aggie trends october 2011

11
Vol. XXVI No. 10 A monthly publication of the Department of Agriculture October 2011 DA allots P1B for typhoon-affected Luzon farmers, fishers, LGUs (Pls turn to p12) The Department of Agriculture has allotted an initial P1-billion worth of assistance to help Cen- tral Luzon and Cagayan Valley farmers, fisherfolk and local gov- ernment units (LGUs) recover from crop and fishery losses due to typhoons ‘Pedring’ and ‘Quiel.’ Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala made the commitment during his three- day (October 19-21) visit to eight provinces in the two regions, particularly Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga and Bulacan. Of the total, P447 million (M) is alloted for subsidized rice and corn seeds, other farm inputs and equipment for the two re- gions, with Central Luzon get- ting P331M, and Cagayan Val- ley, P116M. The DA through the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) will pay a total of P334M in indemnity to farmers and fish- ers who insured their rice and corn crops, and fish stocks. The Department of Agriculture will implement a P192-million (M) community seed bank (CSB) and seed production program to en- able farmers produce their re- quirement of certified seeds or ‘inbreds’ every cropping season. Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the program, which forms part of the national food staples sufficiency program, will empower organized farmers’ groups and cooperatives, includ- ing Irrigators’ Associations (IAs), to produce their own certified or inbred rice seeds out of the reg- istered rice seeds that will be dis- tributed to them for free. He said of the total program fund, P42M is allotted this year for the procurement and distribu- tion of registered rice seeds, and the P150M is programmed next year for the establishment of Secretary ‘Procy’ Alcala (inset, 2nd from right) inspects storm-damaged palay from flooded ricefields (background) in Bgy. Calizon, Calumpit, Bulacan. With him are Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Sy- Alvarado (left), NIAAdministrator Antonio Nangel (middle), and Calumpit farmers and local officials. (Pls turn to p2) Farmers to produce own ‘inbreds’ via P192-M seed banks CSBs in strategic rice produc- tion areas nationwide. Of the P150M, P100M will be used to repair and refurbish ex- isting storage facilities and ware- The Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA- BFAR) has launched a P237.5- million program to develop new mangrove areas, establish ‘aquasilvi’ or mangrove fish farms, and put up multi-species hatcheries in coastal communi- ties. The program was launched on behalf of Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala by BFAR Di- DA-BFAR launches P238-M mangrove, aquasilvi program (Pls turn to p10) Ms. Lea Salonga at World Food Day. Secretary ‘Procy’ Alcala (right) gestures to Lea Salonga as they partake of saba and other major staples, during the World Food Day celebration, October 14, 2011, at Quezon City Circle, where she was the event’s main guest. Ms. Salonga was named last year as one of the four Ambassadors of Goodwill of the United Nations’ Food Agriculture Organization (UN- FAO). Joining them (from left) are: Dr. Jacqueline Badcock, UN resident coordinator and UN Development Program resident repre- sentative; Stephen Anderson, UN World Food Program country di- rector and representative; and Kazuyuki Tsurumi (partly hidden), UN-FAO representative in the Philippines.

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Vol. XXVI No. 10A monthly publication of the Department of Agriculture

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Aggie Trends October 2011

Vol. XXVI No. 10 A monthly publication of the Department of Agriculture October 2011

DA allots P1B for typhoon-affected Luzon farmers, fishers, LGUs

(Pls turn to p12)

The Department of Agriculturehas allotted an initial P1-billionworth of assistance to help Cen-tral Luzon and Cagayan Valleyfarmers, fisherfolk and local gov-ernment units (LGUs) recoverfrom crop and fishery losses dueto typhoons ‘Pedring’ and‘Quiel.’

Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala made thecommitment during his three-day (October 19-21) visit to eightprovinces in the two regions,particularly Cagayan, Isabela,Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, NuevaEcija, Tarlac, Pampanga andBulacan.

Of the total, P447 million (M)is alloted for subsidized rice andcorn seeds, other farm inputsand equipment for the two re-gions, with Central Luzon get-ting P331M, and Cagayan Val-ley, P116M.

The DA through the PhilippineCrop Insurance Corporation(PCIC) will pay a total of P334Min indemnity to farmers and fish-ers who insured their rice andcorn crops, and fish stocks.

The Department of Agriculturewill implement a P192-million (M)community seed bank (CSB) andseed production program to en-able farmers produce their re-quirement of certified seeds or‘inbreds’ every cropping season.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said the program, whichforms part of the national foodstaples sufficiency program, willempower organized farmers’groups and cooperatives, includ-ing Irrigators’ Associations (IAs),to produce their own certified orinbred rice seeds out of the reg-istered rice seeds that will be dis-tributed to them for free.

He said of the total programfund, P42M is allotted this yearfor the procurement and distribu-tion of registered rice seeds, andthe P150M is programmed nextyear for the establishment of

Secretary ‘Procy’ Alcala (inset, 2nd from right) inspects storm-damaged palay from flooded ricefields(background) in Bgy. Calizon, Calumpit, Bulacan. With him are Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado (left), NIAAdministrator Antonio Nangel (middle), and Calumpit farmers and local officials.

(Pls turn to p2)

Farmers to produce own ‘inbreds’via P192-M seed banks

CSBs in strategic rice produc-tion areas nationwide.

Of the P150M, P100M will beused to repair and refurbish ex-isting storage facilities and ware-

The Department of Agriculturethrough the Bureau of Fisheriesand Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) has launched a P237.5-million program to develop newmangrove areas, establish‘aquasilvi’ or mangrove fishfarms, and put up multi-specieshatcheries in coastal communi-ties.

The program was launched onbehalf of Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala by BFAR Di-

DA-BFAR launches P238-Mmangrove, aquasilvi program

(Pls turn to p10)

Ms. Lea Salonga at World Food Day. Secretary ‘Procy’ Alcala(right) gestures to Lea Salonga as they partake of saba and othermajor staples, during the World Food Day celebration, October 14,2011, at Quezon City Circle, where she was the event’s main guest.Ms. Salonga was named last year as one of the four Ambassadors ofGoodwill of the United Nations’ Food Agriculture Organization (UN-FAO). Joining them (from left) are: Dr. Jacqueline Badcock, UNresident coordinator and UN Development Program resident repre-sentative; Stephen Anderson, UN World Food Program country di-rector and representative; and Kazuyuki Tsurumi (partly hidden),UN-FAO representative in the Philippines.

Page 2: Aggie Trends October 2011

2

EditoryalBabae: Katuwang sa pagsulong

ng agrikultura

Writers: Adora D. Rodriguez, Jo Anne Grace B. Pera, Arlhene S. Carro, Bethzaida Bustamante, Mc. Bien Saint Garcia, Jay Ilagan, Catherine NantaContributors: DA-RFU Info Officers, Public Info Officers and Staff of DA

is published monthly by the Department of AgricultureInformation Service, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City. Tel. nos. 9288762loc 2148, 2150, 2155, 2156 or 2184; 9204080 or tel/fax 9280588. Thisissue is available in PDF file. For copies, please send requests via email:[email protected] : Noel O. ReyesAssociate Editors: Karenina Salazar, Cheryl C. Suarez & Adam Borja

Bureaus, Attached Agencies & Corporations, Foreign-Assisted ProjectsPhotographers: Jose Lucas, Alan Jay Jacalan, & Kathrino ResurreccionLay-out Artist: Bethzaida BustamantePrinting & Circulation: Teresita Abejar & PCES Staff

Farmers to ... (from p1)

Iba na ang babaengayon.

Kung dati-rati’y sa bahaylang sila busy, hawak angwalis, mga gamit panluto atpang-sulsi o nag-aalagakay bunso, ngayon kayana nilang makipag-sabayan sa mga brusko atmatipunong kalalakihan sakahit na ano pa manglarangan.

Sa pagbabago ngpanahon, nabago na rinang pagtingin ng lipunansa mga babae lalo pa nga’tmas malaki at mabigat naang kanilangginagampanang tungkulintungo sa kaunlaran ngsambayanan.

Di ba nga’t minsan aypinag-usapan pa kungpwedeng nga bang mag-drive ng pampasaherongbus ang mga babae?

Malaking porsyento ngmga magsasaka ngayon aybabae--na kaisa ngpamahalaan sa mithiingpayabungin angkabuhayan sa mgakanayunan sapamamagitan ngpagsasaka, pangingisda,agribusiness at processingat ilan pang gawaing-agrikultural.

Di na supporting role angmga ‘Eba.’ Kung tutuusinbidang-bida na sila dahil saangking sipag atpambihirang kakayanan.

Nitong buwan ngOktubre, limang katangi-tanging babae ang kinilalaat pinarangalan kasabayng pagdiriwang ng RuralWomen’s Day.

Nangunguna dito angBikolanang si MyrnaConmingo-Acayen nanagtagumpay sapagsasaka ng palay atpagtatanim ng sari-saringgulay gamit ang sistema ngnatural na pagsasaka.

Bagamat hindi nakatapossa pag-aaral, nagsumikapsi Acayen upang

matugunan angpangangailangan ngkaniyang pamilya sapamamagitan ngpagsasaka.

Marahil ang kanyangtyaga, sipag, sakripisyo atang pagnanais namaibahagi ang kanyangkaalaman sa mga kanayonang naging susi upanghirangin siyang katangi-tanging babae sa kanilangpamayanan.

Bilang isang babaenglider, itinaguyod niya dilamang ang kanyang sarilikundi maging ang buhayng iba pa nyangkababaryo na umaasa samayayamang lupain ngBicol.

Kasama ni Acayen,pinarangalan din sinaRemia Apostol (SouthCotabato), RebeccaTubongbanua (Iloilo),Marina Inapan (SIquijor),at Virginia Dureza(Palawan) dahil sakanilang natatangingkontribusyon sa lokal nasektor ng pagsasaka atpangingisda.

Di na nga matatawaranang galing ng mgababae—sa loob at labasman ng tahanan,pinatunayan nilang mayibubuga sila.

Kaya naman, nararapatna bigyang pagkilala angmga kababaihan ngmakabagong panahon atbigyan ng patas nakarapatan dahil paulit-ulitnilang pinatunayan naanumang gawain ay kayanilang tapusin.

(Editor’s note: Ang RuralWomen’s Day ayipinagdiriwang tuwing ika-15ng Oktubre bilang pagkilala samahalagang kontribusyon ngmga kababaihan tungo sapagkamit ng pandaigdigangkaseguruhan sa pagkain.)

(Pls turn to p11)

houses and storage facilitieswhich will also be used as CSBs.

Secretary Alcala announcedthe rice seed propagation projectand establishment of CSBs dur-ing his recent regional field vis-its, including the three-day (Oct19-21) trip to eight provinces inCagayan Valley and CentralLuzon.

The rice seed propagationproject and establishment of CSBis part of the DA national rice pro-gram, headed by Direc-tor Dante Delima.

He said the DA is currently dis-tributing for free two kilos of reg-istered rice seeds per hectare toqualified and participating farm-ers’ groups, cooperatives and IAsin major rice producing regionsnationwide.

The two kilos of registeredseeds are expected to producesix 40-kilo bags of certif iedseeds, which farmers could usefor at least four cropping sea-sons, Delima said.

Thereafter, the DA will providethem another fresh batch of reg

istered seeds.With the rice seed propaga-

tion scheme, Delima said theDA aims to train and empowerfarmers’ groups and IAs to pro-duce quality seeds for their useand sale to other farmers.

Further, the strategy is a bet-ter and cheaper way than pro-viding rice subsidy every crop-ping season, Delima said.

He said the DA has starteddistributing at least 20 kilo-grams (kg) of registered seedsto qualified organized farmers’associations, IAs, upland farm-ers’ organizations, and inter-ested people’s organizations,and NGOs.

They were selected by therespective DA-Regional FieldUnits in coordination with thehost local government units.

To qualify under the seedpropagation project, farmers’groups should commit a seedproduction area of at least one-half hectare or 5,000 squaremeters for lowland irrigated area,

Secretary ‘Procy’ Alcala seals with a handshake the DA’s partner-ship with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), repre-sented by Board Member and CDA administrator from MindanaoPendatun Disimban, who visited the DA in October.

Page 3: Aggie Trends October 2011

October 2011 3

The Department of Agriculturewill undertake a quick turn-around (QTA) program and ra-tooning starting November toproduce more palay (paddyrice) during the first quarter of2012, and offset losses wroughtby recent typhoons.

Secretary Proceso J. Alcalahas instructed the DA regionalfield units and the National Irri-gation Administration (NIA) tofacilitate rice planting in asmany areas as possible untilnext year’s main cropping sea-son under the QTA program.

For his part, National Irriga-tion Administrator AntonioNangel said a minimum of50,000 hectares in Luzon,served by the Pantabangan andMagat dam irrigation systems,are ready to implement the QTAprogram from November thisyear to February next year.

Further, for Visayas andMindanao, national rice programcoordinator Dante Delima saidan initial 100,000 hectares ofrain-fed farms are targeted forratooning, where an averageyield of 25 cavans per hectareis expected.

Ratooning is a technologywhere remaining stubble or ricestalks are allowed to re-gener-ate tillers and grains, with theapplication of fertilizers (one bagof urea or complete fertilizersper hectare). Ratooned rice areready for harvest after 45 days.

“This early, DA WesternVisayas has committed 50,000hectares to be ratooned this sea-son,” Delima said, as he as-sured the agency will provide thenecessary farm inputs like cer-tified rice seeds to interestedfarmers.

DA undertakes ‘QTA,’ ratooning to increase 2012 1Q palay harvestNangel, on the other hand said,

“following Secretary Alcala’s or-ders, our reservoir areas coveredby the Pantabangan and Magatirrigation systems are ready toimplement a QTA program thisNovember to February next yearfor the first cropping season, witha 100 percent expected produc-tion output.”

“The second cropping seasonwill be from April to July with anexpected 50 percent output be-cause of the expected rains, andthe third cropping season will befrom September to December,also with a 100 percent produc-tion output,” he added.

Despite the damage wrought byrecent typhoons in Cagayan Val-ley (or Region 2), it is still ex-pected to produce bumper har-vests of palay (paddy rice) andcorn for 2011 versus previousyears.

In a report to Agriculture Secre-tary Proceso J. Alcala, during histwo-day (October 19-20) visit, DARegion 2 Director Lucrecio Alviar,Jr. said Cagayan Valley may yetproduce record harvests of palay,at 2.15 million metric tons(MMT), and corn, at 1.6 MMT,barring typhoons that may visitthe region in November and De-cember.

Alviar said despite the crop dam-age caused by four typhoons(Juaning, Mina, Pedring andQuiel), the region’s projected 2011palay harvest of 2.15 MMT will be23 percent (%) more than last

Cagayan expects record harvests, despite typhoon damageyear’s total production of 1.746MMT, and 3.5% more than in 2009

(2.077 MMT).As for corn, expected 2011

annual harvest of 1.6 MMT willbe 27% more than last year’slevel of 1.26 MMT, and slightlybetter than 2009 total yield of1.59 MMT.

The four typhoons damagedroughly 146,870 MT of palay inCagayan Valley, pulling down2011 target production of 2.29MMT by 6.4%.

Consulting with farmers andlocal officials during his recentthree-day (October 19-21) visit ofeight typhoon-affected provincesin Regions 2 and 3 (CentralLuzon), Secretary Alcala as-sured them the country’s ricesufficiency program remains ontrack.

Despite the three successivetyphoons (Mina, Pedring andQuiel) that passed through theIlocos Region in the last twomonths, some areas werespared of the flooding and ben-efited from the rains, enablingfarmers to expect bumper har-vest of palay (paddy rice) thismain season.

Such is the case of BarangayCalingayan, a rainfed area, inthe town of Sinait, Ilocos Sur,where a total of 1,345 hectaresare planted to rice.

Calingayan farmers consid-ered the rains brought in by the

With its proposed 2012 budgetamounting to some P24.7 billion,NIA targets to irrigate a total of250,000 hectares of farmland.

“With our targeted cropping in-tensity of 150 percent, we expect100 percent palay production forour irrigated areas of 250,000hectares during the rainy season,and 60 percent or 150,000 hect-ares for the dry season, for a to-tal harvested area of 400,000 hect-ares,” Nangel said.

“Computed at a modest 4.5tons or 90 cavans of rice pro-duced per hectare, the irrigatedareas could generate 1.8 millionmetric tons of rice, which is our

contribution to the rice self-suf-ficiency program of the Aquinogovernment,” he added.

Despite the reduced expectedpalay (paddy rice) harvest for thelatter part of this year causedby typhoons ‘Pedring’ and‘Quiel,’ Secretary Alcala re-mained optimistic in achievinggovernment’s rice-self suffi-ciency target by the end of 2013.

“The temporary setback hasall the more strengthened our re-solve to do more, and stronglypursue our interventions in thenext two years,” the DA chiefsaid.

Ilocos town seesgood rice yield, too

(Pls turn to p11)

“The typhoons and floods mayhave affected our 2011 targetrice and corn production, butthey were not enough to offsetwhat we have achieved in thefirst three quarters of the year,”Secretary Alcala told about10,000 farmers and local officialsduring consultations inCagayan, Isabela, Quirino,Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija,Tarlac, Pampanga and Bulacan.

He said the DA is allotting aninitial package of assistance,mainly for seed subsidy.

Secretary Alcala is also en-couraging fertilizer companieslike Planters Products and farminput suppliers to implementplant-now, pay-later schemes.

Cagayan Valley ranks thirdbehind Central Luzon and West-ern Visayas (Region 6) as thecountry’s top palay producers.

(Pls turn to p10)

Farmers in Bgy. Calingayan, in Sinait, Ilocos Sur are all smiles as they show off their palay crop due forharvest. They considered the rains brought by the typhoons in September as a blessing. They are mem-bers of the Calingayan Farmers’ Field School put up by the DA and Sinait municipal government.

Page 4: Aggie Trends October 2011

4

To further boost rice productionin Mindanao, the Department ofAgriculture through the NationalFood Authority (NFA) recently putup a P38-million warehouse atBarangay Baloy, in Cagayan deOro City. It can store up to200,000 sacks of rice.

During its inauguration,Secretary Proceso J. Alcalaassured local of f icials andfarmers of the DA’s and NFA’scontinued support to enableNorthern Mindanao farmerscontribute their share in makingthe country self-sufficient in riceby the end of 2013.

He urged NFA officials to workclosely with farmers byestablishing more warehousesthat are easily accessible for theirstorage needs, especially whilethey are waiting for reasonableprices for their produce.

Sec. Alcala said the DAthrough the National IrrigationAdministration (NIA) will continueto rehabilitate and constructirrigation systems that will openpotential expansion areas for riceproduction in Mindanao.

Likewise, postharvest facilitieswill also be established instrategic areas in the provincesto help farmers minimize postharvest losses, he said.

Meanwhile, he encouraged thepublic to learn to eat alternativefood substitutes such as rootcrops, banana and adlai, to ease

BPI, NABCOR to produce quality potato, coffee seedlings.Two DA agencies--the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and NationalAgribusiness Corporation (NABCOR)--recently forged an agreementto implement a five-year project that aims to produce quality plant-ing materials of potato and coffee for distribution to farmers in theCordilleras and other areas in the country. In particular, the projectentails the rehabilitation and upgrading of the DA-BPI seed farmfacility in Calagan, Buguias, Benguet, and enhance its capability toproduce coffee and potato planting stocks, and serve as a venue totrain farmers how to increase their production and earn profitablyfrom potato and coffee. The project also entails setting up of potatoand coffee nurseries. Further, it aims to establish fair pricing forpotato and coffee, and craft viable potato and coffee business mod-els for farmers to follow. Photo shows BPI Director Clarito M. Barron(3rd from left) and NABCOR President Honesto F. Baniqued sealingtheir partnership with a handshake, as other officials of the BPI andNABCOR look on. (DA-BPI)

Secretary ‘Procy’ J. Alcala (2nd from right) cuts the ceremonialribbon during the recent inauguration of a P30-million, 200,000-sack capacity warehouse of the DA’s National Food Authority inBaloy, Cagayan De Oro City. Joining him (from left) are DAUndersecretary Joel S. Rudinas, NFA Region 10 Director Gil PepitoB. Paqueo, and NFA Deputy Director Pedro S. Hernando.

New NFA warehouse rises in CDOthe pressure on rice as thecountry’s staple food.

During the occasion, a specialcitation was also awarded bySecretary Alcala to the PaglaumMulti-Purpose Cooperative ofPlaridel, Misamis Occidental, inrecognition of its strongpartnership with DA-NFA inensuring food security andsufficiency, not only in MisamisOccidental, but also in the wholeregion.

The Paglaum MPC, underGeneral Manager Gadwin E.Handumon, is the onlycooperative in the region thathas religiously paid its monthlydues on time, promptingSecretary Alcala to reward itwith a medium-scale rice mill .

Secretary Alcala also laudedthe local government unit ofPlaridel by awarding a specialcitation to Mayor Agnes I.Villanueva, for the municipality’suntiring support to DAagricultural programs andprojects. (DA Region 10 Info Div.)

The flatbed driers (FBDs) dis-tributed by the DA through thePhilippine Center forPostharvest Development andMechanization (PhilMech) havehelped hundreds of farmers hitby typhoons ‘Pedring’ and ‘Quiel’recover some of their palay.

Flatbed driers lessen farmer woes after typhoons“While the percentage of palay

that was recovered by the FBDsmay not be that big compared tothe total losses incurred by ricefarmers from the two typhoons,the FBDs have demonstrated thatpalay submerged in water can stillbe dried and recovered,” saidPhilMech Executive DirectorRicardo L. Cachuela.

He said 2,048 of the 2,189FBDs (or 93.6%) distributed from2007 to 2010 are still functional.

Based on field reports, the ini-tial volume of palay dried byFBDs in areas hit by the two ty-phoons reached 206,917 bags.

“The number of bags driedwould have easily doubled ortripled but we received reportsthat many FBDs were over-whelmed by the number of farm-ers and farmers’ organizationswanting to have their wet palaydried. There were many caseswhere the FBDs were “booked”up to 30 days, so many FBDscould not service more farmerswho want their wet palay dried,”Cachuela said.

“For example, in Region 1, the103 functioning FBDs dried a to-tal of 40,358 bags in just a fewweeks,” he added.

With the proven worth of theFBDs, DA-PhilMech has set thedistribution 3,253 FBDs nation-

wide from 2011 to 2016: 166units in 2011; 958 in 2012; 1,054in 2013; 348 in 2014; 358 in2015; and 369 in 2016.

FBDs use rice hull to gener-ate heat for drying. They can drywet palay to 14 percent mois-ture content in 10 to 12 hours.During the wet season, farmerswho use FBDs are able to selltheir palay from P10 and above.

Below are the total number offunctioning FBDs per region:Cordillera Autonomous Region- 33 out of the 35; Reg. 1 - 103out of 108; Reg. 2 - 139 out of188; Reg. 3 - 302 out of 313 ;Reg. 4A - 66 out of 66; Reg. 4B- 91 out of 98; Reg. 5 - 223 outof 227;

Reg. 6 - 182 out of 188; Reg.7- 32 out of 35; Reg. 8 - 194 outof 215;

Reg. 9 - 211 out of 228; Reg.10 - 90 out of 96; Reg. 11 - 93out of 93; Reg. 12 -171 out of179; Reg. 13 - 74 out of 76; andARMM - 44 out of 44.

“The high percentage of func-tioning FBDs clearly demon-strates that farmers’ organiza-tions are capable of operatingand maintaining the facilities ifthey are equipped with theskillsand knowledge on FBDs,”Cachuela said. (DA-PhilMech)

Page 5: Aggie Trends October 2011

5October 2011

DA allots P180 M for ‘AAA’ Slaughterhouses. Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala(left, above) assures DA officials, the private sector and guests (fore-ground) that government is bent on providing consumers with safemeat and meat products during the 19th Meat Safety Conscious-ness Week celebration and 39th Anniversary of the DA’s NationalMeat Inspection Service (NMIS), October 17, 2011. To partlyachieve said goal, he said the DA-NMIS has alloted P180 millionto establish five ‘triple A’ slaughterhouses to meet export demandfor pork and other meat products. Top photo also shows (from left):DA-Livestock Dev’t. Council Director Manuel Jarmin, NationalScientist Dr. Teodoro Topacio, and DA-NMIS Director Jane Bacayo.

Sec. “Procy’ Alcala (center) opens the 48th Fish Conservation Week,October 17, 2011, at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources(BFAR), at the Phil. Coconut Authority compound, in Quezon City.In a short message during the event, Sec. Alcala stressed the impor-tance of reversing environmental degradation and the need to pro-mote sustainable programs for aquaculture and fisheries. Assist-ing him are (from left) DA Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacupand BFAR Director Asis G. Perez.

AF 2025: ‘Agri must be top gov’t priority’

The research of the PhilippineRice Research Institute (PhilRice)on ‘Golden Rice,’ a type of ricethat could help reduce vitamin Adeficiency, recently won the Ag-riculture and Fishery Moderniza-tion Act Best R&D Paper (GoldAward) in the basic research cat-egory during the 23rd NationalResearch Symposium organizedby the Department of Agriculture(DA)-Bureau of Agricultural Re-search.

The research, Marker-AidedTransfer of Beta-Carotene Bio-synthetic Genes (Golden Rice I)into two Philippine Rice Variet-ies, showed that trait of GoldenRice could be transferred to PSBRc82 and NSIC Rc128 in lessertime and with minimal resourcesthrough the use of DNA markersin combination with traditionalbreeding. Golden Rice accumu-lates beta carotene, a source ofvitamin A, in the grains.

Dr. Antonio A. Alfonso, projectleader and the paper’s main au-thor, said DNA markers are small

segments of DNA used in tag-ging or marking certain genesor regions of the chromosomes.

In their study, Alfonso said theuse of DNA markers helped histeam in verifying whether the va-rieties being improved had suc-cessfully acquired the beta caro-tene as result of traditionalbreeding.

Alfonso, also director of thePhilRice-based DA-Crop Bio-technology Center, said thetechnique helped them in assur-ing that the agronomic traits,pest resistance, and grain qual-ity of the original varieties areretained.

Selected local varieties are be-ing improved to contain betacarotene to help reduce theabout 190 million children and19 million pregnant women suf-fering from vitamin A deficiencyin the world.

In Southeast Asia, WorldHealth Organization statisticsfurther show some 90 million

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Urging that agriculture musta top priority of the Aquino ad-ministration, the CongressionalOversight Committee on Agri-cultural and Fisheries Modern-ization (COCAFM) successfullyheld the Agriculture and Fisher-ies 2025 (AF 2025) Mid-YearConference on October 7, 2011at Diliman, Quezon City .

Senator Francis “Kiko”Pangilinan and Batangas 4 th

District Representative MarkLlandro Mendoza, co-chairs ofCOCAFM, together with Agri-culture Secretary Proceso J.Alcala and former DA and DTIUndersecretary ErnestoOrdonez stressed the need forreforms in the country’s agricul-ture and fishery sector duringthe conference attended by over200 key agriculture players.

AF 2025 is a tripartite effortcomposed of the executive, leg-islative, and the private sectoraimed at jointly determining andrecommending policies, strate-gies, and programs to achieveprogress for the sector in 15years, or by 2025.

Senator Pangilinan said thattogether with CongressmanMendoza and Secretary Alcala,“we were able to meet with Sec.Cesar Purisima and Sec. ButchAbad and President Aquino him-self and laid out to them ourplans for the agriculture and fish-eries sector. And they all agreedto make agriculture a priority ofthe Aquino administration.”

“Let us continue to strive for‘Golden rice’ research wins award

the changes we aim for. Our un-precedented effort of coming to-gether as one is a big leap in theagricultural sector which contrib-uted 7.2% in our Gross Domes-tic Product (GDP), in spite of thebrunt brought about by recent ty-phoons,” Alcala said in his open-ing remarks.

Pangilinan said that among themajor accomplishments of AF2025 is the 60% increase in theDA’s 2012 annual budget, whichis the largest increase the agencyhas had in recent years.

Since its initial gathering earlythis year, AF2025 was able todetermine strategies and priorityactivities and formed task forcesto address the needs of f ivesubsectors in agriculture–rice,poultry, livestock and yellow corn,fisheries, fruits and vegetables,and commercial crops–includingissues that cut across these sec-tors.

They also convened a creditsummit in August where agricul-ture-related credit concerns wereaddressed, and rules for the Agri-cultural Competitiveness En-hancement Fund (ACEF) wererevised.

Among the highlights were Sec-retary Alcala’s f irm belief andstance that the country will beself-sufficient in rice by the endof 2013.

Alcala also reiterated the needfor the country to establish tripleA slaughterhouses to increase thechances of exports of variousmeat products.

He also said that the govern-ment is willing to invest in facili-ties that will improve the qualityof food products.

He further assured participantsthat the DA, together with theDepartment of Agrarian Reformand Department of Natural Re-sources are continuously work-ing on convergence initiatives thatshall benefit various areas of thecountry.

During the summit, AF2025tackled the issues of food se-curity and competitiveness ofthe sector in the global market.Roadmaps for the various sec-tors were also fleshed out in anassessment workshop with thethree leaders and the privatesector.

Another summit is scheduledon February 2012.

Page 6: Aggie Trends October 2011

The 2011 World Food Day (WFD) celebration ended literally on avery high note, as world-renowned singer and UN Ambassador of GoodwillLea Salonga graced the annual event, delivering a speech and render-ing a couple of songs, at the Liwasang Aurora, in Quezon City MemorialCircle.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala led the 1,000 or so partici-pants -- composed of DA key officials, personnel and representativesfrom the United Nations agencies (FAO, UNDP and WFP) -- in recitingthe WFD pledge, signifying their renewed commitment to provide assis-tance to farmers and fisherfolk nationwide.

The event, themed “Food Prices: From crisis to stability,” focused oncreating awareness on food price increases as well as finding a solutionto mitigate its impact.

WFD is observed by UN member-countries every October 16, thefounding anniversary of FAO, to promote awareness of food security forall in the fight against world hunger and malnutrition.

On this page are the various activities spearheaded by the DA--chairedby DA Ass’t. Sec. Allan Q. Umali--in observance of the 2011 WFD, withthe opening of exhibits at the DA lobby, launching of a ‘Gulayan saPaaralan’ project in a QC elementary school, conduct of a national WFDposter-making constest among elementary pupils, awarding of the ‘Out-standing Rural Women,’ merienda ‘cena’ of major food staples, and acandlelight ceremony, as the 2011 WFD pledge is being recited.

WFD caps off with a bang

QC Vice Mayor Joy Belmonteleads the launch of DA-QC‘Gulayan sa Paaralan’ pro-gram, at Murphy Elem School.

Usec. Antonio Fleta, Asec. Allan Umali andFAO’s Kazuyuki Tsurumi formally open theWFD weeklong festivities at the DA .

WFD Chair Asec Umali opens the WFD culmi-nation program at QC Memorial Circle.

The five outstanding young artists pose in front of their winning posters.

Myrna Conmingo-Acayen (5th from left) and other outstanding rural womenwere recognized for their contributions in developing the agriculture sector.

Alcala lights a candle before leading the WFD pledgewhich signifies the renewed commitment of the DA fam-ily in finding solutions to the address world hunger.

Ms Lea meets Ivy, Sec. Alcala’s youngestdaughter, as Mr. Tsurumi of FAO looks on.

Dr. Vivencio Mamaril ofBPI lectures on the nutritivequalities of malunggay, oneof the techno-demo lecturesduring the WFD.

Sec Alcala leads DA and UN officials as they recite the2011 WFD pledge.

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8

Two years after planting, closeto a hundred thousand man-grove seedlings at about four feethigh are now teeming withgreens covering the erstwhilenude and muddy 20-hectareshoreline.

The community considered ita major make-over after theplace was hit by a tidal wave,converted to fishpond and wasabandoned.

“This is the result of the con-certed efforts of our alliance,”said Romeo Ebanada, presidentof Alliance Mangrove People’sorganization.

(Pls turn to p9)

Mangrove conservation program gains rootsThe “Alliance” is a cluster of

four peoples’ organization (PO)formed to manage the 42-hect-are mangrove rehabilitation com-prising the PO from barangaysLapyahan, Buenaf lores,Bantogon and Labak.

The other 22 hectares in closecanopy only underwent enrich-ment planting to recover the origi-nal density since it has rehabili-tated through natural process inthe past years.

Most of the species plantedin the sandy and muddy loaminclude Bakauan (Rhizophoraspp.), Bungalon (Avicennia ma-rina), and Pagatpat (Sonneratiaalba).

Mangrove forests as life sup-port system is a powerhouse re-sources critical for natural breed-ing and nursery area for manyeconomically known importantmarine animals like fish, crab,shrimp and other crustaceans. Italso protects the shoreline frombig waves wind and flood.

The project was implementedunder the Natural ResourcesManagement (NRM) componentof the Department of Agriculture- Mindanao Rural Development(DA-MRDP) in partnership withlocal government unit (LGU) ofKalamansig.

“As NRM targets upland tocoastal conservation, the man-grove rehabilitation is one of thefour major interventions imple-mented in our town as it needsattention,” said municipal NRMfocal Dexter Posadas.

“The mangrove rehabilitationsite covered a relatively largearea, so to instill ownership ofthe project from the communitywe decided to form them into oneorganization, the alliance,” hesaid.

The 20-hectare mangrove rehabilitation site used to be an abandonedfishpond now teeming with greens. (Photo by Sherwin B. Manual, DA-MRDP)

DA sets up P2-M bio-fertilizer plant in Sultan KudaratThe Department of Agriculture

(DA) is advocating the use ofmodern agricultural methods thatwill increase farm productivity andreduce the use of traditional fer-tilizers in Mindanao.

In a visit to Tacurong City in theprovince of Sultan Kudarat onSeptember 29, Agriculture Sec-retary Proceso J. Alcala inaugu-rated a new P2 million worth mix-ing facility utilizing the so-calledBio-N bio-fertilizer technology in-vented by a local scientist fromthe University of the Philippinesin Los Banos.

Alcala gave an additionalP500,000 fund for the facility toprocess corn and other highvalue crops aside from rice, ashe cited the Bio-N mixing facilityas “very beneficial to farmers asit reduces the use of traditionalfertilizers.”

He added that the establish

ment of Bio-N mixing plants allover the country is one of thepriority programs of the govern-ment to boost farm productionwhile reducing cost and increas-ing farmers’ income.

“The establishment of a Bio-N mixing plant in Sultan Kudaratprovince is a manifestation of thegovernment’s concern to provideall necessary production infra-structure and equipment to sup-port farmer-beneficiaries in theproduction of rice, corn, and highvalue commercial crops,” Alcalasaid.

DA Region 12 Soils Labora-tory chief Nadja Gayanandangrevealed that Bio-N helps in theproduction of nitrogen for plants,which is usually achievedthrough the application of chemi-cal nitrogen fertilizers like urea.

Bio-N was invented by Dr.Mercedes U. Garcia of the UPLB

over two decades ago, utilizingthe bacterium Azospirillum foundin the roots of the local grass(talahib) that thrives throughoutthe Philippines.

The cheap local fertilizer is ap-plied only once as a seed coator as a root dip for rice and cornbefore sowing. Its use yielded anincrease in rice and corn produc-tion by 30 to 50 percent, and wasnoted to exhibit similar effects intomatoes, onions, okra, egg-plant, and bitter gourd orampalaya.

Studies undertaken by Dr.Garcia and her group revealedthat Bio-N is also an excellentmicrobial fertilizer for high-valuevegetables like lettuce, pepper,broccoli, legumes, and celery.

Although the use of Bio-N wasidentified as one of the best prac-tices in biotechnology, it was onlyin 1998, when Dr. William D. Dar

was the acting DA secretary,when the farm agency supportedthe continued use and promo-tion of Bio-N.

To date, more than 60 Bio-Nmixing plants were already es-tablished throughout the coun-try.

Gayanandang revealed thatBio-N is presently being sold atP75.00 per packet of 200grams, which reduces the useof commercial fertilizers by twosacks per hectare when ap-plied.

During the visit, SecretaryAlcala also turned over farmimplements, sprayers, veg-etable seeds, plastic drums andcoffee seedlings to the localgovernments of Isulan andLambayong towns in SultanKudarat; Magpet in NorthCotabato and Banga in SouthCotabato. (DA-Reg. 12 Info Div.)

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9October 2011

The project was earmarkedover P2 million which is part ofthe total P7 million NRMproject of the town. The LGUput in 10 percent counterpart,another 10 percent from thenational government, and 80percent from the loan portfolioof the World Bank.

“On our latest count we haveat least 97,559 live seedlingsfrom the 133,340 hills weplanted which is about 73%survival rate. The PO are dueto plant in the coming dayswhen they gather enoughpropagules,” said Posadas.

“Before, my family plantsmangrove behind our housenear the seacoast because weknow those trees protect usfrom strong winds,” said thePagadian-born Ebanada.

Ebanada said when he ar-rived in 1972 as an employeeof the Sta. Clara Lumber Corp.there was a thick mangroveforest, and fish population wasvery abundant.

“Fish was abundant and themangrove was really thick, butwhen the lumber companyclosed down, many of us wereunemployed and resorted tofarming, fishing and other live-lihood activities,” he said.

He also recalled in 1976, gi

gantic waves hit the Moro gulf anddevastated many areas includinga sizable area in Kalamasig.

“Some of the residents diedduring that tragic even but the big-gest damage we saw was thecoastal area left bare. Mangrovetrees were uprooted and washedout,” said Ebanada.

For a long time, there were noserious rehabilitation activitiesdone.

“When the area was made intofishponds, some mangrove treeswere also cut.

Plus many residents also madeuse of mangrove as firewood,” hesaid adding: “this contributed tothe steady decline of the man-grove trees.”

“With the MRDP project came,many were skeptic, saying itwould just be ‘another governmentproject that would just die down,”he said.

“But this was dif ferent,” headded.

MRDP designed the project tobe implemented by POs in closecoordination with the LGU.

The PO members were paid forthe seedling or mangrovepropagules they produce andwere hired as workhand for theplanting and other activities.

“We earned extra income fromthe project.

Mangrove conservation ... (from p8) So, we understood that as weare the benef iciaries of theproject, the activity also aug-ments our income,” Ebanadasaid, adding:

“This manner made it easy forus to accept and make theproject our own.”

The alliance underwent at leastfive technical trainings on man-grove rehabilitation managementwhich Ebanada said made themmore capable in handling theproject.

“Another thing I appreciateabout the project is that there isclose mentoring and monitoring.We were capacitated, technicalpersonnel like Mr. Jhonny Pangudof DENR Region 12 and fromother agencies assisted us,”Ebanada said.

To secure the area, the fourpresidents of the alliance wereidentified to be “wardens.”

The wardens monitor theproject on a regular basis and putbamboo markers beside eachplant to identify the spot has beenplanted. This made the monitor-ing of mortality relatively easyand the replacement thepropagules quick.

“We also fenced the area withold nets and bamboo to preventstray animals especially goatsfrom eating on the leaves of theseedlings,” Ebanada said.

They also sought the sup-port of barangay council whichin response issued an ordi-nance penalizing owners ofstray animal that disturbs therehabilitation site.

“But the most difficult prob-lem we had was barnacles in-festation,” Ebanada said.

The barnacle (marine organ-ism of the class Cirripedia thattend to live in shallow and tidalwaters) are deposited in thestems of the mangrove.

Once there it will hamper theproper distribution of distribu-tion on the growing seedlingwhich will eventually cause theplant to wither.

“We scraped the barnaclesfrom the each seedling but wehave to be extra careful not toscratch the body of the seed-ling as it also caused for theseedling to die,” he said.

Ebanada said he is glad tobe part of the project as thiscould be a legacy he can liveto his grandchildren.

“I know my grandchildren willbe proud of me being the leaderof this successful project.

And I want to instill in themthe love and care for our envi-ronment,” said the 60-year oldcommunity leader. (DA-MRDP)

Consumer Welfare month celebration in Bicol. Photo aboveshows (from left) Naga City Mayor John Bongat, DA Region 5Director Jose Dayao and Crisanto Castro, president of the NagaCity Consumer Action group, lead the observance of ‘ConsumerWelfare Month’ at SM Naga Activity Center, attended by about1,000 participants.

ISAFI to take off in Biliran and Southern LeyteA simultaneous implementa-

tion of an inventory activity isset to start on November 3 inthe provinces of Biliran andSouthern Leyte.

Generally identified as Inven-tory System of Agriculture andFishery Investments (ISAFI), itis a component of the Unifiedand Enterprise Geospatial Infor-mation Systems (UEGIS), aproject of the Department of Ag-riculture designed to enhancethe planning and implementingcapability in Strategic Agricul-ture and Fisheries DevelopmentZones (SAFDZs).

“ISAFI is an important inno-vation in the identification andmapping of investments,” DA-8Regional Executive DirectorAntonio G. Gerundio assertedduring the opening program ofthe 4-day ISAFI ImplementingManual of Operations and GPSTraining (October 24-27, 2011)held at the Leyte Park Hotel,Tacloban City.

RED Gerundio added thatcoming up with a comprehen-sive database of agriculture andfishery investments will help in-

vestors flock into the region be-cause they can easily locate andfurther expand potential market.The inventory activity is one of thethings the government needs tofast track the development andmake a difference in the farmers’lives and the rural areas beingserved.

Dr. Wilson A. Cerbito, RegionalTechnical Director and UEGIS-NFRS-ISAFI Project Manager dis-closed that due to the outstand-ing performance in the implemen-tation of ISAFI in Leyte, the DAPlanning Service-Public Invest-ment Program Division (PS-PIPD)recommended to roll-out ISAFI inother provinces, namely, Biliranand Southern Leyte.

ISAFI entails complete enu-meration and updated informationof investments in the agricultureand fisheries sector of the coun-try (i.e., irrigation and post-harvestfacilities, farm-to-market roads,and other machineries and equip-ment), whether funded by the gov-ernment or private organizations.A team composed of the Munici-pal Agriculturist/City Agriculturist,Agricultural Technologist and

hired data collectors will be as-signed for the conduct of ISAFIin every municipality. Prior to their

deployment for the actual inven-tory this November, the 4-day

(Pls turn to p11)

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10

DA-BFAR launches ... (from p1)

Ilocos town sees ... (from p3)

rector Atty. Asis G. Perez insimple ceremonies at the Na-tional Brackishwater AquacultureTechnology Center, in Pagbilao,Quezon, October 27, 2011.

Director Perez said it is a real-ization of a community-based ini-tiative that Secretary Alcala hasenvisioned since he assumed of-fice in July 2010.

It is also part of PresidentAquino’s pump-priming initiativeto increase municipal fish pro-duction and at the same time pro-vide fishermen and their familiessustainable source of livelihoodand income.

“What is significant about thisprogram is that governmentmoney will directly benefit fish-ermen and their families, createmore job opportunities, and im-portantly result to improving andprotecting our aquatic re-sources,” Perez said

The program involves threemajor components, namely:planting of 11 million propagulesto 3,667 hectares of new man-grove areas, worth P88 million(M); establishment of 1,000aquasilvi techno-demo farms(P74.4M); and establishment ofmulti-species hatcheries in 62municipalities (P68.2M). The re-maining P6.9M will be used forproject management and moni-toring.

Perez said under the mangrovedevelopment component,fisherfolk will be tapped as vol-unteers.

The DA-BFAR will buypropagules from fishers’ groupsat P2 each, pay fishermen P1.50for each propagule planted, andanother P2.50 when thepropagule has survived and de-veloped.

Aquasilvi, or raising fish in man-grove areas, is an environment-friendly and sustainable approachto increasing fish production with-out the need to cut down man-grove trees, as when construct-ing fishponds, Perez said.

Under the DA-BFAR aquasilviprogram, he said participatingfishermen will plant mangrovetrees, and will be trained on howto properly raise and producehigh-value species such as lapu-lapu (grouper) in tandem withalimango (mudcrabs) and tilapia.Feed requirement will be minimalas tilapia will serve as thegrouper’s food.

Perez said the DA-BFAR tar-gets to plant 100 million man-grove propagules in the next threeyears, particularly abandoned,underutilized and unproductive

fishponds as well as suitablecoastal areas nationwide. Newmangroves will then serve as po-tential aquasilvi fish farms formarginal fisherfolk and their fami-lies.

The DA-BFAR will also involveState Universities and Colleges(SUCs) that of fer f isherycourses as partners, Perezsaid. Funds will be downloadedto SUCs through a memoran-dum of agreement that will beforged between the SUC and theDA-BFAR.

A multi-species hatchery,worth P1.2M each, will also beestablished in each SUC.

The facility will produce finger-lings for distribution to aquasilvifarmers. Excess fingerlings willbe dispersed in communal wa-ters for stock enhancement.

The facility will also serve asa hands-on training venue forbreeding fish and other aquaticorganisms.

To ensure the success of theprogram, it will be managedjointly by the DA-BFAR regionaloffice, concerned SUC and thehost local government.

Perez said mangrove refores-tation is aimed at rehabilitatingwhat is left of the country’s man-grove forest cover that had sig-nificantly shrunk by more than80 percent from its pristine stateof half a billion hectares in theearly 1900s.

“The more mangrove areas werehabilitate and develop, themore fish and aquatic specieswe would nurture and produce,as mangroves serve as theirspawning and nursery grounds,”said Perez.

Mangroves also serve as a firstline of defense against typhoonsurges and tsunamis.

They are also good agri-tour-ism destinations.

Further, mangroves preventsoil erosion and ‘sequester’ orremove carbon dioxide and otherforms of carbon from the atmo-sphere to mitigate global warm-ing.

Perez said “all our efforts willbe futile if we could not curb allforms of destructive fishing thatdestroy aquatic life and its habi-tat.”

Last June 2011, barely a weekfrom assuming his post asBFAR director, Perez led an in-ter-agency team that appre-hended the biggest smuggler ofblack corals and precious sea-shells in the country. (DA-BFAR)

three typhoons as showers ofblessing, as they expect to har-vest average of 4.5 metric tonsof palay per hectare.

At the current P16 per kilofarmgate price of dried palay(14% moisture content), theywould gross at least P72,000 perhectare.

Harvesting has commenced inabout 160 hectares in BarangayCalingayan, according to theDepartment of Agri-culture Ilocosregional office.

In all, about 1,972 hectares inSinait are due for harvest on Oc-tober up to November, of whichtwo-thirds will come from rainfedareas, and the rest from irrigatedfarms.

The average yield in Sinait isaround 6.36 metric tons per hect-are for hybrid, 5 tons for inbredrice in irrigated areas and 4.5tons for rainfed areas.

For the entire Ilocos Sur, about36,000 hectares are due for har-vest, with an expected volume of156,000 MT, for an average yieldof 4.3 MT/ha.

Sinait Municipal AgricultureOfficer Eliseo Aurelio said thereare 58 farmers in Brgy.Calingayan, and less than half ofthem or 23 are members of theCalingayan Farmers’ FieldSchool (FFS), chaired by LazaroReyes, Jr.

The Calingayan FFS, assistedby the DA through its Ilocos re-gional field office, maintains afive-hectare cluster techno-demo

DA, QC Gov’t Partner in Veggie Project. Quezon City Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte (3rd from left) harvests hydrophonically-grownmustard and lettuce at the Aguinaldo Elementary School (AES), inMurphy, QC, where the DA through the Bureau of Plant Industry(BPI) and QC government launched a ‘Gulayan sa Paaralan’ projectas part of the orld Food Day 2011 celebration. The program seeksto encourage young schoolchildren to grow veggies to help miti-gate hunger, malnutrition and poverty in QC and other urban areasin the country. With her are (from left) BPI Assistant Director HenryCarpiso and AES Principal Mercedes Flores.

farm cum ‘Palay Check’ sys-tem.

Calingayan barangay chair-man Leonardo Inofinada saidthe rains brought by the threestrong typhoons came at thetime when needed most.

For his part, Reyes said theirbumper palay harvest could beattributed not only to the timelyrains but also for the downpourof support from both the DA-RFU I under its Agri-Pinoy riceprogram and the Local Govern-ment Unit of Sinait.

“We are very thankful to theDA and Sinait municipal govern-ment through agriculturist EliseoAurelio for bringing the FFS–Palay Check techno demoproject in Calingayan,” Reyessaid.

Now, he said most of themharvest double than their previ-ous yield of 60 to 80 cavans perhectare, with the use of newtechnologies, high yielding vari-eties and quality seeds.

He said the f ive-hectaretechno-demo farm has indeedcreated awareness and encour-aged other farmers in Sinait tosee for themselves that the palaycheck system and other tech-nologies really work in increas-ing their rice harvest and in-come.

Farmers are given the optionto use either inbred (certified) orhybrid rice varieties.

(Pls turn to p11)

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11October 2011

Philippines, Myanmar to forge agri cooperation. AgricultureSecretary Proceso J. Alcala (left) shares a light moment with Myanmaragriculture and irrigation minister U Myint Hlaing during the latter’svisit on October 26 at the DA national office in Quezon City, wherethey discussed possible areas of cooperation in the field of agricul-ture for the mutual benefit of both countries. The Myanmar agri min-ister headed a seven-man delegation, including their Ambassador tothe Philippines, his Excellency U Aung Khin Soe. The group alsovisited nearby DA bureaus and offices where they were briefed on theAquino government’s programs and thrusts to achieve food staplesand rice sufficiency by end of 2013.

Farmers to ... (from p2)training was conducted.

Ms Noemi Carpio of the DACentral Office Planning Service(PS), the main speaker of the saidtraining, specifically explained tothe participants the proper con-duct of data generation and vali-dation. Meanwhile, Mr. GerryGonzalez of the DA InformationTechnology Center for Agricultureand Fisheries (ITCAF) demon-strated the features of Global Po-sitioning System (GPS) using aGPS gadget.

The junior data collector, or enu-merator-applicant recommendedby the local chief executive ispaired by a senior data collector,or rehired enumerator who partici-pated in the ISAFI in Leyte.

The data collectors will conductthe actual field visit of each pre-listed investment.

The MAs/CAs will serve as fieldcoordinators and ATs as field su-pervisors to oversee and assessthe field validation.

Through ISAFI, planners,implementers and decision-mak-ers alike can map out both publicand private investments includingtheir capacities and cost. Inven-tory maps would be used for de-velopment planning and also serveas a rational basis in identifyingand prioritizing investment pro-grams and projects both by theDA and Local Government Units(LGUs). (DA Reg. 8 Info Div.)

ISAFI to ... (from p9)

children suffering from the defi-ciency.

In a 2009 study of the Ameri-can Journal of Clinical Nutrition,a cup or 150 g of raw GoldenRice, when cooked and eaten,could supply half of the Recom-mended Daily Allowance of vita-min A needed every day byadults.

Currently, Alfonso’s team isdeveloping and evaluatingGolden Rice2, the type ofGolden Rice with significantlyhigher amount of beta carotenethan Golden Rice1.

PhilRice and IRRI are collabo-rating on the ongoing work.

“Golden Rice2 has up to 36micrograms of beta carotene pergram of grains,” Alfonso said.

Golden Rice is also beingevaluated to ensure that the betacarotene-fortified rice will be safefor health and to the environ-ment.

“Golden Rice will only beavailable to the market if stud-ies would prove its effectivenessin improving the vitamin A sta-tus of the consumers,” he said.(DA-PhilRice)

‘Golden rice’ ... (from p5)

or at least one-fourth hectare or2,500 square meters for uplands.

Farmer-beneficiaries must trainon the basics of rice seed pro-duction, and other related CSBoperational matters.

Delima said farmer-beneficia-ries are required to pay back inkind, which will serve as theirbuffer seed stock.

The repayment scheme is 1.5kilos of certified seeds for every1 kilo of registered seeds bor-rowed—for those who wish to payin full; or two kilos of certifiedseeds for every 1 kilo of regis-tered seeds borrowed—for thoseavailing of a ‘plant-now, pay-later’scheme.

The collected certified seedswill be stored by their respectivegroups or IAs at a designatedCSB and will be used in the nextcropping season with the farmer-depositors as priority beneficia-ries.

In 2010, due to El Nino,Cagayan harvested only 1.746M MT of palay.

In 2009, considered a ‘normalyear,’ Cagayan produced 2.077M MT, while Central Luzon had2.958 M MT, and WesternVisayas harvested 2.205 M MT.

As for corn, Cagayan remainsas the country’s top producer,with 1.598 M MT in 2009 and1.263 M MT last year.

Cagayan ... (from p3)

SPJA appoints new DA officialsSec. ‘Procy’ Alcala recently

designated two new DA officials,namely: Director OpheliaAgawin of the DA-OSEC Finan-cial and Management Serviceas OIC-Assistant Secretary forFinance, replacing A/SecEduardo Nolasco who resigned;and Angelina Bondad, as OIC-director of the Bureau of Agri-culture and Fisheries ProductStandards (BAFPS), in lieu ofthe retirement of Dir. GilbertLayese.

A/Sec Agawin, aside from herduties, will also oversee the fi-nancial operationsof the DA’sNational Agriculture and Fisher-ies Council (NAFC).

A CPA, graduating from theUniversity of the East, A/SecAgawin has been serving the DAfor 22 years.

Dir. Bondad also serves con-currently as chief science re-search specialist of BAFPS, aposition she has been handlingfor the last five years.

She has been in the govern-ment service for over 40 yearsas a research assistant and re-search associate at the Univer-sity of the Philippines-LosBaños and Fiber DevelopmentOfficer at the DA’s Fiber Indus-try Development Authority.

DA-RaSSFiP completesseed distribution

The Department of Agriculture,under its Rapid Seed SupplyFinancing Project (RaSSFiP),has distributed a total of803,750 bags of certified riceseeds, benefiting 300,000 farm-ers natiowide, from September2009 until its final phase thisyear.

The distribution of certifiedseeds specifically focused onareas with an average yield ofless than 3.8 metric tons perhectare (mt/ha), said DAUndersecretary for OperationsJoel S. Rudinas.

RaSSFiP was implemented in13 regions: Cordillera, CagayanValley, Central Luzon,CALABARZON, MIMAROPA,Bicol, Western, Central, andEastern Visayas Regions,Zamboanga Peninsula, NorthernMindanao, SOCKSARGEN andCARAGA.

Under RaSSFiP, farmers weregiven 50 percent subsidy or halfthe cost of a 40-kg bag of certi-fied seeds.

The project was jointly imple-mented by the National FoodAuthority and Local GovernmentUnits.

RaSSFiP is a component un-der the Rapid Food ProductionEnhancement Programme(RaFPEP).

RaFPEP is jointly funded bythe International Fund for Agri-cultural Development, the Euro-pean Union, and the Govern-ment of the Philippines.

Its has a second sub-project,entitled Irrigated Rice ProductionEnhancement Project (IRPEP),which will run until 2016.

The RaFPEP aims to contrib-ute in improving the quality oflife of Filipino rice farming house-holds in rainfed and irrigated ar-eas. By contributing in rice pro-duction of marginal areas,RaSSFiP can help achieve na-tional rice self-sufficiency thatwill significantly reduce, if notstop, the country’s rice impor-tation by 2013, Rudinas said.

Currently, Sinait municipalgovernment, under MayorMarlon B. Ines, subsidizes halfof the cost of certif ied riceseeds. This season it allottedP200,000 to subsidize 200 bagsof certified seeds distributed tofarmers.

Next cropping season, Aureliosaid the municipal governmentwill also provide a P9.6-millionfertilizer assistance to farmersin all 44 barangays of Sinait.(DA Region 1 Info Div.)

Ilocos town sees ... (from p3)

Page 11: Aggie Trends October 2011

Farmer’s Contact Center“Ang Inyong Kaagapay sa Usaping Agrikultura”

Call: 1800-10-982AGRI (or 1800-10-9822474)-for provincial toll-free calls 02-982-AGRI (or 982-2474)-for Metro Manila 0920-946AGRI (0920-9462474) for mobile callsText: 391DA (or 391-32) for Smart and Talk ‘N Text subscribers 0920-946AGRI (0920-9462474) for Globe, TM and Sun Cellular subscribersEmail: [email protected]

For the Nutrient Manager for Rice (NMRiceMobile): Call 2378 for Globe SubscribersFor Market Information: www.afmis.da.gov.phOfficial Website: www.da.gov.ph, www.e-extension.gov.ph

Secretary ‘Procy’ J. Alcala (seated, 3rd from right) explains to farmer-leaders of the Namabbalancommunal pump irrigation project, in Tuguegarao City, their critical role in reviving the operation oftheir pump (background) to irrigate some 200 hectares by December 2011. The initiative will be jointlyundertaken by the farmers themselves with assistance and supervision from the City government ofTuguegarao and the DA through the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). With him (from left) areNIA Region 2 manager Vic Galvez, DA national rice program coordinator Dante Delima, andNamabbalan farmer-leaders.

DA allots P1B ... (from p1)

The DA through the AgriculturalCredit and Policy Council hasearmarked a P400-M credit as-sistance through accredited Co-operative Rural Banks (CRBs),where farmers can avail of low-interest (15% per annum) cropproduction loans, inclusive ofcrop insurance premium.

The National Food Authoritywas also alloted P400 million tobuy storm-damaged palay.

Secretary Alcala said farmerswhose palay (paddy rice) cropswere totally-damaged will receivefree certified seeds worth P1,200per hectare, and P600-worth ofseeds for partially-damaged ar-eas. Farmers who intend to planthybrid rice varieties may get anadditional P500 seed subsidy perhectare.

In a report to Secretary Alcala,DA Region 3 director AndrewVillacorta said typhoons‘Pedring’and ‘Quiel’ affected 281,754 hect-ares (has) of palay in CentralLuzon, of which 25 percent (%)or 70,844 has were totally-dam-aged. Estimated palay lossamounted to 530,000 metric tons(MT) valued at P8.6 billion.

In Cagayan Valley, DA Region2 Dir. Lucrecio Alviar, Jr. said thetwo typhoons affected a total of137,600 has of palay, of which5,257 has were totally-damaged.Total palay loss was about152,400 MT worth P2.4B.

As for corn, Alviar saidCagayan Valley lost a total of148,500 MT.

He remains hopeful thatCagayan Valley may still producebumper harvests of palay and cornfor the entire year.

In Central Luzon, Villacortasaid Nueva Ecija was worst-hitwith 145,950 has, of which14,460 has or 10% was totally-damaged. Tarlac followed with48,510 has (18,310 has totally-damaged), Bulacan had 34,970has (20,200 has totally-dam-aged), and Pampanga had 31,130has (16,050 hectares totally-dam-aged).

Nueva Ecija will get the biggest

seed assistance, at P112 M, fol-lowed by Tarlac (P35M),Bulacan and Pampanga, withP33M and P29M, respectively.

Secretary Alcala also grantedmore than P20-million worth offarm equipment and implementsto farmers, and 35 affectedtowns in Tarlac, Pampanga andBulacan. These include com-bine harvesters, mechanical andsolar dryers, hand tractors withtrailers, solar dryers, and draftcarabaos with implements.

The DA through the NationalIrrigation Administration (NIA)will also repair damaged irriga-tion canals and dikes initially inBulacan (worth P52M),Pampanga (P26.2 M) and Tarlac(P3.5M), amounting to P81.7 M.

Secretary Alcala instructedNIA Administrator AntonioNangel to immediately repair

damaged systems to resume ir-rigation service in time for the2011-12 dry season crop.

The DA through the Bureau ofFisheries and Aquatic Resources(BFAR), led by director RemediosOngtangco, is also providing aninitial P11.8M, consisting of 10million tilapia fingerlings (P4.5M),18 million bangus fry (P4M), 500gill nets (P1M), and 300,000 man-grove propagules (P2.3M).

Ongtangco said about 15,480hectares of fishponds were dam-aged, incurring a combined lossof 41,000 metric tons of bangus(milkfish), tilapia and tiger prawns(sugpo), valued at P1 billion.

Secretary Alcala and PCICpresident Jovy Bernabe distrib-uted the crop insurance paymentsto farmers during the respectiveforums in Pampanga andBulacan.

“Alam po namin na hindisasapat ang tulong na amingibinibigay, ngunit ito’y isa lamangsa mga paraan ng PamahalaangAquino upang ang mgamagsasaka at mangingisda aymakabangon muli,” said Secre-tary Alcala during a series of townhall meetings with local officials,farmers, fisherfolk, livestock rais-ers and mediapersons in NuevaEcija, Tarlac, Pampanga andBulacan.

He said he was personally in-structed by President Aquino tovisit typhoon-affected provincesin Luzon and consult with farm-

ers, fishers and local officials tofind out their needs and extendthe national government’s initialsupport.

During the consultations, lo-cal officials said long-term so-lutions should be undertaken toprevent massive flooding due tosilted waterways and erodedwatersheds.

Such efforts should be under-taken jointly by the DA and otherconcerned agencies — like thedepartments of environmentnatural resources (DENR),agrarian reform (DAR), and pub-lic works and highways (DPWH)— in partnership with respectiveprovincial, city and municipalgovernments.

Sec. Alcala commendedTarlac provincial Governor Vic-tor Yap, who committed to allotP200 million to purchase buckhoes and heavy equipment todredge waterways and irrigationcanals.

In Pampanga, SecretaryAlcala committed to help Gov.Lilia Pineda craft a provincialmedium-term (2012-2016) agri-culture roadmap or master de-velopment plan.

In Bulacan, Secretary Alcalaassured Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado that the DA and NIA willalso help farmers repair and re-build rice paddies, particularlyin Barangay Calizon, Calumpit,where rice farms remain sub-merged in floodwaters.