be devoted to the revised intervention programs in pursuit of FIELDS, while the balance of 40 percent will go to the regulatory, planning, general administration and other functions of the department.
Click here to use lower cost higher quality Nutriplant AG Organic Fertilizer on any crop for increased yields and highest quality.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
NFA Ordered To Prepare for Massive Palay Buying
By The Philippine Department of Agriculture
NFA ordered to prepare for massive palay buying this main harvest season.
Secretary Arthur Yap of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has given marching orders to the National Food Authority (NFA) to prepare for its massive procurement of palay this main harvest season to shore up its inventories with local in lieu of imported stocks and help small farmers reeling from high production costs.
Yap instructed the NFA to prepare for this massive procurement program by opening more warehouses to store stocks and setting up more mobile stations to better facilitate buying of palay from farmers during the harvest season, which will peak between October and December.
He issued these directives following a DA plan to double the NFA’s procurement volume from 500,000 metric tons in previous tons in previous years to one million tons come harvest time.
The DA secretary also said that for the first time too, the NFA would buy palay with up to 30% moisture content to heed the clamor of farmers who find it difficult to dry their produce during the wet season and then sell these to private traders or the NFA.
The NFA used to buy palay with only up to 24% moisture content. Although the NFA buys palay from farmers at P17 a kilo for dry stocks with moisture content of 4%, it offers lower price for those sold with higher moisture levels.
“But we are still encouraging our farmers to dry their palay so that they can get the best prices for their produce at P17 a kilo” Yap said.
President Arroyo ordered the NFA to increase its palay buying price from P12 to P17 per kilo during this year.
Secretary Yap reminded farmers they will get additional incentives of P1,800 for every 50 bags of clean and dry palay they will sell to the NFA.
The NFA buying at an average of P133,602 bags daily as of first week of October.
The government is allotting an initial amount of P8.5 billion to increase the palay buying program of NFA this main crop.
For the month of September, palay procurement jump to 2 million bags equivalent to 212% jump from 975 bags target for the period.
Click here to use lower cost higher quality Nutriplant AG Organic Fertilizer on any crop for increased yields and highest quality.
NFA ordered to prepare for massive palay buying this main harvest season.
Secretary Arthur Yap of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has given marching orders to the National Food Authority (NFA) to prepare for its massive procurement of palay this main harvest season to shore up its inventories with local in lieu of imported stocks and help small farmers reeling from high production costs.
Yap instructed the NFA to prepare for this massive procurement program by opening more warehouses to store stocks and setting up more mobile stations to better facilitate buying of palay from farmers during the harvest season, which will peak between October and December.
He issued these directives following a DA plan to double the NFA’s procurement volume from 500,000 metric tons in previous tons in previous years to one million tons come harvest time.
The DA secretary also said that for the first time too, the NFA would buy palay with up to 30% moisture content to heed the clamor of farmers who find it difficult to dry their produce during the wet season and then sell these to private traders or the NFA.
The NFA used to buy palay with only up to 24% moisture content. Although the NFA buys palay from farmers at P17 a kilo for dry stocks with moisture content of 4%, it offers lower price for those sold with higher moisture levels.
“But we are still encouraging our farmers to dry their palay so that they can get the best prices for their produce at P17 a kilo” Yap said.
President Arroyo ordered the NFA to increase its palay buying price from P12 to P17 per kilo during this year.
Secretary Yap reminded farmers they will get additional incentives of P1,800 for every 50 bags of clean and dry palay they will sell to the NFA.
The NFA buying at an average of P133,602 bags daily as of first week of October.
The government is allotting an initial amount of P8.5 billion to increase the palay buying program of NFA this main crop.
For the month of September, palay procurement jump to 2 million bags equivalent to 212% jump from 975 bags target for the period.
Click here to use lower cost higher quality Nutriplant AG Organic Fertilizer on any crop for increased yields and highest quality.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Third Quarter Agri Growth to Fall Below 5%
By PhilStar
"Q3 agri growth to fall below 5%", says Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap
The third quarter growth of the agriculture sector will likely fall below five percent, a shade lower than the 5.6-percent growth registered in the third quarter last year, Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap said yesterday.
In an interview, Yap said lower growth projection stems from the negative effect of high fuel prices and the 13-percent drop in fertilizer sales which would impact negatively on production.
Actual third quarter growth figures, Yap said, would not be released until Nov. 15, as the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics is still collating and analyzing all of the growth figures for all the various agri subsectors.
Yap said that most likely, the full year growth this year would fall either at the low or middle end of the target of 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent.
The agriculture sector posted a growth of 4.7 percent in the first half of 2008, compared to the 3.74- percent growth posted in the first half of 2007.
Economists project a slowdown in the fourth quarter as an offshoot of the global financial crisis.
UP Economics Dean Dr. Emmanuel de Dios said there is a need for the government to focus on the domestic market in the light of an expected fallout in the agriculture sector and commodities market from the current global financial crisis.
While the Philippines is not a major agricultural exporter, De Dios said, the government should work on improving production efficiency as increased production would help keep prices down and help tide the country over the expected global economic downturn.
Click here to learn how increase Philippine agriculture sector growth.
"Q3 agri growth to fall below 5%", says Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap
The third quarter growth of the agriculture sector will likely fall below five percent, a shade lower than the 5.6-percent growth registered in the third quarter last year, Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap said yesterday.
In an interview, Yap said lower growth projection stems from the negative effect of high fuel prices and the 13-percent drop in fertilizer sales which would impact negatively on production.
Actual third quarter growth figures, Yap said, would not be released until Nov. 15, as the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics is still collating and analyzing all of the growth figures for all the various agri subsectors.
Yap said that most likely, the full year growth this year would fall either at the low or middle end of the target of 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent.
The agriculture sector posted a growth of 4.7 percent in the first half of 2008, compared to the 3.74- percent growth posted in the first half of 2007.
Economists project a slowdown in the fourth quarter as an offshoot of the global financial crisis.
UP Economics Dean Dr. Emmanuel de Dios said there is a need for the government to focus on the domestic market in the light of an expected fallout in the agriculture sector and commodities market from the current global financial crisis.
While the Philippines is not a major agricultural exporter, De Dios said, the government should work on improving production efficiency as increased production would help keep prices down and help tide the country over the expected global economic downturn.
Click here to learn how increase Philippine agriculture sector growth.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Philippine Agriculture Scholars
By the Bureau of Agricultural Research BAR
The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) held the "Degree Scholars' 2nd Fellowship Night" on 2 October 2008 giving recognitions to 10 National Research and Development System for Agriculture and Fisheries (NaRDSAF) scholars who graduated in 2007-2008.
The affair was conducted at the 4/F RDMIC Bldg., Visayas Ave., Diliman Quezon City, with BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar presenting the awards to the graduates.
The fellows are seven PhD and three MS/MA, six of whom graduated from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), two from UP Diliman, and one each from the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) and University of Southern Mindanao (USM).
The graduates are Ommal H. Abdulkadil of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (MS, Plant Pathology, UPLB); Nenita B. Baldo of the Central Mindanao University (PhD, Plant Breeding, UPLB); Liberty H. Canja of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PhD Environmental Science, UPLB); 4) Aileen C. Castañeda of PhilRice (MA, Economics, UP Diliman); Herminigilda A. Gabertan of the Bureau of Plant Industry-Los Baños National Crop Research and Development Center (PhD, Environmental Science, UPLB); Deborah B. Ligon of the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (MA, Psychology, UP Diliman); 7) Leonarda A. Londina from the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit 8 (PhD Rural Development, CLSU); Juanito P. Marcelino of the Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College (PhD, Crop Protection, USM); Rosanna T. Pinduma of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries-Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (PhD, Horticulture, UPLB); and Lilia A. Portales of BPI (PhD, Plant Pathology, UPLB).
Scholars are supported through BAR's Degree Scholarship Program which aims to strengthen the R&D manpower capability of DA and NaRDSAF-partner institutions. To date, the Scholarship Evaluation Committee has 11 accredited universities and colleges across the country.
From 2000 to 2008, BAR has supported 112 scholars, of whom 74 have graduated and 20 are still pursuing their degrees. The remaining 18 scholars failed to continue and finish their courses.
Click here to review Philippine Agriculture Solutions to increase harvest yield and quality.
The Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) held the "Degree Scholars' 2nd Fellowship Night" on 2 October 2008 giving recognitions to 10 National Research and Development System for Agriculture and Fisheries (NaRDSAF) scholars who graduated in 2007-2008.
The affair was conducted at the 4/F RDMIC Bldg., Visayas Ave., Diliman Quezon City, with BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar presenting the awards to the graduates.
The fellows are seven PhD and three MS/MA, six of whom graduated from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), two from UP Diliman, and one each from the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) and University of Southern Mindanao (USM).
The graduates are Ommal H. Abdulkadil of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (MS, Plant Pathology, UPLB); Nenita B. Baldo of the Central Mindanao University (PhD, Plant Breeding, UPLB); Liberty H. Canja of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PhD Environmental Science, UPLB); 4) Aileen C. Castañeda of PhilRice (MA, Economics, UP Diliman); Herminigilda A. Gabertan of the Bureau of Plant Industry-Los Baños National Crop Research and Development Center (PhD, Environmental Science, UPLB); Deborah B. Ligon of the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (MA, Psychology, UP Diliman); 7) Leonarda A. Londina from the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit 8 (PhD Rural Development, CLSU); Juanito P. Marcelino of the Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College (PhD, Crop Protection, USM); Rosanna T. Pinduma of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries-Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (PhD, Horticulture, UPLB); and Lilia A. Portales of BPI (PhD, Plant Pathology, UPLB).
Scholars are supported through BAR's Degree Scholarship Program which aims to strengthen the R&D manpower capability of DA and NaRDSAF-partner institutions. To date, the Scholarship Evaluation Committee has 11 accredited universities and colleges across the country.
From 2000 to 2008, BAR has supported 112 scholars, of whom 74 have graduated and 20 are still pursuing their degrees. The remaining 18 scholars failed to continue and finish their courses.
Click here to review Philippine Agriculture Solutions to increase harvest yield and quality.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Group Urges Philippine Government To Help Farmers
By BusinessMirror
A network of food security advocates is urging the government to start buying the newly harvested palay of small farmers for them to recoup their increasing cost of production.
Arze Glipo, lead convener of Task Force Food Sovereignty (TFFS), reiterated their demand for P61-billion additional allocation for agriculture toward achieving food self-sufficiency.
The call was made a day before the observance of the World Food Day.
The Task Force Food Sovereignty said the government should stop discriminating small poor farmers who are selling less than 50 cavans of palay to the National Food Authority (NFA).
Nestor Diego, a Nueva Ecija farmer and TFFS campaigner, said the food agency should also buy from small farmers even if they sell five or 10 cavans of palay.
“Even before the harvest season, farmers have already earmarked a large chunk of their target yield to pay the debts they incurred during the last planting season. How can the cash-deficient farmers plant this coming season if they don’t have enough returns to recoup their increasing costs of production?” Diego said.
“Government should now buy palay of farmers at P17 per kilogram to offset high costs and give farmers the needed incentives to increase their production for next cropping,” he said.
Rice farmers are currently harvesting their produce and will start tilling their lands on November and plant seedlings in December.
According to Glipo, food self-sufficiency is of paramount importance for the Filipino people today and that the country cannot rely on importing rice to meet the food needs of Filipinos.
The P61-billion additional allocation will cover the estimated budget requirement of P16 billion for the improvement and repair of irrigation systems servicing 268,000 hectares of land; P45 billion to open and irrigate new areas totaling 150,000 hectares; and P17-billion palay procurement fund. The proposed amount excludes the P17-billion irrigation budget already earmarked in the 2009 budget.
Glipo said their proposal will not only ensure rice self-sufficiency for the country but will also enable 4 million rice farmers and farm workers to realize fair price and reasonable income from rice farming, and thus inject savings into the local economy and spur more value-adding economic activities such as processing that could generate additional employment and strengthen rural economies.
Click here to implement the Nutriplant Solution to helping the farmers and everyone else also.
A network of food security advocates is urging the government to start buying the newly harvested palay of small farmers for them to recoup their increasing cost of production.
Arze Glipo, lead convener of Task Force Food Sovereignty (TFFS), reiterated their demand for P61-billion additional allocation for agriculture toward achieving food self-sufficiency.
The call was made a day before the observance of the World Food Day.
The Task Force Food Sovereignty said the government should stop discriminating small poor farmers who are selling less than 50 cavans of palay to the National Food Authority (NFA).
Nestor Diego, a Nueva Ecija farmer and TFFS campaigner, said the food agency should also buy from small farmers even if they sell five or 10 cavans of palay.
“Even before the harvest season, farmers have already earmarked a large chunk of their target yield to pay the debts they incurred during the last planting season. How can the cash-deficient farmers plant this coming season if they don’t have enough returns to recoup their increasing costs of production?” Diego said.
“Government should now buy palay of farmers at P17 per kilogram to offset high costs and give farmers the needed incentives to increase their production for next cropping,” he said.
Rice farmers are currently harvesting their produce and will start tilling their lands on November and plant seedlings in December.
According to Glipo, food self-sufficiency is of paramount importance for the Filipino people today and that the country cannot rely on importing rice to meet the food needs of Filipinos.
The P61-billion additional allocation will cover the estimated budget requirement of P16 billion for the improvement and repair of irrigation systems servicing 268,000 hectares of land; P45 billion to open and irrigate new areas totaling 150,000 hectares; and P17-billion palay procurement fund. The proposed amount excludes the P17-billion irrigation budget already earmarked in the 2009 budget.
Glipo said their proposal will not only ensure rice self-sufficiency for the country but will also enable 4 million rice farmers and farm workers to realize fair price and reasonable income from rice farming, and thus inject savings into the local economy and spur more value-adding economic activities such as processing that could generate additional employment and strengthen rural economies.
Click here to implement the Nutriplant Solution to helping the farmers and everyone else also.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Dept of Ag Opens 75,000 Hectares of Corn Fields
By BusinessMirror
The DA opens 75,000 hectares of new corn fields to hike production.
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) spent P203.6 million to open up 75,000 hectares of new corn fields, mostly in Mindanao, during the second and third quarters of this year under a “crash program” to beef up corn production by around 270,000 metric tons (MT).
Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dennis Araullo, who also heads the DA’s Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) corn program, said the expansion in corn areas was undertaken to boost the chances of the Philippines to meet its target yield of 4.1 million tons of corn in the second semester.
“The planting season for this expansion areas covers the second and third quarters. Hence, we can expect to harvest an estimated yield of 270,000 MT for the last two quarters of the year,” said Araullo in a report to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.
Around 52 percent of the new corn areas, or 39,000 hectares, are in Mindanao, while 26,700 hectares are in Luzon. The remaining new areas, or 9,300 hectares, are in the Visayas.
The DA said it is optimistic that corn production for 2008 will still breach the 7-million-ton level, but production will be 2-percent lower than the target of 7.4 million tons.
Araullo said the DA is carrying out a series of initiatives to increase corn production by more than 7 million tons.
These include promoting the use of organic and microbial fertilizers to enable corn farmers to slash fertilizer expenses by as much as 40 percent; facilitating the creation of additional corn areas; and hastening the construction of 45 additional postharvest processing and trading centers nationwide.
To encourage more farmers to plant yellow corn, agriculture officials said they are set to endorse to the National Food Authority (NFA) Council the increase of support price for the produce to P13 per kilogram.
Earlier, corn farmers have been clamoring for a “floor price” of P13 per kilo for yellow corn to help them cope with the spike in the prices of production inputs such as fertilizer.
For the January-to-June period, corn production grew by almost 20 percent to 3.292 million tons as against last year’s volume of 2.75 million tons.
The increase in corn production has prompted farmers to consider shipping out their produce to South Korea before the end of the year. At least 1,000 MT of corn may be shipped out to South Korea on a trial basis.
Click here to use the lower cost Nutriplant AG Organic Fertilizer on your corn crop for larger yield and highest quality.
Click the corn seedlings image for a larger view.
The DA opens 75,000 hectares of new corn fields to hike production.
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) spent P203.6 million to open up 75,000 hectares of new corn fields, mostly in Mindanao, during the second and third quarters of this year under a “crash program” to beef up corn production by around 270,000 metric tons (MT).
Agriculture Assistant Secretary Dennis Araullo, who also heads the DA’s Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) corn program, said the expansion in corn areas was undertaken to boost the chances of the Philippines to meet its target yield of 4.1 million tons of corn in the second semester.
“The planting season for this expansion areas covers the second and third quarters. Hence, we can expect to harvest an estimated yield of 270,000 MT for the last two quarters of the year,” said Araullo in a report to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.
Around 52 percent of the new corn areas, or 39,000 hectares, are in Mindanao, while 26,700 hectares are in Luzon. The remaining new areas, or 9,300 hectares, are in the Visayas.
The DA said it is optimistic that corn production for 2008 will still breach the 7-million-ton level, but production will be 2-percent lower than the target of 7.4 million tons.
Araullo said the DA is carrying out a series of initiatives to increase corn production by more than 7 million tons.
These include promoting the use of organic and microbial fertilizers to enable corn farmers to slash fertilizer expenses by as much as 40 percent; facilitating the creation of additional corn areas; and hastening the construction of 45 additional postharvest processing and trading centers nationwide.
To encourage more farmers to plant yellow corn, agriculture officials said they are set to endorse to the National Food Authority (NFA) Council the increase of support price for the produce to P13 per kilogram.
Earlier, corn farmers have been clamoring for a “floor price” of P13 per kilo for yellow corn to help them cope with the spike in the prices of production inputs such as fertilizer.
For the January-to-June period, corn production grew by almost 20 percent to 3.292 million tons as against last year’s volume of 2.75 million tons.
The increase in corn production has prompted farmers to consider shipping out their produce to South Korea before the end of the year. At least 1,000 MT of corn may be shipped out to South Korea on a trial basis.
Click here to use the lower cost Nutriplant AG Organic Fertilizer on your corn crop for larger yield and highest quality.
Click the corn seedlings image for a larger view.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Advantages of Foliar Fertilizer Feeding
Foliar fertilizer applied to the leaves is the most efficient way to get food nutrients to your crop for it produce maximum yield and quality.
Applying fertilizer to the roots saves times, but wastes money as product can easily drain away before the plant can use it. Saving time now, can cost you a lot of potential yield and quality later at harvest.
The old common, easiest, and more wasteful method of delivering nutrients to plants is through their roots is by watering or drenching the roots with fertilizer. Foliar feeding of fertilizer is the more efficient method that delivers nutrients through the foliage or leaves of the plant.
Advantages of Foliar Fertilizer Feeding:
Nutriplant AG Organic Foliar Fertilizer applied nutrients are one hundred to five hundred times more effective than root applied fertilizer.
Nutriplant AG Organic Foliar Fertilizer applied nutrients are available to your plants immediately, so you see results more quickly.
Nutriplant AG Organic Foliar Fertilizer applied nutrients make available the very important secondary macro and micro elements of sulfur, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, boron, cobalt, molybdenum, along with the standard NPK of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, available to plants when they are not available in the soil.
Nutriplant AG Organic Foliar Fertilizer applied nutrients can successfully reduce the nutritional stress situations of plants.
Plants generally take in nutrients much more efficiently through foliar feeding than through root uptake. Nutriplant Organic Foliar fertilizer is mixed specifically for foliar feeding, optimizing nutrient uptake through the stomata (plant pores) in the leaves. Nutriplant Organic Foliar fertilizer is also an excellent way to revive and stimulate stressed, tired, or diseased plants immediately.
Foliar feeding is an effective method for correcting soil deficiencies and overcoming the soil's inability to transfer nutrients to the plant. Tests have shown that foliar feeding can be 8 to 10 times more effective than soil feeding and up to 90% of a Nutriplant AG foliar fed nutrient solution can be found in the smallest root of a plant within 60 minutes of application.
Click the links below to review the Nutriplant "Power of Three" Organic Farming Products.
Nutriplant AG Organic Foliar Fertilizer
Nutriplant SD Organic Seed Germination Dressing
Nutriplant APSA80 Adjuvant
The Nutriplant products cost 50% less than other similar products, and the Nutriplant products are so good, that they come with a 90 day money back guaranty.
Click the foliar sprayer image for a larger view.
Applying fertilizer to the roots saves times, but wastes money as product can easily drain away before the plant can use it. Saving time now, can cost you a lot of potential yield and quality later at harvest.
The old common, easiest, and more wasteful method of delivering nutrients to plants is through their roots is by watering or drenching the roots with fertilizer. Foliar feeding of fertilizer is the more efficient method that delivers nutrients through the foliage or leaves of the plant.
Advantages of Foliar Fertilizer Feeding:
Nutriplant AG Organic Foliar Fertilizer applied nutrients are one hundred to five hundred times more effective than root applied fertilizer.
Nutriplant AG Organic Foliar Fertilizer applied nutrients are available to your plants immediately, so you see results more quickly.
Nutriplant AG Organic Foliar Fertilizer applied nutrients make available the very important secondary macro and micro elements of sulfur, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, boron, cobalt, molybdenum, along with the standard NPK of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, available to plants when they are not available in the soil.
Nutriplant AG Organic Foliar Fertilizer applied nutrients can successfully reduce the nutritional stress situations of plants.
Plants generally take in nutrients much more efficiently through foliar feeding than through root uptake. Nutriplant Organic Foliar fertilizer is mixed specifically for foliar feeding, optimizing nutrient uptake through the stomata (plant pores) in the leaves. Nutriplant Organic Foliar fertilizer is also an excellent way to revive and stimulate stressed, tired, or diseased plants immediately.
Foliar feeding is an effective method for correcting soil deficiencies and overcoming the soil's inability to transfer nutrients to the plant. Tests have shown that foliar feeding can be 8 to 10 times more effective than soil feeding and up to 90% of a Nutriplant AG foliar fed nutrient solution can be found in the smallest root of a plant within 60 minutes of application.
Click the links below to review the Nutriplant "Power of Three" Organic Farming Products.
Nutriplant AG Organic Foliar Fertilizer
Nutriplant SD Organic Seed Germination Dressing
Nutriplant APSA80 Adjuvant
The Nutriplant products cost 50% less than other similar products, and the Nutriplant products are so good, that they come with a 90 day money back guaranty.
Click the foliar sprayer image for a larger view.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Philippine Catholic Bishops Launch Organic Farm Center
10/08/2008. At least 200 farmers and 240 families stand to benefit from a National Farm Center that the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)'s social arm was launched Wednesday morning.
The CBCP said the National Farm Center is located in Misereor Village, Sto. Niño Hill, Balaring at General Natividad town in Nueva Ecija province.
"When fully developed, the center will also serve as a venue for national and local trainings, and become an organic agriculture model that can be replicated by farmers, groups and organizations," CBCP National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa) executive secretary Rosanne Mallillin said in an article on the CBCP website (www.cbcpnews.com).
Expected to attend the ceremonies are Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, and Catholic bishops and social action directors from different dioceses nationwide.
The Department of Agriculture including its Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Bureau of Plant Industry and its Regional Field Unit III assisted the project.
The CBCP said the project, to be launched this coming Wednesday, will promote and showcase the practice of sustainable agriculture.
Mallillin said the farm center would "add more teeth to the promotion and practice of sustainable agriculture among 77 Diocesan Social Action Centers in the country."
The center will showcase various aspects of a diversified intensive organic farming system including seed banking, livestock raising, vermi-composting, farm enterprising and other agricultural activities.
Farmers will also be given organic vegetable seeds during the launching, which will also include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tree planting and site tour.
Source GMANews.TV
Click here to review Nutriplant Organic Fertilizer with Secondary Micro and Macro Nutrients.
The CBCP said the National Farm Center is located in Misereor Village, Sto. Niño Hill, Balaring at General Natividad town in Nueva Ecija province.
"When fully developed, the center will also serve as a venue for national and local trainings, and become an organic agriculture model that can be replicated by farmers, groups and organizations," CBCP National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa) executive secretary Rosanne Mallillin said in an article on the CBCP website (www.cbcpnews.com).
Expected to attend the ceremonies are Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, and Catholic bishops and social action directors from different dioceses nationwide.
The Department of Agriculture including its Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Bureau of Plant Industry and its Regional Field Unit III assisted the project.
The CBCP said the project, to be launched this coming Wednesday, will promote and showcase the practice of sustainable agriculture.
Mallillin said the farm center would "add more teeth to the promotion and practice of sustainable agriculture among 77 Diocesan Social Action Centers in the country."
The center will showcase various aspects of a diversified intensive organic farming system including seed banking, livestock raising, vermi-composting, farm enterprising and other agricultural activities.
Farmers will also be given organic vegetable seeds during the launching, which will also include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tree planting and site tour.
Source GMANews.TV
Click here to review Nutriplant Organic Fertilizer with Secondary Micro and Macro Nutrients.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Organic Farming - The Way Forward
By Inter Press Service News Agency
Peter Desisto is one happy farmer who switched to organic rice cultivation.
NUEVA ECIJA, Sep 11 (IPS) - Sustainable agriculture was far from farmer Peter Desisto’s mind when he went to an organic farming seminar organised by the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) ten years ago. He and other farmers attended because they heard that PRRM was giving out loans.
Borrowing is a way of life for farmers who need to purchase expensive chemical pesticide and fertiliser before they can even plant rice in their fields. Such borrowings, usually from local money lenders who charge high interest, keep farmers perpetually in debt. The harvest gives them little surplus to avoid fresh loans in the next cropping season.
Desisto came out from the PRRM seminar loaded, not with borrowed money, but with new knowledge and a firm conviction that organic farming was the way forward. He gave up chemical-based inputs and instead bought cheaper chicken manure to fertilise the fields, raised ducks that eat the snails that were ruining his rice stalks, and used indigenous herbs to control pests.
Instead of solely relying on rice, Desisto diversified into hog and poultry raising and planting onions for extra income. "I spent more time applying chicken manure and planting other crops. The extra effort paid off," he said.
Now Desisto is not only free of debt but also able to provide adequately for his family. He is also content that the land he’s renting remains productive, with an annual rice harvest at 90 sacks, which he attributes to the fact that his land is not bombarded with chemicals.
Desisto is one of a growing number of farmers in Nueva Ecija --one of the main rice growing areas in the Philippines -- who have abandoned pesticides and synthetic fertilisers in favour of organic farming. "Sustainable agriculture in rice farming addressed the problem of high cost of chemical farming and acted on health, environmental and ecological considerations,’’ the Manila-based Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) noted in its study published last year.
Organic agriculture products trading in the world is increasing by 20-30 percent every year and the Philippines can easily claim a large share of a market that is estimated to be worth 100 billion US dollars. Popular organic products exported from the Philippines include bananas, beef, mangoes, muscovado sugar, papayas, peanuts, poultry, soya milk, vegetables from the uplands, yellow corn and rice.
Introduction of the so-called Green Revolution technology in the 1970s helped increase yields -- but at a high cost. The high yielding seeds were also dependent on expensive chemical inputs that poisoned the soil and water sources, hurt land productivity and harmed farmers’ health. This is why NGOs like PRRM have been advocating a return to organic farming, believing that this will not just solve environmental problems but will also ensure food security.
"Organic agriculture is the answer. It won’t only retain soil productivity but it can make farming viable. If farmers will have additional income from their land they will continue to plant rice,'' R1 lead convenor Jessica Reyes-Cantos said.
Cantos believes that the government should channel more funds to develop organic agriculture and ensure self sufficiency instead of spending money on stop gap measures like rice imports or giving out subsidised seeds.
Cantos urges the Philippine department of agriculture to implement the following measures: support farmers to improve their own seed varieties; promote credit support for organic farmers; provide more post harvest facilities and create a marketing fund to protect the farmers of organically- grown products from unscrupulous traders.
Philippine agriculture officials are now seeing the benefits of organic farming. At a press briefing last month, agriculture secretary Arthur Yap said the department will set aside P800 million (16 million dollars) to encourage rice farmers to engage in organic farming for the September-October planting season.
Yap said he is hoping that this will at least help farmers cut overheads as costs of synthetic fertiliser rise along with global petroleum prices.
Click here to review Kananga Leyte Rice farmer Erwin Torita rice crop after using Nutriplant Organic Nutrients.
Peter Desisto is one happy farmer who switched to organic rice cultivation.
NUEVA ECIJA, Sep 11 (IPS) - Sustainable agriculture was far from farmer Peter Desisto’s mind when he went to an organic farming seminar organised by the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) ten years ago. He and other farmers attended because they heard that PRRM was giving out loans.
Borrowing is a way of life for farmers who need to purchase expensive chemical pesticide and fertiliser before they can even plant rice in their fields. Such borrowings, usually from local money lenders who charge high interest, keep farmers perpetually in debt. The harvest gives them little surplus to avoid fresh loans in the next cropping season.
Desisto came out from the PRRM seminar loaded, not with borrowed money, but with new knowledge and a firm conviction that organic farming was the way forward. He gave up chemical-based inputs and instead bought cheaper chicken manure to fertilise the fields, raised ducks that eat the snails that were ruining his rice stalks, and used indigenous herbs to control pests.
Instead of solely relying on rice, Desisto diversified into hog and poultry raising and planting onions for extra income. "I spent more time applying chicken manure and planting other crops. The extra effort paid off," he said.
Now Desisto is not only free of debt but also able to provide adequately for his family. He is also content that the land he’s renting remains productive, with an annual rice harvest at 90 sacks, which he attributes to the fact that his land is not bombarded with chemicals.
Desisto is one of a growing number of farmers in Nueva Ecija --one of the main rice growing areas in the Philippines -- who have abandoned pesticides and synthetic fertilisers in favour of organic farming. "Sustainable agriculture in rice farming addressed the problem of high cost of chemical farming and acted on health, environmental and ecological considerations,’’ the Manila-based Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) noted in its study published last year.
Organic agriculture products trading in the world is increasing by 20-30 percent every year and the Philippines can easily claim a large share of a market that is estimated to be worth 100 billion US dollars. Popular organic products exported from the Philippines include bananas, beef, mangoes, muscovado sugar, papayas, peanuts, poultry, soya milk, vegetables from the uplands, yellow corn and rice.
Introduction of the so-called Green Revolution technology in the 1970s helped increase yields -- but at a high cost. The high yielding seeds were also dependent on expensive chemical inputs that poisoned the soil and water sources, hurt land productivity and harmed farmers’ health. This is why NGOs like PRRM have been advocating a return to organic farming, believing that this will not just solve environmental problems but will also ensure food security.
"Organic agriculture is the answer. It won’t only retain soil productivity but it can make farming viable. If farmers will have additional income from their land they will continue to plant rice,'' R1 lead convenor Jessica Reyes-Cantos said.
Cantos believes that the government should channel more funds to develop organic agriculture and ensure self sufficiency instead of spending money on stop gap measures like rice imports or giving out subsidised seeds.
Cantos urges the Philippine department of agriculture to implement the following measures: support farmers to improve their own seed varieties; promote credit support for organic farmers; provide more post harvest facilities and create a marketing fund to protect the farmers of organically- grown products from unscrupulous traders.
Philippine agriculture officials are now seeing the benefits of organic farming. At a press briefing last month, agriculture secretary Arthur Yap said the department will set aside P800 million (16 million dollars) to encourage rice farmers to engage in organic farming for the September-October planting season.
Yap said he is hoping that this will at least help farmers cut overheads as costs of synthetic fertiliser rise along with global petroleum prices.
Click here to review Kananga Leyte Rice farmer Erwin Torita rice crop after using Nutriplant Organic Nutrients.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Best Time To Harvest Rice
By Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture
Feeling complacent about getting more yield because of the good standing crop on your farm? You should not be. Improper harvest management can also give you reasons to grieve over crop losses.
According to rice experts, improper harvest and postharvest activities can lead up to 15% yield losses. That means a farmer can lose up to 15 cavans for every 100-cavan yield. At a buying price of 10 pesos per kilo of palay, it translates to PhP 7,500.
There are a number of easy ways to avoid these losses.
One is proper timing of last irrigation. “It should be one week before harvest for light-textured soils and two weeks before harvest for heavy-textured soils,” said Jovino De Dios of the Agronomy, Soils, and Plant Physiology Division of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
“This ensures sufficient moisture to complete grain filling,” he explained. “Harvest operations are also made easier and more efficient.”
Probably the most important recommendation, cutting and threshing the crop at the right time will ensure good grain quality, high market value, and consumer acceptance.
“Reaping too early results in a higher percentage of immature grains and lower milling recovery,” explained Dr. Caesar Joventino Tado, PhilRice expert. “Reaping too late, on the other hand, increases grain shattering and excessive losses in terms of breakage during milling.”
Farmers should harvest the crop when one-fifth or 20% of the grains at the base of the panicle are in hard dough stage. At this stage, most of the grains in the panicle are golden yellow. Farmers can assess the maturity by pressing a grain from the base of panicle between the thumb and forefinger.
“Threshing the palay immediately after harvest is another good practice. It should not be later than one day after reaping for wet season rice and not later than two days for dry season,” Tado stressed. “Harvested rice piled in the field for more than a day results in heat buildup in the grain. This leads to grain discoloration, which lowers the quality of milled rice.”
Also, the thresher must be clean and have correct machine settings.
“The blower should be set at the correct speed (approximately 800 rpm) to provide good initial cleaning of the harvest. A high-speed setting of the threshing drum results in higher grain damage while a low speed setting increases the amount of non-threshed grain, resulting to grain loss,” Tado explained.
Click here to review Jaro Leyte Rice farmer Roel standing over is colorful and healthy rice crop after using Nutriplant Organic Nutrients.
Feeling complacent about getting more yield because of the good standing crop on your farm? You should not be. Improper harvest management can also give you reasons to grieve over crop losses.
According to rice experts, improper harvest and postharvest activities can lead up to 15% yield losses. That means a farmer can lose up to 15 cavans for every 100-cavan yield. At a buying price of 10 pesos per kilo of palay, it translates to PhP 7,500.
There are a number of easy ways to avoid these losses.
One is proper timing of last irrigation. “It should be one week before harvest for light-textured soils and two weeks before harvest for heavy-textured soils,” said Jovino De Dios of the Agronomy, Soils, and Plant Physiology Division of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
“This ensures sufficient moisture to complete grain filling,” he explained. “Harvest operations are also made easier and more efficient.”
Probably the most important recommendation, cutting and threshing the crop at the right time will ensure good grain quality, high market value, and consumer acceptance.
“Reaping too early results in a higher percentage of immature grains and lower milling recovery,” explained Dr. Caesar Joventino Tado, PhilRice expert. “Reaping too late, on the other hand, increases grain shattering and excessive losses in terms of breakage during milling.”
Farmers should harvest the crop when one-fifth or 20% of the grains at the base of the panicle are in hard dough stage. At this stage, most of the grains in the panicle are golden yellow. Farmers can assess the maturity by pressing a grain from the base of panicle between the thumb and forefinger.
“Threshing the palay immediately after harvest is another good practice. It should not be later than one day after reaping for wet season rice and not later than two days for dry season,” Tado stressed. “Harvested rice piled in the field for more than a day results in heat buildup in the grain. This leads to grain discoloration, which lowers the quality of milled rice.”
Also, the thresher must be clean and have correct machine settings.
“The blower should be set at the correct speed (approximately 800 rpm) to provide good initial cleaning of the harvest. A high-speed setting of the threshing drum results in higher grain damage while a low speed setting increases the amount of non-threshed grain, resulting to grain loss,” Tado explained.
Click here to review Jaro Leyte Rice farmer Roel standing over is colorful and healthy rice crop after using Nutriplant Organic Nutrients.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Agriculture Chief Wants Rice Farms To Go Organic
From Inquirer.net
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap wants 10 percent of the country’s 1.87 million hectares of rice farms nationwide to go organic as one of the government’s roadmaps to address poverty and hunger.
At the recent kickoff of the Go Organic! Movement in Quezon City, Yap gave his full support to the advocacy of various environmentalist groups, local government units and the academe to promote organic farming to help solve the country’s food crisis.
“What we want to show to the public is that we have an extension program in place in partnership with the local governments, academe and the non-government and farmers’ organizations. We are set to roll out the program by the dry crop season,” Yap was quoted by the movement as saying.
Various groups led by Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza of Pangasinan recently launched the Go Organic! Movement to promote organic farming at the PRRM office in Quezon City. The groups include the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, Paragos-Pilipinas, Centro Saka Inc., La Liga Policy Institute, SRI-Pilipinas, Education for Life Foundation, University of the Philippines-Los Baños, Philippine Greens and Earth Day Network.
“I, myself, am a believer of organic agriculture. We are all converts. We are willing to accept the program to increase food productivity and farmers’ income. I am happy to be here,” Yap said.
Yap, according to the Go Organic Movement, disclosed that he had signed a special order creating a task force headed by Agriculture Undersecretary for Special Concerns Berna Romulo-Puyat to finalize the partnership agreement to incorporate organic farming under the government’s FIELDS program next month.
He noted a 30 percent drop in chemical fertilizer use due to price increases.
“I want to see an increased income of all farmers nationwide. But we have a big problem when the prices of fertilizers rose high. For that reason, the President ordered an increased production through FIELDS,” he said.
“This is where organic farming comes in. And we look forward to a fruitful partnership with the Go Organic! Movement for the successful transformation of our rice farms to organic farms.”
Yap also discussed plans to hold a nationwide rice festival culminating on Oct. 16—World Food Day—as a means to promote organic farming to local governments and Filipino farmers.
Former senator Helena Benitez, honorary chairperson of PRRM, also expressed her full support for Go Organic!
Click here for more information on our low cost high yield organic agriculture program to help the Philippine farmers.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap wants 10 percent of the country’s 1.87 million hectares of rice farms nationwide to go organic as one of the government’s roadmaps to address poverty and hunger.
At the recent kickoff of the Go Organic! Movement in Quezon City, Yap gave his full support to the advocacy of various environmentalist groups, local government units and the academe to promote organic farming to help solve the country’s food crisis.
“What we want to show to the public is that we have an extension program in place in partnership with the local governments, academe and the non-government and farmers’ organizations. We are set to roll out the program by the dry crop season,” Yap was quoted by the movement as saying.
Various groups led by Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza of Pangasinan recently launched the Go Organic! Movement to promote organic farming at the PRRM office in Quezon City. The groups include the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, Paragos-Pilipinas, Centro Saka Inc., La Liga Policy Institute, SRI-Pilipinas, Education for Life Foundation, University of the Philippines-Los Baños, Philippine Greens and Earth Day Network.
“I, myself, am a believer of organic agriculture. We are all converts. We are willing to accept the program to increase food productivity and farmers’ income. I am happy to be here,” Yap said.
Yap, according to the Go Organic Movement, disclosed that he had signed a special order creating a task force headed by Agriculture Undersecretary for Special Concerns Berna Romulo-Puyat to finalize the partnership agreement to incorporate organic farming under the government’s FIELDS program next month.
He noted a 30 percent drop in chemical fertilizer use due to price increases.
“I want to see an increased income of all farmers nationwide. But we have a big problem when the prices of fertilizers rose high. For that reason, the President ordered an increased production through FIELDS,” he said.
“This is where organic farming comes in. And we look forward to a fruitful partnership with the Go Organic! Movement for the successful transformation of our rice farms to organic farms.”
Yap also discussed plans to hold a nationwide rice festival culminating on Oct. 16—World Food Day—as a means to promote organic farming to local governments and Filipino farmers.
Former senator Helena Benitez, honorary chairperson of PRRM, also expressed her full support for Go Organic!
Click here for more information on our low cost high yield organic agriculture program to help the Philippine farmers.
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