Organic-Product Labeling Necessary

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The Philippines has much to gain in enhancing the labeling, standards and certification of “organics” that will help promote the shift to an organic way of life and lifestyle, and help boost trading systems that will benefit both producers and consumers.

Roland Cabigas, managing director of La Liga Policy Institute, said what is needed is a labeling system with a clear government-check mechanism, to validate labels and promote products and byproducts certified as “organic.”

This way, he said, trading system will be enhanced, benefiting both the consumers and producers.

Cabigas, a convener of Go Organic! Philippines, just came from an international workshop held in New Delhi, India, dubbed “Workshop on Development of Standard Certification System for Organic Agricultural Products,” where he presented La Liga’s country paper entitled “Enhancing Labeling, Standards and Certification for Sustainable, Organic and Ecological Agriculture in the Philippines.”

The four-day event was jointly sponsored by the Asian Productivity Organization, an intergovernmental body based in Tokyo, Japan, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture of India and the National Productivity Council of India from May 16 to 20 at the India International Center.

The activity was participated by delegates, including key government officials and officers of private development organizations, from the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nepal, Vietnam, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Republic of China (Taiwan), Japan and Thailand.

Among the resource persons were Dr. A.K. Yadav from the Ministry of Agriculture of India; Gerald Hermann, past president of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements; Prof. Shih Shiung Chen, president of Mingdao University based in Taiwan; and Dr. Muhammad Saeed representing the Asian Productivity Organization.

During his presentation, Cabigas stressed that labels, standards and certification should be developed not just for full, pure or completely organic agriculture products, but also for products of farms still on their transition to becoming full organic.

In an interview with the BusinessMirror, Cabigas said developing labels and standards for products that range from organic, semi-organic, organically grown, naturally farmed, pesticide free or less chemicals is important, instead of limiting the certification and labeling to “organic.”

Broadening the labeling, standards and certification policy to cover the bigger section of sustainable, organic and ecological agriculture practices can potentially contribute higher value-added in terms of the over-all growth and development goal of the country’s agriculture sector, the shift towards more sustainable, organic and ecological agriculture, Cabigas said.

While there is no denying the substantial steps undertaken by Philippine government agencies in partnership with nongovernment and people’s organization networks in formulating an organic agriculture standard and certification process that is compliant with international standards, he said there is a need to review the current Philippine standards on the certification and labeling of organic products and byproducts.

The current Philippine standards were developed in 2005, but have not been updated to include more recent consensus in Asian and international standards.

“As it is currently framed, there is, however, a very serious limitation to the Philippine organic agriculture labeling, standards and certification policies,” Cabigas said.

He noted that there is little mention of nonthird-party certification including first-and second-party certification and participatory guarantee systems. 

He said while no systematic baseline exists, many estimate a bigger number of full, pure and complete organic farms that follow internal control systems but cannot afford third-party certification and/or those who are not targeting the export market.

Cabigas said there is a need to improve the current policy language on organic agriculture labeling, standards and certification to put equal emphasis on nonthird-party certification. 

“Documentation of labeling and non-third party certification practices is very much needed in order to develop more comprehensive options for organic agriculture certification. 

This will necessitate a review of the current Philippine Organic Agriculture Act as well as its implementing rules and regulations.  In particular, key provisions of the implementing rules and regulations on the transition period for first- and second-party certification must be seriously reconsidered,” he said.

More critically, he said, labeling, standards and certification policies only cover and are applicable to full, pure and/or completely organic agricultural products.  As such, in the case of the Philippines, it only covers less than 1 percent of sustainable, organic and ecological agriculture production.

By Business Mirror


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Energy Development Corp Is Planting Flowers

EDC Launches Ilang-Ilang Production Project in Leyte

Ormoc City — Energy Development Corp. (EDC) and the municipal government launched the Ilang-ilang Essential Oil Production in neighboring Kananga town to encourage residents to propagate ilang-ilang flowers.

A ceremonial signing by Mayor Elmer C. Codilla and EDC Community Partnership department manager Emeliano Argoncillo highlighted the event.

Argoncillo explained that the Philippines only has at the most 300,000 ilang-ilang trees, most of which are found in Tarlac province and Central Luzon (10.15 percent). The number couldn’t supply Europe’s demand for essential oils for perfume. At least 1.8 million trees are needed to cope with the demand.

Under the program, each barangay will identify 3 to 6 hectares of suitable land to plant ilang-ilang. Argoncillo explained that three hectares can be planted with 1,000 ilang-ilang trees that will bear flowers after three to four years. However, full harvest can be expected when the tree reaches eight years.

Fresh ilang-ilang flowers sell for P8 a kilo while extracted oil is worth P8,000 per liter. This means that 100 trees can earn for the farmer P8,000 a month or P95,000 annually. About 1,000 trees can fetch P1.9 million annually. At 3 to 6 hectares per barangay, Kananga will soon have 69 to 115 hectares of ilang-ilang plantations, or a potential income of P44 million to P87 million annually by 2015 and beyond.

Present at the signing ceremony were Liga ng mga Barangay president Procesa T. Baguio, Department of Education Kananga District 1 supervisor Tita P. Alajas and District 2 principal in charge Wilfredo Marquez, Kananga National High School principal Julita Clavel and Lim-ao National High School principal Marcelo Refuerzo.

By Business Mirror


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Yuan Longping the Father of Hybrid Rice

China-Developed Hybrid Rice Key To Philippines' Rice Self-Sufficiency Programme

The report by the Department of Agriculture on May 10 that the country's rice production grew by 4. 10 percent for the first quarter compared to the same period last year has buoyed hopes that the Philippines could finally achieve rice self-sufficiency soon, reports China's Xinhua news agency Saturday.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala described the expansion of the rice sector by 15.63 percent to 4.03 million metric tonnes in the first quarter as "unprecedented."

"It was the highest rice volume we have seen since Filipinos started planting rice," Alcala said.

Agriculture's expansion, although lower than the target of 4.5 to 5.5 percent, was a turnaround from last year's negative growth and was the fastest first-quarter growth since 2004, as rains boosted corn and rice production, the Department of Agriculture said.

Data from the department showed that palay or unmilled rice production was only 3.49 million metric tonnes in the first quarter of 2010 because of drought.

Alcala said the sector's performance for the first three months this year was a step toward rice self-sufficiency by 2013, a key midterm goal of the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

But despite this positive development, agriculture experts believe that without the adoption of hybrid rice varieties, first developed in China, along with new farm technology and equipment, the country could not hope to be self-sufficient in the staple food in 2013.

Ronilo A. Beronio, executive director of state-run Philippine Rice Research Institute, said the hybrid palay varieties his agency has developed with the International Rice Research Institute, such as tropical indica and japonica, can produce as much as 10-12 metric tonnes per hectare or almost thrice the 3.8 metric tons per hectare national yield average.

Philippine National Rice Programme director Frisco G. Malabanan also said earlier that hybrid rice seeds yield 15 percent more than the 4 to 5 metric tonnes per hectare produced by certified seeds.

The government has set a goal of expanding hybrid rice coverage to 500,000-700,000 hectares by 2013 from the current coverage of 375,000 hectares.

The Philippines could also learn from the latest developments in hybrid rice technology from China.

Yuan Longping, known as the "father of hybrid rice", has said that his team is working on a new version of high-yield hybrid rice and might complete it in 2012.

Yuan, director of China's National Hybrid Rice Engineering Technology Research Center and a faculty member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the new phase-III super hybrid rice is expected to yield 13.5 metric tonnes of rice per hectare.

The previous hybrid, the second-generation super hybrid, was released for commercial production in 2006, yielding 9 metric tonnes of rice per hectare, on average.

Rice is a major food crop that feeds more than half of the world's population, Yuan said.

China is now planting 29 million hectares of rice per year, with an average output capacity of 6.3 metric tonnes per hectare.

Among the acreage, hybrid rice accounts for about 57 percent of the total, with an average output capacity of 7.2 metric tons per hectare.

Yuan, a Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service in the Philippines in 2001, said that the average yield of hybrid is at least 20 percent more than that of inbred rice, adding that this would feed 70 million more people annually.

According to China's Ministry of Agriculture, China needs to maintain an annual grain output of 500 million metric tons to feed the nation's 1.3 billion people.

"Hybrid rice will play a key role in ensuring food security worldwide in the new century," Yuan said.

He said if 50 percent of the world's paddies is planted with hybrids, rice production could be increased by another 150 million metric tonnes, enough to feed 400 to 500 million more people.

Statistics from the United Nations showed that about 1 billion people still suffer from hunger and malnutrition and every six seconds a child dies of hunger or related diseases.

The production of hybrid rice seeds is now being commercialized in other countries, including the Philippines, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh and the United States.

In fact, in the Philippines, a local firm, the SL Agritech Corp, has been exporting hybrid rice seeds to neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia starting 2007.

The Philippines is now third, after China and India, as hybrid rice seeds exporter.

By Bernama


Nutriplant Nutriplus Organics Protocol Input Costs Per Hectare for All Types of Crops

Includes organic nutrients for seed sowing.

P2,500 1 Spray Application - For Rice Always Apply at Panicle Initiation

P3,800 2 Spray Application - Typical for fruit, rice, corn, vegetables, and flowers.

P5,200 3 Spray Application - Full Nutriplant Nutriplus application protocol with no other application required of any other nutrient fertilizer products.

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Good for the farmer, the environment, and the consumer.




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

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Philippine Fruit Exports to South Korea

Mindanao Fruit Producers Eye South Korean Market

The Mindanao-based fruit producers have high hopes that they would gain more access in the lucrative Korean food market after joining top food exhibitors from at least 36 countries who participated in the biggest food show in South Korea.

Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chairman Luwalhati Antonino said eight fruit producers and exporters from Mindanao form part in this year’s Philippine delegation to the five-day Seoul Food 2011.

The food show was held from April 26 to May 1 at the Korea International Exhibition Center (Kintex) in Seoul, South Korea.

Antonino said the exhibit included a 54-square-meter Philippine pavilion, which featured the best of the country’s food products, including Mindanao’s fresh and processed fruits.

The Mindanao delegation was composed of the BG Fruits Manufacturing Corp., Soyuz Foods Corp., FruitGems Agricultural Corp., See’s International Corp., Philippine Fruits International Corp., Southern Philippines Fresh Fruit Corp., Agri-nurture/Fruitilicious Corp., and Federation of ARB-based Banana Cooperative.

Antonino said the exhibit featured some of Mindanao’s best-selling products such as banana chips, calamansi purée and extract, dried mango, pineapple and papaya, fresh banana as well as frozen and processed fruits.

South Korea is Mindanao’s fifth-largest export market, accounting for 4.86 percent share of last year’s total Mindanao exports, according to Antonino.

Last year’s Mindanao exports to South Korea were valued at $135 million.

These exports include oil cake and other solid residues of coconut, acrylic alcohols, fresh pineapples and bananas.

“Providing our Mindanao food producers sufficient exposure and opportunities to link with emerging foreign markets like South Korea is a strategic way to sustain economic growth in the island-region,” Antonino said.

Antonino added that the administration of President Aquino seeks to improve institutional linkages for local traders and enhance their export potentials for economic growth.

Due to rapid urbanization and a limited area for agriculture, consumption of food imports in South Korea has been rapidly growing by 13 percent from 2001 to 2009, Antonino said.

The South Korean food market is estimated at $46 billion and its per-capita food expenditure is expected to grow further by 2013.

As more Koreans are becoming health-conscious, Antonino said there has also been a growing demand for healthier and more nutritious food alternatives in South Korea in recent years.

“The changing trend in South Korea’s local food consumption offers a great opportunity for Mindanao food producers to provide more food choices in the Korean market,” Antonino said.

Mindanao’s participation in the exhibit was a joint effort of the United States Agency for International Development-funded Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry.

By Business Mirror


Philippine Fruit Export Opportunities

The global demand for food and processed fruit products is outstripping supply. The opportunity for Philippine farmers to grow and sell more fruit products has never been greater. Try Nutriplant organic fertilizer to increase your harvest production, increase your crop quality, with lesser input costs, all naturally and organically.

Nutriplant Nutriplus Organics Protocol Input Costs Per Hectare for All Types of Crops

Includes organic nutrients for seed sowing.

P2,500 1 Spray Application - For Rice Always Apply at Panicle Initiation

P3,800 2 Spray Application - Typical for fruit, rice, corn, vegetables, and flowers.

P5,200 3 Spray Application - Full Nutriplant Nutriplus application protocol with no other application required of any other nutrient fertilizer products.

Increase harvests, naturally organically, with lower input costs.

Good for the farmer, the environment, and the consumer.




Nutriplant Organic Fertilizers

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

Click here to review Nutriplus NPK 4-18-18 Organic Fertilizer

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Click here to review APSA80 All Purpose Spray Adjuvant

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President Aquino P2 Billion Agriculture Subsidy

Govt readies P2-B ‘inputs subsidy’

President Aquino said on Sunday the government is finalizing a P2-billion “inputs subsidy” for farmers and fishermen as part of its efforts to provide relief for vulnerable sectors amid high oil prices.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the measures so far announced by Malacañang in relation to high oil prices are “just the beginning” and that “there are more to come.”

Mr. Aquino said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is in the process of drafting the implementing rules for the subsidy, which will be taken from the DA budget.

The President mentioned the subsidy when asked in an ambush interview about the recommendations of his economic managers in terms of easing the impact of rising oil prices on concerned sectors and which of these measures he had approved.

“The Pantawid Pasada is the first one. The next, I’m waiting for the details from the Agriculture department but it will be...an inputs subsidy—the direct procurement of seeds, fertilizer, including pesticides. But we are awaiting the actual details—the implementing rules...P2 billion has been earmarked for that and that is another step,” he said.

Abad said in another interview that the subsidy will cover the “rural poor” or “small-owner cultivators, lease holders, tenants and farm workers, including those in the fisheries sector where together with the coconut industry the incidence of poor is really highest.”

“The President’s point about the mechanics is really the challenge that we’re facing right now because I think not more than 10 percent of the rural poor is organized into cooperatives or community organizations. So the mechanics of this will involve both their organized sectors, but I think for the most part, working through with the local governments,” Abad said.

He said the DA would have to determine “who deserve to be benefited” by the subsidy, but the money is there and the commitment is there.”

Abad said “there are more to come” in terms of relief measures once the President approves them.

“This is the beginning of measures that the administration is working on to respond to the emerging contingencies,” he said.

Abad added that concerned government agencies are working on the mechanics of an increased level of availment under the National Health Insurance Program to be funded out of “certain revenue measures” to be announced in the coming weeks.

“That is almost completed and there’s a committee there of the DOH, DOF, DBM and Neda that’s working out the mechanics of that because it will entail practically doubling the investments in the National Health Insurance program,” he said.

On where the funds for the program would be drawn from, Abad said “that will be related to certain revenue measures which will be announced in the coming weeks” but declined to elaborate.

Asked how much the government can spare for subsidies, assistance and other contingency spending in relation to higher oil prices, Abad said “given the present situation and given the fact that it seems like tensions are easing up, then I think that we are comfortable enough with what we have.”

“What we need to do is to prepare for the rainy months that’s coming up,” he said.


Congratulation President Aquino on Your Excellent Efforts!

We congratulate and are very proud of President Aquino and his efforts to help the Philippine farmers and fishermen with this agriculture subsidy. The Philippine agricultural sector has the potential to be a very significant contributor to the Gross Domestic Product of the Philippines. The effects of a strong and prosperous Philippine agriculture sector benefit all Filipinos in many different ways. We hope and encourage all Philippine politicians, and the private sector to work together to make the Philippine agriculture industry strong and an agricultural exporter again like it use to be decades ago.

Nutriplant Nutriplus Organics Protocol Input Costs Per Hectare for All Types of Crops

Includes organic nutrients for seed sowing.

P2,500 1 Spray Application - For Rice Always Apply at Panicle Initiation

P3,800 2 Spray Application - Typical for rice, corn, fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

P5,200 3 Spray Application - Full Nutriplant Nutriplus application protocol with no other application required of any other nutrient fertilizer products.

Increase harvests, naturally organically, with lower input costs.

Good for the farmer, the environment, and the consumer.




Nutriplant Organic Fertilizers

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

Click here to review Nutriplus NPK 4-18-18 Organic Fertilizer

Click here to review Nutriplant AG Organic Fertilizer

Click here to review Nutriplant SD Organic Seed Germination Fertilizer

Click here to review APSA80 All Purpose Spray Adjuvant

Click here to review Nutriplus K+ Potassium

Click here to review Nutriplus Zn+ Zinc