The World Bank & Philippine Agribusiness Entrepreneurs

The World Bank Wants Philippine Farmers to Become Agribusiness Entrepreneurs

Agriculture projects must level up from subsistence farming to agribusiness enterprise.

This was one of the recommendations of the World Bank (WB) during its recently concluded review mission for the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP). MRDP is a poverty-alleviation program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) which aims to increase rural incomes and enhance decentralization of agricultural services.

Although agriculture is the backbone of rural economy where almost one-third of the labor force depend on, results of the bank’s decentralization consultations revealed that stakeholders do not perceive it as an effective means in alleviating poverty.

Cesar Umali Jr., the bank’s consultant for decentralization, said there is a need to repackage agriculture-based livelihood projects into agribusiness ventures to make it an effective way for rural folks to break free from poverty.

Umali said decentralization of agricultural services should be actively pursued for local officials to prioritize food-security program in their agenda.

“A decentralized approach can effectively increase food production, raise farmers’ incomes, and relieve the DA from sole responsibility for food security, at the same time, multiply its funds,” he said.

Umali also cited the importance of developing a business plan that will guide beneficiaries in making their livelihood profitable and sustainable.

“Having a business plan will be an ideal way for beneficiaries to look at their livelihood as a business. It outlines strategies, objectives, resources at hand, and the best methods for the livelihood to become viable and generate desired profits” he said.

Meanwhile, MRDP program director Lealyn Ramos is optimistic that the program can help in transforming subsistence farming activities into dynamic rural enterprise.

“There are several livelihood projects under MRDP that do not only improve lives of numerous households in Mindanao but can also serve as blueprint for enterprise development,” Ramos said.

For instance, the goat-production project in Libungan, North Cotabato, which started with only 51 heads is now a thriving community business. Beneficiaries of the project are now supplying the local meat market of at least an average of 30 goats every six months. Since February 2006, about 514 heads of goats (amounting to P444, 690) had been sold to local butchers in the adjacent town of Midsayap.

The backyard vegetable production of the people’s organization in Sta. Josefa, Agusan del Sur had been expanded by acquiring an additional 2 hectare lot and delivering their produce not only in nearby towns but also some parts in Visayas particularly in Ormoc City and Leyte province.

Ramos said it is important for beneficiaries to first consider the marketing aspect before embarking into any livelihood projects. She cited the experience of vegetable farmers in Claveria, Misamis Oriental and the indigenous tribe in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur who opted to go into lakatan banana production after learning that there is a growing demand for the said crop in their localities. Noel T. Provido

By Business Mirror




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Nutriplus N-P-K+ 4-18-18 Organic Liquid Fertilizer

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* 4% Nitrogen, 18% Phosphorus, 18% Potassium

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Nutriplus N-P-K+ 4-18-18 Application for Rice

Mix 100ml Nutriplus N-P-K+ to every 16 liters of water as with a backpack sprayer.

Apply at Booting Stage: 50 - 60 Days After Transplanting or 70 to 80 Days After Broadcasting

For other crops of vegetables, fruits, and flowers, similar mix rate is suggested. Contact us for specific mix rates for these other crops.




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Click here to review Apsa80 Adjuvant to increase the efficacy of all your applied products

Organic Agriculture Helps with Climate Change

Organic agriculture can mitigate climate change.

ASIDE from producing safe food products, organic agriculture can also help halt global warming.

Dr. Rodel Maghirang of the University of the Philippines in Los Baños said organic agriculture is a production system that promotes health of soil, ecosystems and people.

Speaking during the national vegetable congress held in February in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, Maghirang said organic farming combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit shared environment and quality of life.

Maghirang said conventional agriculture practices such as excessive use of inorganic fertilizer and pesticides contribute a lot to greenhouse-gas emission.

In practicing organic agriculture, carbon sequestration, the process of capturing carbon dioxide, is being done through crop residues and other organic solids.

“This can help offset emission up to 25 percent of greenhouse gases. It also enhances soil fertility and improves soil retention, which helps sustain yields during drought,” he said.

“Every ton of carbon lost from the soil adds 3.67 tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Conversely, every one-ton-per-hectare increase in soil organic carbon represents 3.67 tons sequestered from the atmosphere and removed from greenhouse-gas equation,” he said.

To economically take out carbon from the ground, Maghirang urged farmers to use plants or weeds and organic manure to cover the ground instead of plastic mulch. Maghirang also recommended the use of microorganisms to convert soil into stable forms.

“Regular applications of manure, compost and or compost teas will inoculate the soil with beneficial organisms that build humus and other long-lasting carbon polymers,” he said.

To sustain crop production, Maghirang said farmers must change focus on fertilizing the soil and instead of the plant.

Among the natural fertilizers that will increase nutrient storage and availability are indigenous microorganism, fish amino acid, fermented plant juice, farmer’s effective microorganisms, and egg-lime formulation. These fertilizers are made out of farm waste such as fruit and vegetable peelings, fresh livestock manure and urine, and fresh fish trash.

Maghirang also advised farmers to avoid excessive synthetic fertilizers, as this is one of the major causes of the decline of soil carbon.

“The higher the application of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer, the greater the amount of soil carbon lost as carbon dioxide. This is one of the major reasons conventional agricultural systems suffer a decline in soil carbon while organic systems increase soil carbon,” he said.

“If possible, avoid herbicides, pesticides and fungicides as they destroy beneficial microorganisms. Also, avoid soil erosion as the top few centimeters of soil is the area richest with carbon,” he said.

Aside from mitigating the impact of climate change, organic farming is also getting lucrative considering that the global market for organic products reached a value of over $46 billion in 2007.

There is also mounting evidence that organic agriculture can improve incomes and living standards of the poor farmers. For instance, the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe in Sibulan, Toril district in Davao City grows organically produced Bungulan bananas and exports their produce to Japan.

The farmers in the community produced organic fertilizers from dried-banana peelings and rejects through vermicomposting. Natural pesticides were also applied using indigenous materials such as siling labuyo (native hot pepper).

Another rewarding experience in organic farming is the production of organically grown rice of Kilolog Multipurpose Farmers Cooperative and the Magsaysay Multipurpose Cooperative, both in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.

These two cooperatives have been producing the famous “MagRice” which is now being sold at a premium price higher than the conventionally produced rice. The supermarkets of leading malls in Davao City and General Santos City now serve as among the products sales outlet. Other outlets were also established in Digos City and as far as Cebu and Metro Manila.

Instead of chemical pesticides, farmers in the area use milk and honey spray to attract natural enemies or beneficial insects in the field, which serve as biological control for harmful insects. Moreover, the organic concoction helps maintain and improve the rice vigor, natural aroma and good eating quality. It is also believed to increase the weight of the grains. The herbs heal and prevent pests and diseases of their crop.

Organic fertilizers are also applied using agricultural waste, such as rice stalks and manure from chicken, horses, carabaos, cows, and fish intestines.

By Business Mirror




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Click the links below to naturally and organically increase harvest productions with lower input costs.

Click here to review Nutrplant AG Organic Fertilizer

Click here to review Nutriplant SD Organic Seed Germination Fertilizer

Click here to review Apsa80 Adjuvant to increase the efficacy of all your applied products

Soil Conditioning

Soil Conditioning with APSA-80 All Purpose Spray Adjuvant

Whether your growing rice, vegetables, fruits, or flowers, when starting a new crop, its best to condition your soil with APSA-80 first before planting for maximum effectiveness and harvest yields, and save money too. The cost for one application of APSA-80 to soil condition one hectare of land is only about P800

Starting APSA-80 and having healthy soil, your baby plants will have the best chance for having longer roots, and have the best chance to fight off sickness disease and grow strong and healthy into their main growth stage for the application of Nutriplant AG Organic Fertilizer and APSA-80 mixture.


APSA-80 Used as Soil Conditioner

By lowering the surface tension of water, APSA-80 can increase the rate at which water soaks into soil, breakup compaction allowing deeper roots and better take-up of water and nutrients, reduce water losses due to evaporation and runoff, increase water holding capacity, maintain more nitrogen in the upper profile of the soil and increase crop yields. Application of APSA-80 can be combined with the application of your pre-emergent herbicide to eliminate extra passes through the fields.

The use of APSA-80 Adjuvant rice crop in a field with severe compaction resulted in an average increase of 17.6 canvans per hectare in yield and a 30% increase in root depth at 90% root volume. These results are because of APSA-80's effect as a Non-Ionic Surfactant that greatly helps to alleviate the effects of compacted soil.

Using APSA-80 Adjuvant on the soil will greatly increase soil infiltration rates. For example, sandy loam and or sandy clay loam subsoil, this soil combination most prone to compaction. APSA-80 is used for soil compaction relief has also proven to be effective in increasing crop yields in all crops of rice, corn, vegetables, fruits and flowers. Click the links on the right column for more information and results on some of the Agriculture Projects using APSA-80, and Nutriplant Organic Fertilizers.


Test Your Soil Before Planting

Before you even get started planting, it's best to test your soil and determine what you'll be working with. Take some soil to have it analyzed, or perform a pH test on your own with a pH test kit.

Condition Soil with APSA-80

After you've determined the type of soil and the soil’s composition, it's time to condition your soil. This is the point at which you will give your future crops the best chance of producing an abundance of rice, vegetables, and fruit growth to meet your goals and expectations.

APSA-80 Benefits

Understand that you will be conditioning the soil not only to improve its nutrient values, but also to improve and increase drainage. Along with natural organic soil conditioning methods such as composting, applying manure, worm castings, and other organic waste matter, using APSA80 excellent easy fast and low cost way to condition the soil for optimal growing conditions.


Soil Conditioning For Rice Using Apsa80 Adjuvant

Rice Seed Bed Preparation:

1. Spray Apsa 80 at 8(80 ml) tbsp/16 liters of water 2-3 days before Sowing (Spray apsa 80 after plowing)

Rice Land Preparation:

2. Spray Apsa 80 at 8 tbsp (80ml/16 liters of water 2-3 days before transplanting (Spray apsa 80 after plowing)

3. For 1.0 hectare spray 10-12 spray loads of Apsa 80 as soil conditioner

Use Apsa80 To Help Thoroughly Mixed All Kinds of Chemicals. To Increase Their Effectiveness, and Reduce Input Costs

1. Mix APSA 80 to all the pesticides (insecticides, molluscicides and fungicides) to be used in the rice fields at the rate of 5ml (1 teaspoon) per 16 liters of water (1 full load knapsack sprayer).

2. Spray snail killer (molluscicide) with APSA 80, 2 – 4 days before direct seeding or before transplanting.

3. Spray APSA 80 (as a fertilizer activator) at the rate of 40 ml (4 tablespoons) per 16 liters of water, 4 days before seeding or transplanting. Be sure that the soil is not flooded (only at field capacity). APSA 80 can also be applied to non-irrigated soils.

4. For the application of herbicide, add 2-3 teaspoons of APSA 80 per 16 liters of water.


Click the links below to increase your harvest production with lower input costs, naturally and organically using Nutriplant Organics.

Click here to review Nutrplant AG Organic Fertilizer

Click here to review Nutriplant SD Organic Seed Germination Fertilizer

Click here to review Apsa80 Adjuvant to increase the efficacy of all your applied products