Vol. XXVII No. 4 A monthly publication of the Department of Agriculture April 2012

• agri-fisheries production data, demand & supply and price trends• alternative markets for your agricultural products• technologies that could improve your agricultural products and be competitive in the local and foreign markets• directory of buyers/sellers of agri products• better investment opportunities• market outlets/trading centers for agri-fishery products• market assistance and advisory services• farmers’ and fishers’ success stories

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The MDC is composed of Information Technology Center for Agri-culture and Fisheries (ITCAF); Agribusiness and Marketing Assis-tance Service (AMAS), Agriculture and Fisheries Information Ser-vice (AFIS), Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS); and NationalAgricultural and Fishery Council (NAFC).

Agriculture and Fisheries Market Information System (AFMIS) isa web-based system that integrates various information resourcesof the Market Development Cluster (MDC) agencies into a singledata base and application system. It caters to the needs of farm-ers/fisherfolk, traders, and other users of market information.

DA allots P49-M agri projects in Capiz

Secretary Alcala (insert, top right) urges top DA offi-cials (foreground) to focus and deliver results, at the2012 2nd quarterly DA Management Committee(ManCom) meeting, in Roxas City, Capiz. Top photoalso shows (from left) DA undersecretaries SegfredoSerrano, Emerson Palad, Antonio Fleta and JoelRudines. The meeting was also attended byUndersecretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat, assistantsecretaries, and respective directors or head of DA re-gional field units, bureaus, DA-OSEC services, and at-tached agencies and corporations.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala (2nd from right) appreciatesvegetables for sale at a regional agricultural trade fair, April 13,2012, in Roxas City, part of a week-long CAPIZtahan festival.

The Department of Agriculturehas allotted P49 million (M) foragriculture projects, farm equip-ment and inputs to further in-crease the productivity and in-comes of farmers and ruralfolk inCapiz.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala handed the projects,equipment and inputs to respec-tive recipients at a farmers’ forum,April 14, 2012, at the Capiz gym,Villareal Stadium, in Roxas City.The event was attended by about6,000 farmers, leaders of farm-ers’ groups and irrigators’ asso-ciations, and provincial and mu-nicipal officials led by Capiz Gov

ernor Victor A. Tanco.The bulk of the fund amount-

ing to P30M is composed of vari-ous farm machinery and equip-ment, seeds and other farm in-puts, that were provided undera counterparting scheme tomore than 70 farmers’ groups,cooperatives, irrigators’ associa-tions (IAs) and local governmentunits. They are all aimed at fur-ther increasing rice productionand farmers’ income in Capiz,Secretary Alcala said.

The package is composed of42 hand tractors with trailers(P5.46M), 14 rice threshers(P1.33M), two 4-wheel tractors(P1.8M), three rice combine har-vesters (P6M), two rice trans-planters (P600,000), a rice mill(P4M), f ive f latbed dryers(P3.35M), and three solar dry-ers (P570,000).

During the forum, several farmequipment and inputs were alsoraffled off to lucky individualfarmers, groups and IAs. Theprizes, totaling P7.2M, includedfour flatbed dryers, four handtractors with trailers, 30 collaps-ible dryer cases, two threshers,four palay sheds, 10 carabaoswith implements, and 300 bagsof certified seeds.

In addition, Secretary Alcalainstructed DA Region 6 (West-ern Visayas) director LarryNacionales to allot 6,000 bagsof certified palay seeds for Capizfarmers whose farms were ad-versely affected by heavy rainsand flood last March 2012.

Last year, Capiz produced349,094 metric tons (MT) ofpalay from 111,296 hectares, ac-cording to the DA’s Bureau of

Catanduanes farmers,fisherfolk and local governmentofficials are happier these daysas they received P52-millionworth of agriculture and fisheryprojects, farm equipment and in-puts from no less than Agricul-ture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala,during his April 9-10, 2012 visit.

Of the total amount, P12M iscomposed of farm and fisheryprojects, equipment and inputs.

The bulk of the fund, amount-ing to P40M, is allotted for irriga-tion, farm-to-market road (FMR),tramline, multi-species fish hatch-ery and aquasilviculture projects.

Of the amount, P30M will beused to complete a communalirrigation system in Baniaga,Bato, that will serve 91 hectaresand benefit 185 farm-families.

Secretary Alcala instructed Na-tional Irrigation Administrator An-tonio Nangel to fast-track theproject, where an initial P15M willbe spent this year, and the bal-ance next year.

The DA will also spend P3M toextend an existing tramline sys-tem in Barangay Sipi, Bato, andreplace its carrier with a biggerone to transport not only farmproducts but also persons. (EmilyBordado, DA Regn 5 Info Div.)

Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala urged topDA officials to “focus and de-liver results” given a biggerbudget this year to bankrollmajor initiatives aimed at sus-taining farm and fishery pro-ductivity and incomes, andattain self-sufficiency in riceand other staples by end of2013.

He made the call at the2012 2nd quarterly DA Manage-ment Committee (ManCom)

SPJA: ‘Let’s focus,deliver results’

DA provides Zambales Aetas,farmers P60-M agri projects

Secretary Alcala shares an amusing anecdote with participants ata Farmers’ Congress, March 30, 2012, in Antipolo City, where hesupported the plan of Mayor Danilo Leyble to put up a tradingcenter to help farmers in Rizal Province and adjoining areas selltheir products directly to institutional and wholesale buyers, andthus earn more profit. Secretary Alcala said the plan is strategicand viable as Antipolo is near Metro Manila.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala and other top DA offi-cials will meet with hog and poul-try industry leaders in May to dis-cuss and address major issues,primarily the influx of illegally im-ported meat and meat products.

He made thecommitment atthe 21st Annualconvention of theNational Federa-tion of Hog Rais-ers, Inc. (NFHFI)and Pork Produc-ers Federation ofthe Philippines,Inc. (ProPork),held April 19,2012 in Mandaue

DA, livestock leaders to meet,thresh out industry concerns

(Pls turn to p2)

(Pls turn to p10)

DA-NIA to repair P4-B irrigation systems

(Pls turn to p11)

The Department of Agriculturethrough the National IrrigationAdministration (DA-NIA) will re-pair 11 national irrigation sys-tems in 10 provinces, totalingP4 billion (B), under a five-yearNational Irrigation Sector Reha-bilitation and Improvement Pro-gram (NISRIP).

Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala said theNISRIP forms part of the majorthrust of the Aquino administra-tion to bankroll and fast-trackthe restoration and construction

of national irrigation systems tofurther increase the production ofrice and other staples.

“The NISRIP and other majorirrigation projects will sustain ourgains once we achieve rice suffi-ciency by end of 2013,” Secre-tary Alcala said.

The 11 projects, mostly na-tional river irrigation systems(RIS), will serve a total of 35,670hectares (has), benefiting 22,563farm-families that belong to 154Irrigators’ Associations (IAs).

For his part, NIA AdministratorAntonio Nangel said of the totalproject cost, P3.418B (or 85%)will be funded by a loan from theJapan International CooperationAgency (JICA), while the balanceof P589 million (or 15%) will beshouldered by the national gov-ernment through the DA-NIA.

The 11 NISRIP projects are in:Ilocos Norte (in Madongan andSolsona), Pangasinan (SanFabian RIS), Pampanga (Porac-Guamin RIS), Quezon (DumacaaRIS), Palawan (Malatgao RIS),Iloilo (Sta. Barbara RIS),Bukidnon (Muleta RIS), DavaodeSur (Mal RIS), Sultan Kudarat

With a new irrigation system,the Aeta community in BarangayVillar in Botolan, Zambales nowhas more reason to return to theirancestral land after being dis-placed for years when Mt.Pinatubo erupted in 1991.

The irrigation system — featur-ing a novel ram pump, series ofpipes and hose, and water reser-voir — is part of several agricul-tural projects, equipment and in-puts totaling P60 million (M) thatthe DA through SecretaryProceso J. Alcala has awardedto the Aetas or indigenouspeoples (IPs), farmers, ruralfolkand local government units inZambales, during his visit onMarch 23 and 24, 2012.

The ram pump will irrigatesome 200 hectares, benefitingmore than 890 Aeta families, whoplant mostly root crops such astaro (Luko variety) and sweet

Catanduanes getsP52-M agri, fisheryinputs, projects

potato, and vegetables likesquash, tomatoes and egg-plants, and banana. SecretaryAlcala will also provide the Aetacommunity with two carabaoscomplete with farm implements.

The DA chief said the bulk ofthe P60-M allotment will be usedto construct and repair eightcommunal or pump irrigationprojects (CIPs/PIPs), which in-clude the: Naglabusan PIP inSan Marcelino; East Danita CIPin San Antonio; Lipay-Cabatuanand Marangla PIPs in Iba;Libertador PIP in Candelaria;Grullo and Paete-BalincaguingCIPs, in San Narciso; andSalaza-San Lorenzo CIP, serv-ing Masinloc and Palauig.

Secretary Alcala also at-tended three separate forumswith farmers, fisherfolk and lo-cal government off icials, inBotolan and San Felipe.

He said the DA will also es-tablish a community seed bankwhere farmers can source theirseed requirements if their cropswould be damaged by typhoons.

In addition, the DA throughthe Bureau of Fisheries andAquatic Resources (BFAR) willput up a crab hatchery. He in-structed BFAR Region 3 Direc-tor Remedios Ongtangco to fin-ish the hatchery before the endof April. (Catherine Nanta, DA-AFIS) City, where he represented

President Benigno S. Aquino IIIas keynote speaker.

“President Aquino personallyasked me to represent him tomeet with the hog industrystakeholders, listen to their griev-ances, and come up with thebest solution that is beneficialto all,” said Secretary Alcala.

Contrary to reports, he saidPresident Aquino did not snubthe event, as he had a previousofficial engagement ahead of thehog raisers convention.

In his keynote speech, Presi-dent Aquino directed the DA andits livestock agencies to addressthe major needs and concerns

(Pls turn to p2)

2 11April 2012

EditorialPanibagong sigla, buwelo at pagkilos

Writers: Adora D. Rodriguez, Jo Anne Grace B. Pera, Arlhene S. Carro ,Bethzaida N. Bustamante, Catherine N. Nanta

Contributors: DA-RFU Info Officers, Public Info Officers and staff of DABureaus, Attached Agencies & Corporations, Foreign-Assisted ProjectsPhotographers: Jose Lucas, Alan Jay Jacalan , Kathrino ResurreccionLay-out Artist: Bethzaida Bustamante & Almi Adeli QuintoPrinting & Circulation: Teresita Abejar & PCES Staff

Editor-In-Chief : Noel O. Reyes Associate Editor: Cheryl C. Suarez

is published monthly by the Department of Agriculture InformationService, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City. Tel. nos. 9288762 loc 2148,2150, 2155, 2156 or 2184; 9204080 or tel/fax 9280588. This issue is availablein PDF file. For copies, please send requests via email: da_afis @yahoo.com.

zen pork to the Middle East, Ma-laysia, and Japan, and frozenchicken to South Korea.

• The DA through the Bureau ofAnimal Industry and NMIS willspearhead a system-wide andproduct-specific export accredita-tion process to ensure that Phil-ippine meat products for exportsare of high quality.

The system will also protect do-mestic meat products from unduecompetition due to smuggling, un-dervaluation and misdeclaration ofillegally-imported commodities.

DA, livestock leaders to meet ... (from p1)

Secretary Alcala (right) receives from Malaysian Minister of Plan-tation Industries and Commodities Tan Sri Bernard Dompok a to-ken gift that contains palm oil products, during the latter’s courtesycall April 17, at the DA central office in Quezon City. They dis-cussed ways to further enhance and expand agricultural trade andcooperation between the two countries. Minister Dompok led aMalaysian delegation that attended a Malaysia-Philippines PalmOil Trade Fair and Seminar 2012, in Makati, April 16, 2012.

Nitong buwan, nagpulong ang matataas na pinuno ng Kagawaranng Pagsasaka sa Roxas City, Capiz, sa pangunguna ni Sec. ‘Procy’Alcala, upang pag-usapan ang mga programa at proyekto na dapatgawin sa taong kasalukuyan.

Ibinalita rin niya ang mga programa at proyekto nailatag atnaisakatuparan na. (Ilan dito ay mababasa sa unang pahina.)

Minarapat naming banggitin ang ilan sa kanyang mga tagubilinupang bigyan diin ang direksyon na dapat nating tahakin sa mgasusunod na buwan. Isa na rito ang mithiing makamit ang kasapatansa bigas at pangunahing pagkain sa katapusan ng 2013.

Ani Sec Procy: “Kailangan natin ng puspusang pagkilos, dahilbinigyan ang Kagawaran ng higit na malaking budget para sa 2012,at nagtakda rin tayo ng mas malalaking target.”

Sa pagdalaw niya sa mga lalawigan (26 nitong 1st quarter ng2012), nakita niya na mas mataas na ang antas ng kahandaan ngmga magsasaka, mangingisda at pinunong lokal namakipagtulungan sa DA.

Kaya naman, utos niya: “Sa panig natin, kailangang paghusayinpa nang lubos ang ating program implementation.”

Sa paghahanda naman sa 2013 budget deliberations saKongreso: “Ayusin natin ang balangkas ng ating mga programa,para may batayan tayong malinaw at matibay para sa pagtugonnatin sa mga kahilingang ihaharap sa atin. Lagi nating linawin sakanila (mga Kongresista at Senador), ang ating kayang tugunanayon sa ating naitakdang programa.

“Tiyakin natin ang numero o bilang ng mga resulta ng ating gawain.Maging masinop tayo sa pagtatala ng outputs batay sa budget naating tinanggap. Diyan tayo masisingil. Dapat na handa tayongsumagot at mag-ulat ng kompletong datos.

“Lagi nating isaalang-alang ang kahalagahan at benepisyo ngating mga programa at proyekto sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda,at iba pang stakeholders. Tiyakin natin na ang pagpapahalaga saating mga nagawa ay batay sa kanilang pananaw at hindi lamangsa ating sariling pagtingin.”

Bago nagtapos ang Mancom, muli siyang nagtagubilin:“Tuloy pa rin ang ating unang panawagan na ‘Bridge the gap.

Touch the heart.’“Bigyan natin ng karagdagang diin ang ikalawang panawagan:

‘Focus our minds to deliver results.’“Nakita natin ang iba’t ibang hamon na dapat harapin … na

kailangan ng decisive action.“May catch-up plan na dapat gawin para sa natitirang budget ng

2011, at front-loading din para sa 2012 budget. Kaya talagang hindipwedeng sunod-sunod, kundi dapat ay sabay-sabay ang atingpagpaplano at implementasyon ng mga programa.

“Dahil dito, kailangan natin ang focus. Tukuyin natin kung anoang ating priority, at ano ang bibigyan ng diin.

“Lalong kailangan natin ang focus na habulin ang kailangan natinghabulin, para mai-deliver natin ang ating mga targets sa 2012.

“Umaasa ako na ang ating mga diskusyon at desisyon sa atingikalawang Mancom meeting ay magbigay ng bagong sigla atbuwelo sa ating puspusang pagkilos.

“At sa ikatlong Mancom meeting natin sa Hulyo, sana ay mangyariang ating ipinangakong mangyari – na madeliver ang mga targetng ating catch-up plan sa 2011 budget, at mga target ng ating front-loading plan sa 2012 budget.”

(Lambayong RIS) and Agusan delSur (Simulao RIS).

Once operational, the 11 RISwould enable farmers in said 10provinces to plant and harvesttwice a year, Nangel said.

“Even with a conservative aver-age yield of four tons of palay perhectare, farmers would be ableto produce an annual harvest of285,360 tons,” Nangel said.

The NISRIP has three compo-nents: rehabilitation of irrigationfacilities; institutional strengthen-ing of IAs and irrigation manage-ment transfer; and provision ofagricultural support.

The NISRIP was among thefour big-ticket irrigation projectsapproved by the National Eco-nomic Development (NEDA)Board, chaired by PresidentBenigno S. Aquino, during itsMarch 22, 2012 meeting.

The three other major irriga-tion projects are: Jalaur RiverMultipurpose Irrigation Projectphase 2, in Iloilo, worth P11.2B; Casecnan Multipurpose Irri-gation and Power Project phase2, in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac,worth P7B; and the UmayamRiver Irrigation Project, inAgusan del Sur, worth P1.5B.(Adora Rodriguez, DA-AFIS & PilipinaBermudez, DA-NIA)

DA-NIA to repair...(from p1)of the hog raisers and pork pro-ducers by implementing poli-cies and providing needed sup-port to further develop andstrengthen the country’s swineindustry, and make it globallycompetitive.

The President said the indus-try stakeholders should partnerwith government and corn farm-ers to reduce the productioncost of hogs.

“It is imperative that you part-ner and ink agreements withcorn farmers as a strategy tolessen the cost of animal feeds,as yellow corn remains its mainingredient,” he said.

For his part, Secretary Alcalasaid “the government is here tohelp you but you must give usthe data to work with.”

In a speech read by Secre-tary Alcala, President Aquinohighlighted major policies andinitiatives to further prop up thelivestock industry, namely:

• Issuance of AdministrativeOrder (AO) No. 5, which per-tains to rules and regulations onhygienic handling of newly-slaughtered meat in meat mar-kets, and AO No. 6, which con-tains the rules and regulationson hygienic handling of chilled,frozen and thawed meat in meatmarkets.

These were issued to furtherstrengthen the country’s “foodcontrol system” and ensure thatmeat sold in markets are hy-gienic and of high quality.

• Philippine meat and animalproducts should conform to in-ternational standards. Relatedto this, he instructed the DA toset aside funds to upgrade itsnational animal diagnostic atmeat laboratories, particularlythose in major livestock produc-tion areas.

• The DA through the NationalMeat Inspection Service (NMIS)will put up several facilities: thisyear, two triple-A (AAA) serviceabattoir or slaughterhouse inLuzon; next year, a triple A ser-vice slaughterhouse inMindanao and a triple A servicepoultry dressing plant in Luzon;and in 2014, a triple A serviceslaughterhouse in Visayas.

With these slaughterhousesin place, government targets toreplace 20 percent of annualmeat imports with locally-pro-duced meat and meat products.

• Government will continueto strengthen partnership withmeat importers and processors.

• There are ongoing negotia-tions to export chilled and fro

DA, BOC, industryto curb smuggling

The DA, Bureau of Customs(BOC), National Federation of HogFarmers Inc. (NFHFI), and PorkProducers Federation of thePhilippines (PPFP) have joinedforces to curb smuggling of meatproducts.

They signed a memorandum ofagreement (MOA) on April 20,2012, at the 21st annualconvention of the NFHFI andPPFP, in Mandaue City.

Under the MOA, the pork andchicken industry stakeholders willappoint a livestock expert wouldbe part of the “front line” to inspectand check the “reference price”and “true value” of incoming frozenmeat and offals at any given timeand instances.

The move is aimed to eliminatemisdeclared or undervalued

meeting, April 13-14, 2012, inRoxas City, Capiz.

Secretary Alcala said: “We arehere to discuss strategies on howto effectively carry out our respec-tive programs and projects toachieve our food sufficiency tar-gets, and see if we have alreadygathered momentum to pursuewhat we are set out to do the restof the year.

“Let’s ensure that these directlybenefit small farmers, fisherfolkand other agri-fishery stakehold-ers,” he noted.

For his part, DA Undersecretaryfor finance and administration An-tonio Fleta said the DA has anapproved 2012 budget of P53.25billion (B), excluding attachedcorporations, or a total P61.4B,if included. Last year, the DA re-ceived a total budget of P38.58B,including attached agencies andcorporations.

He said about P41B or 77% ofthe P53B budget has been re-ceived and frontloaded to variousDA regional offices, bureaus andagencies, as of March 31, 2012.

The bulk of the 2012 budget isallotted for irrigation (P24.45B);followed by commodity bannerprograms (P11.9B); regular andother support programs (P11.5B),and farm-to-market roads (P5B).

The ManCom meeting was at-tended by more than 80 top DAoff icials, composed ofundersecretaries, assistant sec-retaries, and respective directorsor head of DA regional field units,bureaus, attached agencies andcorporations and DA central of-fice services.

During the meeting, SecretaryAlcala enumerated major initia-tives and developments, which in-clude the following:

• Approval by the NEDA Board

SPJA: ‘Let’s focus ...’ (from p1)

DA allots ... (from p4)

crop products.The Batanes SRRDC will be pat-

terned after the Philippine RootCrop Research and Training Cen-ter (PhilRootcrops), at the VisayasState University, in Visca,Baybay, Leyte, said DA-HVCDPnational coordinator Director Jen-nifer Remoquillo.

PhilRootcrops is the country’spremier research, developmentand training institution for root andtuber crops.

A team of DA-RFO2 officialsand Dir. Remoquillo visitedPhilRootcrops on March 9, 2012,to observe its operations and fa-cilities. The RFO 2 officials in-cluded regional technical directorOrlano Lorenzana, RIARC man-ager Robert Olinares, and ROSmanager Celso Batallones.

Dir. Remoquilo said Dr. JulietaRoa of PhilRootcrops will help DA-RFO2 with the SRRDC’s design,laboratory set up, and other facili-ties. (DA-HVCDP)

of four major irrigation projects,totaling P23.8B. When com-pleted, these projects will irri-gate a total of 138,560 hectaresof new and and rebilitated areas,benefiting more than 94,460farm-families.

• The Mindanao Rural Devel-opment Program (MRDP) will beextended for another two years.

• Early planting has com-menced in Central Luzon andCagayan, covering 150,000hectares, that would enablefarmers to harvest by Septem-ber or October, and avoid dam-age due to typhoons.

• Sikat-Saka, the credit com-ponent of the Food Staples Suf-f iciency Program, has com-menced in four pilot provinces(Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Iloilo, andNorth Cotabato).

• The “Fish for Peace” pro-gram, spearheaded by the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and AquaticResources, was recentlylaunched in Mindanao to providesustainable fishery projects tothousands of fisherfolk familiesin the Autonomous Region inMuslim Mindanao (ARMM).

• The DA-BFAR has success-fully negotiated to resume tunafishing in certain areas of thePacific. Likewise, there are simi-lar discussions with Papua NewGuinea on tuna fishing and otherpossible agricultural and fisherytrade and cooperation.

• There are ongoing discus-sions with Cambodia to pursuebilateral trade and cooperationin agriculture and fisheries.

• For the first time, Philippinesugar was recently listed at theNew York Stock Exchange. Pro-duction of bioethanol, includingbagasse and other biomass, isbeing encouraged to augmentthe fuel and energy needs inMindanao.

imported meat, which has causedthe government to lose someP3.7 billion in revenues annually,according to Abono partly-listchairman Rosendo So.

They also agreed that an“automatic trigger price” beimplemented when the needarises or when there is a wide

margin between the price ofimported meat versus locally-produced ones.

The MOA also authorizes theDA-Bureau of Animal Industry(BAI) quarantine off icers toinspect the meat imports beforethe BOC examiners. (LilybethIson, PNA)

in Liguasan, where 92 species ofbirds, reptiles, amphibians, andother flora and fauna are en-demic.

Another P8.8M was allotted toestablish five multi-species hatch-eries (P6M), mangrove rehabili-tation (P1.4M), and setting up of20 aquasilviculture techno-demofarms (P1.36M).

Perez said the DA-BFAR andARMM LGUs have jointly planted225,000 mangrove propagules,worth P1.4M. The agency alsopartnered with five state universi-ties and colleges (SUCs) to es-tablish multi-species hatcheries.They include Basilan State Col-lege, and at four Mindanao StateUniversity (MSU) campuses inSulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanaoand Marawi City.

Finally, about P2.8M was al-lotted for two units of ice-mak-ers, 12 sets of seaweed farm in-puts, 200 kilos of seaweed seed-lings, and other fishing parapher-nalia (P2.175M), and 2.4Mpieces of fingerlings.

Perez said with these publicinvestments provided by the

DA-BFAR ... (from p5)

Aquino government through theDA-BFAR and matched by ben-eficiary LGUs, the ARMM couldfurther increase its fishery andaquaculture production.

In 2011, the region produced909,320 metric tons (MT) of fish-ery and aquaculture products,valued at P14.58 billion (B) atcurrent prices, according to theDA’s Bureau of Agricultural Sta-tistics (BAS). The volume rep-resents 18.3 percent (%) of thecountry’s total production, at4.98 million MT.

The ARMM remains as thecountry’s top seaweed producer.Last year, it harvested 686,450MT valued at P4.3B, which rep-resents 37% of the country’s to-tal seaweed output, at 1.84 mil-lion MT worth P11.39B, accord-ing to the BAS.

Early this year, Perez said theDA-BFAR conducted a regionalconsultation in Zamboanga Cityon a proposed “Fish for Peace”program in Mindanao, attendedby dozens of LGU officials whoall agreed on the program’s con-cept. (DA-BFAR)

April 201210 3

DA to assist ... (from p3)

The Philippines will try to pro-duce ‘Basmati’ rice — an aro-matic, long-grain variety grownin India and Pakistan – in com-mercial quantities for possibleexport to Middle Eastern coun-tries.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said there is brightprospect as “we have talked toQatar and Kuwait and they arewilling to accept Basmati ricethat we will plant.”

Thus, he recently approved aproposal of DA national rice pro-gram coordinator Assistant Sec-retary Dante S. Delima to con-duct regional production trials ofthree Basmati rice varieties.

The program is in keeping withagriculture and fisheries agree-ments forged March 25, 2012between the Philippines and thegovernments of Kuwait andQatar.

The three varieties areBasmati 370 and Basmati 383,which were introduced in thecountry, and the third is bred lo-cally, CLS-1.

Delima said these have under-gone adaptability trials at thePhilippine Rice Research Insti-tute (PhilRice) and the CentralLuzon State University (CLSU),in Nueva Ecija.

“The varieties have yieldsranging from 3.5 to 5 tons perhectare, which are quite high un-der tropical conditions whencompared to those grown in In-dia and Pakistan, home ofBasmati rice,” Delima said.

“With its aroma and excellenteating quality, Basmati has avery good potential for domes-tic production. Farmers in Iloiloand Bicol have reported harvestsof from 90 to 120 cavans perhectare,” he added.

“In preparation for an expectedincrease in demand for Basmati,we have to determine the adapt-ability of three varieties, andthen identify the best sites forcommercial production, pro-cessing and marketing,” Delimasaid.

The Basmati regional evalua-tion system was formulated byformer PhilRice chief and currentDA rice program technical ad-viser Dr. Santiago R. Obien.

Basmati rice is a preferredgrain in such countries as SaudiArabia, Kuwait, and Qatar.

It sells higher than ordinaryrice in international markets,averaging $1,000 per metric ton,as of April 2012.

Dr. Obien said Basmati has a

Phl to produce ‘Basmati’ ricegenerally lower yield compared tocurrent inbred and hybrid indicarice varieties, but it could be in-creased depending on productiontechnologies and varietal improve-ment.

The Basmati field trial experi-ments will be funded using cur-rent research and developmentfunds that are already released tothe DA regional field units (RFUs),Obien said.

The first component involveplanting of the three varieties inone hectare each at the DA RFUexperiment stations.

The second component involvescommercial production of Basmati370 by Irrigators’ Associations andfarmers’ cooperatives.

The DA RFUs will be providedwith at least 100 packs of 2-kilo-gram (kg) Basmati seeds to bedistributed to selected farmer-par-ticipants. A 2-kg pack is morethan enough for a 1,000 square-meter plot, and could yield 10cavans or 500 kilograms of seedsthat may be distributed to otherfarmers, Obien said.

“We already issued the guide-lines on seed utilization, plantingmethods, fertilizer application, anddata gathering. And the evaluationplots shall serve as demonstrationfarms for farmers who are willingto be trained on the delicate tech-niques of Basmati rice produc-tion,” Obien said. (Adam O. Borja,DA National Rice Program)

A combined team of the Philip-pine Coast Guard (PCG) and theDA’s Bureau of Fisheries andAquatic Resources (BFAR)caught 12 Vietnamese fishermenonboard a Malaysian-flagged ves-sel, containing endangered ma-rine fish species like ‘pawikan’ ormarine turtles, black corrals and‘mameng’ or Napoleon wrasse.

The team was led PCG Lt.Ludovico Librilla, Jr., on-boardBFAR MCS 3009 patrol vessel,who intercepted the vessel (SBF-48), 23 nautical miles offPangutaran, in Jolo, Sulu.

Coast Guard, DA-BFAR catchVietnamese poachers in Sulu

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala -- in a recent two-dayvisit to Cebu, Dumaguete Cityand Valencia in Negros Orien-tal, and Siquijor -- provided farm-ers, fishers and local govern-ment units (LGUs) P35-millionworth of agricultural and fisheryprojects to increase their produc-tivity and income.

He also presented a proposedmedium-term development pro-gram that the Department of Ag-riculture is finalizing and will sub-mit to the World Bank for con-sideration and possible funding.

It is called the Central Philip-pines Rural Development Pro-gram (CPRDP), a poverty-alle-viation initiative that will be imple-mented in six regions (4A, 4B,5, 6, 7, and 8), in partnershipwith provincial and municipal gov-ernment units.

The CPRDP is patterned afterthe Mindanao Rural Development

DA allots P35-M agri projects, eyesCPRDP to help Visayan farmers, fishers

They also sighted three othervessels, but they fled towardsMalaysia.

The intercepted vessel con-tained ‘pawikan,’ ‘mameng,’ fivebundles of black corals, high-value reef fishes, shellfishes andother invertebrates.

The DA-BFAR is set to fileadministrative and criminalcases against the 12 Vietnam-ese poachers.

The Philippine Fisheries Codeof 1998 (RA 8550) prohibitspoaching or the catching andtaking of fish and other aquaticproducts by foreign fishing ves-sels in the Philippine waters.The law slaps a f ine ofUS$100,000 in addition to theconfiscation of catch, fishingequipment and fishing vessel.

The turtles, black corals andmameng are considered endan-gered species under the Conven-tion on International Trade in En-dangered Species (CITES).

Moreover, fishing of rare,threatened or endangered spe-cies listed in the CITES is pun-ishable by imprisonment of notless than 12 years or more than25 years of imprisonment, a fineof P100,000 to P120,000, andforfeiture of catch

CITES is an agreement amonggovernments to ensure that in-ternational trade of wild animalsand plants does not threaten theirsurvival.

The global population of ma-rine turtles, ‘mameng’ and otherendangered species has exten-sively declined over the last de-cades due to overexploitation forcommercials and food purposes(DA-BFAR)

Plan (MRDP), which is now onits second phase.

“Just like MRDP, the programseeks to improve incomes offarmers and fisherfolk in ruralcommunities, and achieve foodsecurity through infrastructure,financing, capacity-building, andother support services,” Alcalasaid druing his April 19-20, 2012visit in Central Visayas.

“Right now, we are asking theWorld Bank for a US$300-mil-lion loan, and we are hoping thatit will be granted. I am positivethat this partnership will pushthrough because of the successof the MRDP,” Alcala said.

But unlike the MRDP, whichadopts a 50-40-10counterparting scheme fromWB, DA and the LGUs, respec-tively, to bankroll infrastructure,livelihood and communityprojects, the CPRDP is propos-

(Pls turn to p10)

ing a 80-20 counterparting ratio,wherein the DA and the LGUs willeach share 10% of the totalproject cost, and the remaining80% from the program funds.

Secretary Alcala said theCPRDP will also focus on the ex-pansion and establishment of al-ternative and expansion areas forstaple foods in Southern Luzon,Bicol and Visayas regions. Thesewill augment crop and fishery pro-duction areas in Luzon andMindanao, in anticipation of un-certainties due to climate change.

While in Siquijor, SecretaryAlcala and a team of DA officialsfrom national and regional officesdialogued with farmers andfisherfolk, livestock raisers andlocal officials, who aired pressingconcerns, which the DA chiefswiftly addressed.

In particular, Siquijor GovernorOrlando A. Fua, Jr. said they needa regular sea transport service toferry their livestock products toCebu and other destinations, anda slaughterhouse so they can sellmeat products locally and to othermarkets.

Secretary Alcala said these areactually the projects — includingfarm-to-market roads, ports andirrigation facilities and other infra-structure facilities — that couldbe funded under the CPRDP.Once the program is finalized, hesaid “I urge you to register andlet the WB know that you are in-terested to be part of the CPRDP.”

The visit is part of DA’s effortsof bringing speedy assistance tosmall farmers and fisherfolk asdirected by President Benigno S.Aquino’s to all cabinet secretar-ies.

“Ako po ay narito dahil ipinag-utos ng ating Pangulo naiparamdam sa inyong lahat namay gobyernong handangtumulong sa inyo,” Alcala said.

Secretary Alcala (left) explains to livestockraisers in San Juan, Siquijor that the DA willprovide needed services so they can producehealthy and productive cattle, and thus in-crease their incomes.

In Siquijor, he handed overseveral projects to beneficiariesthat include a barangay food ter-minal in the town of San Juan,and livelihood projects under theBureau of Fisheries and AquaticResources (BFAR), amountingto P4.78 million.

On the other hand, Negros Ori-ental received a total of P3.5M-worth of irrigation projects, hand

A DA-BFAR-PCG task force team member (seated) lists endageredmarine fish species caught by the apprehended vessel.

(DA

-BFA

R p

hoto

)

Secretary Alcala (right) discusses with China Deputy Minister ofAgriculture Niu Dun (2nd from left) areas of cooperation, duringthe latter’s courtesy call at the DA. They discussed the secondphase of the Phil-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology orPhilSCAT, in Munoz, Nueva Ecija. Also shown are Chinese Am-bassador to the Philippines Her Excellency Ma Keqing (left) andinterpreter Tian Yishan.

tractor, and draft animals withimplements.

In all, the two provinces re-ceived close to P35M-worth ofagricultural and fishery projects,farm and fishery equipment andinputs that were awarded to sev-eral farmers’ groups, irrigators’associations and LGUs.

The farm machinery and equip-ment include hand tractors, vil-

Agricultural Statistics. Its pro-duction represents 15.5 percentof the Western Visayas region’stotal harvest of 2.245 million MTin 2011. Capiz ranked third be-hind Iloilo (959,239 MT) andNegros Occidental (471,599MT).

Further, the DA under its cornprogram provided a village-typecorn dryer (worth P3.3M) to theMunicipality of Maayon, and willconduct a training on corn huskcraft-making project (P93,900).

Under its high value crops pro-gram, the DA also allottedP4.36M for the establishment ofa tissue culture laboratory, pro-cessing center for fruits and veg-etables, a greenhouse and or-ganic fertilizer facility, rain shel-

DA allots P49M ... (from p12)

lage-type corn dryers, multi-pur-pose dryers, palay shed, andcassava graters.

Secretary Alcala also raffled offfarm and fishery implement dur-ing the forum that include mo-torized bancas, knapsacksprayers, rice and corn seeds,fish nets, and laminated sacks,among others. (Adora Rodriguez,DA Info. Service)

ters, knapsack sprayers, andvegetable production projects.

It also allotted P3M to imple-ment several organic agricultureprojects, which include the es-tablishment of demo farms fororganic rice and vegetable pro-duction, and production and pro-cessing of muscovado sugar.

During the event, Alcala alsoturned over two units of tramlinesystem worth P4.36 M for ben-efit of upland farmers in Daan Surand Daan Norte, in Tapaz town,Capiz. The tramlines will befunded by the DA’s PhilippineCenter for Postharvest Develop-ment and Mechanization(PhilMech).

The DA through the Bureau ofSoils and Water Management(BSWM) will also construct asmall farm reservoir and providepumps for shallow tube wells,worth P2.8M.

Dozens of livelihood projectsworth P620,000 were alsohanded over to recipients, amongthem are a 4-H Club through theAgricultural Training Institute and42 farmer-beneficiaries of theAgrikultura: Kaagapay ngBayang Pinoy (Akbay) Programof the DA’s National Agriculturaland Fishery Council (NAFC).

The DA through the PhilippineCoconut Authority (PCA) alsoraffled off to lucky forum partici-pants hundreds of coconut seed-lings worth P56,000.

During the day-long forum, theDA-Bureau of Animal Industry,DA-Region 6 and Provincial Gov-ernment of Capiz forged amemorandum of agreement toestablish a livestock and poul-try development center and anucleus farm for native or indig-enous livestock animals at theDA’s Dumarao 120-hectarestock farm.

Finally, Secretary Alcala, Gov-ernor Tanco and DA’s PhilippineCrop Insurance Corporation(PCIC) president Jovy Bernabelaunched a crop insurance pro-gram, called ‘Viable Insurancefor Capiz (VIC), that will initiallybenefit 5,000 farmers. The Pro-vincial Government of Capiz hastransferred P3.22M to the DA-PCIC as crop insurance pre-mium payments of the 5,000farmers, at P644 per hectare.

While in Capiz, SecretaryAlcala led the opening of theregional agricultural trade fair,April 13, 2012, which is part ofthe week-long annualCAPIZtahan festival. He also pre-sided over the 2nd quarter na-tional DA management commit-tee meeting in Roxas City, par-ticipated in by about 80 top offi-cials that include undersecre-taries, assistant secretaries,respective directors of regionaloffices, bureaus, and DA-OSECservices, and heads of attachedagencies and corporations.

9April 20124

DA earmarks P390-M for Central Luzon

Vice President Jejomar Binayrecently commended the Philip-pine Carabao Center (PCC), ledby executive director Dr.Libertado Cruz, as a leading R&Dinstitution for livestock in thecountry, and a true ally of smallfarmers.

He was guest at a program,“Ugnayan at Talakayan,” at thePCC, in Muñoz City, attendedby 700 farmer-members of dairycooperatives in Nueva Ecija.

He said the carabao remains afarmer’s partner in providing ad-ditional income to thousands ofsmall farming families.

“Ang tingin ko sa kalabaw aykaagapay ng ating mgamagsasaka, katulad doon saaking kinalakihan,” he said.

“Hinog na ang panahongkailangang palakasin angkabuhayang salig sa kalabaw samga kanayunan at bilanginstrumentong tutulong sapagsugpo ng kahirapan,” VPBinay said.

He emphasized the importanceof close cooperation and linkagebetween farmers and governmentagencies such as PCC to sus-tain development programs to di-rectly benefit small farmers.

If this can be done, he said,dairy farmers can rise from sub-

The Department of Agricul-ture through the PhilippineCoconut Authority (PCA) willundertake a massive re-plant-ing program, worth P506 mil-lion to produce more qualitynuts and subsequentlyhigher-priced processed prod-ucts.

PCA AdministratorEuclides Forbes said thePCA targets to plant 13 mil-lion coconut seedlings onnew lands totalling 138,125hectares.

For his part, Dennis D.Andres of the PCA coconutreplanting program said theyincreased the target becauseof the high demand for coco-nut water and other productssuch as coco sap sugar.

The PCA will propagate talland hybrid coconut varieties.The hybrid variety can yield80,000-120,000 nuts perhectare yearly, while the lo-cal variety gives 40,000 to60,000 nuts. Hybrids beginproducing nuts on the fourthyear, while the local tall vari-eties begin yielding nuts af-ter seven years.

The tall varieties availableare the Tagnanan Tall, whichis famous in Laguna,Quezon, and Mindanao.Other tall varieties are theBaybay Tall in Leyte andSamar and San Ramon Tallin Zamboanga.

The PCA will also under-take a salt fertilization pro-gram to increase nut produc-tion. Using recommendedamounts of salt, nut produc-tion could increase by 25 per-cent on the first year and by100 percent on the secondyear. (PCA, Mla Bulletin)

PCA sets P506-Mcoconut replanting

VP Binay lauds PCC as top livestock agency

To spur the production oftilapia fingerlings in Leyte, itsprovincial governmentthrough a private f irmpartnered with the Germangovernment through theDeutsche/Geseilschaft furInternationale Zusamm-enarbeit (GIZ) and the DA’sBureau of Fisheries andAquatic Resources (BFAR)will put up the Leyte Provin-cial Freshwater Fish Hatch-ery (LPFFH).

The joint project will propelthe province as a major tila-pia producer in EasternVisayas.

It will be undertaken by theKananga Integrated Produc-tion Center (KIPC). Ihe com-mercial-scale tilapia hatcheryis an expansion and costsP4.9 million.

Of the total amount, GIZthrough its Enhancement ofFood Security in/the Visayas(Efos) program alloted P3.78million, while the DA-BFARcontributed P198,000, andthe Leyte provincial govern-ment shelled out P914,533.

The project was under-taken from April to Decem-ber 2011. Existing ponds inKIPC, in Kananga were reha-bilitated and additional pondswere constructed to accom-modate more fingerlings.

The construction of theLPFFH also included a “cashfor work” component, wherein137 farm-households workedin pond and dike develop-ment, drainage canals andother structures.

LPFFH is being operatedby the provincial government.It will produce more than 3million tilapia fry or finger-lings annually. These will bedistributed free to householdpond operators at 500 piecesper operator.

Farmers interested to availof additional fingerlings canbuy them at P0.15 to P0.35each, depending on size.

Dr. Andreas Lange, GIZ-EFOS senior adviser, said in-come generation will ensurethe continued operations ofthe hatchery.

To help farmers ensure theefficiency of tilapia produc-tion, Leyte provincial fisheryworkers will train on hatch-ery operation, pond construc-tion and management at theDA-BFAR’s National Fresh-water Fisheries Training Cen-ter in Nueva Ecija. (DA-BFARRegion 8)

GIZ, Leyte LGU,DA-BFAR to put up

tilapia hatcheryThe Department of Agriculture

(DA) in Central Luzon has ear-marked P390 million (M) for vari-ous irrigation and postharvestprojects to attain in line with thefood sufficiency programs of thenational government.

DA Central Luzon DirectorAndrew Villavorta said P360Mwill be used for the acquisitionof farm machines andpostharvest equipment, whilethe remaining P30M will be usedfor irrigation projects.

Farm machines include thosefor land preparation, threshers,combine harvesters, mechani-cal dryers, flatbed driers andother postharvest facilities.

The DA said at least P80M is

allocated for flat bed dryers, andP71M for multi-purpose dryingpavements or solar dryers.

Director Villacorta said biddingprocedures are now ongoing.

Meanhwile, the DA through thePhilippine Center for Postharvestand Mechanization (PhilMech)said it will intensify its farmmechanization program to contrib-ute to attain rice sufficiency by endof 2013.

The DA-PhilMech said it will pro-cure and distributre to qualifiedfarmers’ groups, irrigators’ asso-ciations and LGUs hundreds of

Secretary Alcala and Mayor Lydia E. Grabato of Mina, Iloilo discussupdates on the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose (JRMP) phase 2 whichaims to irrigate more than 30,000 hectares in Iloilo. Once completed,JRMP2 will boost agricultural productivity of Mina town, which isinto rice farming, hog fattening and poultry raising.

The Southeast Asian Fisher-ies Development Center Aquac-ulture Department (SEAFDEC-AQD) is partnering with the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and AquaticResources (BFAR) to developorganic aquaculture productswith robust market demand.

As part of the initiative, theSEAFDEC-AQD will reduce theuse of fish meal in aquafeeds,develop feeds for soft-shelledcrabs, and develop sources ofphyto-proteins particularly in-creasing protein efficiency, di-gestibility, and availability.These are the factors to ensurea product is organically grown,BFAR said.

Organic aquaculture involvesless use or the absence of an-tibiotics that consequentlyeliminates harmful residues onthe final fish product.

It may also include more en-vironment-friendly practices thatexclude deforestation in oroverexploitation of mangroveareas.

SEAFDEC’s proposed pro-gram on organic aquaculturestemmed from the Asean-SEAFDEC Strategic Partner-ship meeting late last year. Itseeks to partner with the Net-work of Aquaculture Centers inAsia-Pacific to come up withfeed formulations for use bysmall aquaculture farmers.

It is also developing technolo-gies on climate change adap-tation technologies, particularlyon pond designs, species se-lection as well as feed andhealth management.

SEAFDEC, BFARto develop organicaqua products

Exports of coconut sap sugarhave been increasing since 2009,growing by seven-fold to 70,000kilograms (kg) from 11,200 kg in2009 and 36,310 kg in 2010.

Administrator Euclides G.Forbes of the DA’s Philippine Co-conut Authority (PCA) said thetrend augurs well for the coconutindustry, as it will provide moreincomes to farmers and rural farmworkers.

He said the rising exports wasdriven by increasing demand byhealth-conscious individuals, par-ticularly diabetics and thosewanting to lose weight, as cocosap sugar has a low glycemic in-dex (GI).

As of 2011, there are about346 million diabetics worldwide,according to the World Health Or-ganization (WHO).

Coco sap sugar has a GI of 35compared to regular cane sugar,according to studies by theDOST’s Food and Nutrition Re-search Institute (FNRI).

Hence, coco sap sugar has agreat potential as natural andcheaper alternative to more ex-pensive sweeteners, Forbes said.

Coco sap sugar exports up 7-fold since ‘09

Secretary Alcala (middle) awarded Antipolo farmers P1.5-million worth of farm implements,rice and vegetable seeds and other inputs during a Farmers’ Congress, March 30, 2012.Joining them (from left) are DA coordinator Maria Cribe, DA-4A OIC-Regional ExecutiveDirector Vilma Dimaculangan and Antipolo agriculturist Violeta Suarez.

With the growing awarenessfor health foods and the increas-ing demand for coco sap sugar,we expect an increase to100,000 kg in exports this year,the PCA chief said.

He said the Philippines ex-

ports coco sap sugar to 11 coun-tries, led by the USA, followed byJapan, Middle East, Korea,Hongkong, Norway, Canada,Switzerland, France, Australiaand New Zealand.

sistence to becoming progres-sive carabao raisers and, even-tually, big income-earners incarabao-based entrepreneur-ship.

“Sa pamamagitan ng tamangprograma ng gobyerno atpakikilahok ng ating mgamagsasaka rito, magkakaroonng magandang bunga ang atinglokal na industriya ng gatas,” theVice President said.

He said government shouldcontinue to protect the welfareof small farmers, as they serveas the country’s economicbackbone.

VP Binay hails from Isabela,which is one of the major agri-cultural producers in the coun-try.

During the program, he, to-gether with Dr. Cruz, awardedcertificates of entrustment of a25-dairy buffalo module to se-lected dairy cooperatives in theNational Impact Zone (NIZ), inNueva Ecija.

VP Binay’s visit was part of aseries of lectures organized bythe PCC.

The farmer-participants werealso given a briefing on the mas-sive deworming against liverflukeand Hemosep vaccination.

VP Binay’s team that visited

PCC included Rep. MitosMagsaysay of Zambales, Joeyde Venecia of the United Nation-alist Alliance (UNA) and Atty. JVBautista.

He later went to CabanatuanCity, where he was commence-ment speaker at the WesleyanUniversity-Philippines. (PCC)

(Pls turn to p11)

The Department of Agriculturethrough the High Value Crops De-velopment Program (HVCDP) hasallotted P10 million for the estab-lishment of a Satellite RootcropsResearch and Development Cen-ter (SRRDC) in Basco, Batanes.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said the facility is partof the Food Staples SufficiencyProgram (FSSP), as the SRRDCaims to further enhance the de-velopment of the rootcrop indus-try in Batanes, where the primarylivelihood and source of incomeof farmers are raising taro, yam,arrowroot, cassava and sweetpotato.

He said the facility, under thesupervision of the DA regional of-fice (RFO2) in Cagayan, will serve

DA allots P10-M forrootcrops researchcenter in Batanes

as a venue to train farmers onmodern and sustainable tech-nologies on root crops and otherhigh value crops. It will also in-clude several laboratories for tis-sue culture, analytical and prod-uct development, and a process-ing and storage area.

The center aims to develop andimprove root crop varieties thatwill best adapt in Batanes, andwhat the market needs. It willalso house a gene bank to con-serve traditional root crop variet-ies. The facility also aims to de-velop various value-added root

units of farm equipment and ma-chinery this year through 2015.

PhilMech said Secretary Alcalahas alloted some P1.8 billion forthe acquisition of farm machiner-ies in 2012,

The DA is encouraging farmersto mechanize their operations--from land preparation, production,harvesting, processing to market-ing--to increase productivity andincomes, and at the same timeincrease the level of mechaniza-tion in the country, which is oneof the lowest in Asia. (DA Reg. 3)

While organic aquaculture mayhave started in Europe,SEAFDEC-AQD, based inTigbauan, Iloilo, is taking cue onthe production of organic fish prod-ucts in Asia to develop more or-ganic aquaculture systems.

According to the InternationalFederation of Organic AgricultureMovement (Ifoam) EuropeanUnion Group, there has been in-creasing interest in organic aquac-ulture as demand has increasedspecifically in Europe.

“Assuming that 70 percent oforganic aquaculture production issold under an organic label, thetotal market value might havereached $230 million at the dis-tributor level in 2009. The globalmarket value will increase annu-ally by 40 to 60 percent in thenext three years,” according toIfoam-EU.

However, the significant shareof the market is still confinedamong a limited number of coun-tries like France, Germany, Swit-zerland, and UK.

Although the aquaculture sector is obviously still in its earlystage, there is a potential growth

even in Asia.“The market for organic seafood

is still in its infancy with all theassociated problems of highcosts, low sales volumes, littleor no competition, and the needto invest in marketing and createconsumers’ product awareness,”said Ifoam.

“The market in Asia is evolving,though changes are harder tokeep track of. China seems tobe experiencing a strong organicfish production, but fish productslabeled organic are not readilyvisible in stores, and market dataare not available,” Ifoam said.

It added that organic aquacul-ture must have been initiated withthe release in the market perhapstoward the start of the century(2000) of organic salmon in Ger-many, UK, and France.

In ASEAN, the first organicshrimp aquaculture was set upin Vietnam, where small scaleproducers have started using low-intensity or “close to organic”systems. (Manila Bulletin)

5April 20128

Former Agriculture SecretaryWilliam Dar launched a 144-page book, entitled, “Feedingthe Forgotten Poor: Perspectiveof an Agriculturist,” at the DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research(BAR), Quezon City, April 10,2012, coinciding with his birth-day.

It was co-authored by Profes-sor Arun Tiwari, CEO of the Indo-US Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., andprofessor at the University ofHyderabad, in India.

Dr. Dar is currently the Direc-tor-General of the InternationalCrops Research Institute for theSemi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), inIndia.

The book presents essays onhow the world would providefood for the poor in the comingdecades.

In his book, Dar also re-counted events during his early

Book on food security launched

years, up to the present. Thebook is also filled with dream andvision of a world that is free fromhunger and poverty.

The book consists of four chap-ters, namely: Soil and Roots;Stems, Leaves and Fruits; Skinof the Earth; and Innovate, Grow,Prosper.

BAR Director NicomedesEleazar said the book is timelyand relevant as it discusses twoof the most compelling chal-lenges of our time: food securityand poverty.

The book also takes up largeissues and draws attention to “or-phan crops” and “hidden hunger.”

“Orphan crops” are those thatadapt to harsh, dry conditions likepigeon pea, chick pea, and pea-nuts, to name a few; while “hid-den hunger” refers to the forgot-ten poor.

The book also discusses the po-

litical, economic and environ-mental issues to which contem-porary agriculture is closely tied— tariffs and farm subsidies, wa-ter pollution, biofuels, the pros-pects and problems of geneticallymodified organisms, the growingbacklash against mechanizedagriculture and increasing sup-port for sustainable practice.

The book was first in NewDelhi, India, in February 2012, atthe 2nd Global Agri-Business In-cubation Conference, whereformer India President A.P.JAbdul Kalam, who also wrote thebook’s foreword, graced theevent.

Dr. Dar is the first Asian andFilipino director general ofICRISAT. (DA-BAR)

JICA, PhilRice bring ‘peace project’ in Mindanao

The National Economic andDevelopment Authority – Invest-ment Coordination Committee(NEDA-ICC) Technical Board re-cently approved the extension ofMindanao Rural DevelopmentProgram Phase 2 (MRDP2) foranother two years.

The NEDA-ICC has alreadyendorsed for approval to theNEDA Board, chaired by Presi-dent Aquino.

The DA-MRDP2 is a five-yearpoverty alleviation programfunded by the World Bank. It waslaunched in 2007, and should endby December 2012.

MRDP2 deputy program direc-tor Arnel De Mesa said the ex-tension is in response to the over-whelming LGUs and communityclamor for local projects. In ruralinfrastructure alone, demand hasreached a total of P10.8 billion9B), surpassing the program’s al-location of P4.8B.

“The program’s good perfor-mance for the past two years isone of the factors in getting thenod of the technical board,” DeMesa said.

“The World Bank during its pre-vious mission has satisfactorilyrated the program, noting its suf-

NEDA-ICC okays MRDP2 extension

The Department of Agriculturehas started promoting soybeanproduction in South Cotabato asan alternative crop.

The DA Central Mindanao Ag-ricultural Research Centerstarted planting soybeans in atleast five hectares at the DA’sCotton Development Administra-tion (CoDA) compound, as partof the launching program.

Lorna P. Vilbar, research cen-ter officer in-charge, said theCoDA compound has still spaceto engage commercial produc-tion.

For his part, CoDA station chiefRenato Guevarra said the soy-beans will be intercropped withcotton.

During the launch, DA cropexperts discussed with farmer-leaders and local governmentoffcials ways to plant, harvest andmanage soybean.

Vilbar said soybean can alsoserve as an alternate crop to rice

DA promotes soybean farming

Abra Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin (right) led a ceremony in adoptingSec. ‘Procy’ Alcala as a “Son of Abra” by virtue of a ProvincialBoard resolution for the DA’s contribution and assistance in en-hancing the development of the province’s agriculture and inlandfishing industry. With them is Abra Rep. Maria Jocelyn Bernos.

The Department of Agriculturethrough the Bureau of Fisheriesand Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) has provided P24.5 mil-lion (M) in fishery and livelihoodprojects, benefiting thousandsof fisherfolk families and theirrespective island-municipalitiesin the Autonomous Region inMuslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Secretary Proceso Alcalasaid ARMM local governmentofficials matched the initiative ofthe DA-BFAR by providing re-spective counterpart to benefitmore of their constituents.

“The DA-BFAR investment ofP24.53M was matched by al-most the same amount by ourARMM LGUs, either in the formof material or labor counterpart,”Secretary Alcala said.

DA-BFAR director Asis G.Perez said the amount included

DA-BFAR allots P24.5-Mfishery projects in ARMM

The Japan International Coop-eration Agency (JICA) is onceagain partnering with the DAthrough the Philippine Rice Re-search Institute (PhilRice) toimplement a second five-yearproject to further improve rice pro-duction in the Autonomous Re-gion in Muslim Mindanao(ARMM).

To be implemented until 2017,the technical cooperation project,called ‘Rice-based farming tech-nology project for ARMM,’ startedthis month, in collaboration withthe Department of Agriculture andFisheries- ARMM.

The first JICA-PhilRice techni-cal cooperation project in ARMMwas implemented from 2005 until2010.

“The recurring conflict issues inARMM has negatively affected its

the provision of motor engines to67 patrol boats for the ‘Bantay-Dagat’ program to protect ARMMmunicipal waters from illegal fish-ermen and poachers.

Of the total P24.5M, more thanhalf or P12.9M was used to pro-cure 16 units of non-motorizedbanca, 15 motor engines, 10 fishdriers, 2,500 fish pots and 250units of gill nets which were dis-tributed to about a thousandfisher-families along the 288,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh,bounded by three provinces(Maguindanao, North Cotabatoand Sultan Kudarat).

Perez said the DA-BFAR plansto develop a portion of LiguasanMarsh into a center for freshwa-ter fish biodiversity.

Tilapia is one of more than adozen freshwater species found

Secretary Alcala hands over a certificate to Ricardo Saclaon, chair-man of the Bagatoy communal irrigation system (CIS) Irrigators’Association, in La Paz, Abra, to repair their CIS worth P2.5 millionby the DA-National Irrigation Administration. It is one of the sev-eral projects totalling P11M awarded by Secretary Alcala duringhis recent visit in Abra. With them (from left) are DA-CordilleraDirector Marilyn Sta. Catalina, Abra Representative Maria JocelynV. Bernos, and Mayor Esther Bernos of Danglas, Abra.

Former DA Secretary William Dar (center), and current directorgeneral of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), unveils a book. “Feeding the ForgottenPoor: Perspective of an Agriculturist,” which he co-authored withProfessor Arun Tiwari (2nd from left), at the DA-Bureau of Agricul-tural Research, in Quezon City. Also shown (from left) are Mrs.Anjana Tiwari, Mrs. Beatriz Dar, and BAR Dir. Nicomedes Eleazar.

(Pls turn to p11)

agricultural sector. With this, theJICA-funded project waslaunched to restore peace andprogress in the affected areas byincreasing agricultural productiv-ity,” said Teodora L. Briones,head of PhilRice’s Planning andCollaborative Programs Office.

The 5-year project aims to in-crease the region’s low averagerice yield of 2.83 metric tons (MT)per hectare, by conductingtrainings among farmer-leadersand agricultural workers, provi-sion of farm machinery andequipment, and development oflocation-specif ic rice-basedfarming technologies.

In 2007, an external evaluationcommittee said the first JICA-PhilRice technical cooperationproject in ARMM contributed tothe region’s increase in rice yieldby 2.5 MT per hectare.

Briones said the secondproject will also promotePhilRice-developed rice and rice-based technologies such asPalayCheck, an integrated cropmanagement approach; andPalayamanan, a diversified inte-grated rice-based farming sys-tem.

For its part, the DAF-ARMMwill co-lead, plan and conduct in-formation campaigns, and en-sure the program’s sustainabilityin the covered provinces.

Project implementers also in-clude the ARMM Integrated Ag-ricultural Research Center, Uni-versity of Southern Mindanao,Mindanao State University, andconcerned local governmentunits. (DA-PhilRice)

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Goodwill AmbassadorCarl Lewis (standing, 5th from left ), a US Olympic gold medalist intrack and field, recently visited FAO projects in Los Baños, Laguna.He is shown with fishermen-beneficiaries and barangay officials ofBayog, one of the areas adversely affected strong typhoons Ondoy,Pepeng and Santi) in 2009 in Southern Luzon. He was accompaniedby FAO officials, led by Hiroyuki Konuma (left, 2nd row), assistantregional director for Asia and the Pacific; Kazuyuki Tsurumi (3rdfrom left), Representative to the Philippines, and Norberto Gomezde Leaño (standing, right), deputy coordinator of the Spanish Agencyfor International Development Cooperation.

and corn.She said they will train inter-

ested farmers and provide themwith appropriate know-how andtechnologies.

The DA, said the immediateobjective is to plant soybean in25 hectare land this year to pro-duce 25 metric tons of seeds.

Reynaldo T. Legaste, SouthCotabato provincial agricultur-ist, said the soybean produc-tion program is expected toeventually form part of localfarmers’ regular cropping sys-tem.

Aileen V. Alvarez, officer-in-charge of the regional soybeanproduction project, said SanMiguel Corp. has expressed in-terest in buying soybean har-vests.

“We will coordinate with themonce we have started commer-cial production,” she said. (DA-Region 12, LOP)

ficient improvement as of mid-term. This shows that fully com-mitted projects can be com-pleted within two years,” he said.

The projects include rural in-frastructure such as irrigation,farm-to-market roads, and po-table water supply. It also pro-vides livelihood assistance tosmall farmers, including naturalresource management interven-tions to sustain food productionin island region.

De Mesa said the two-yearextension also presents chal-lenges that must be solved par-ticularly in meeting the 60 per-cent disbursement target byyearend.

“Right now we are at 35 per-cent, so we have to addressimplementation bottlenecks tocomply with agreed timelinesand deliverables,” he said.

For her part, MRDP programdirector Lealyn Ramos said thetwo-year program extension willbe a boost to the Aquinoadministration’s goal of promot-ing inclusive economic growthas MRDP projects are focusedon improving incomes of poorcommunities in Mindanao.

“The program, with co-financ-ing support from the DA under theleadership of Secretary Alcala,has enabled Mindanao LGUs toengage in several infrastructureprojects,” Dir. Ramos said.

“At present, we are facing hugedemand from our LGU partners,prompting Secretary Alcala to re-quest not only for an extensionbut also for additional financing,”she added.

“While we remain optimisticthat positive developments aretaking place, we also urge ourstakeholders to sustain the mo-mentum we have gained. Webank on our LGU partners andoversight agencies to help usfast track implementation sothat we can eventually meet ourtargets and negotiate for thethird phase of MRDP,” she said.(Noel T. Provido, DA-MRDP)

Phl now capable of fish DNA fingerprinting

7April 20126

Maranaos are known as‘the people of the lake,’ butclean and accessible water isa scarce commodity in somecommunities in Balindong,Lanao del Sur.

Rohaida Salip, a 35-year oldmother of two, said havingunsafe water puts her familyat risk.

“From the time I was born,Lake Lanao is our only sourceof drinking water for which wewere never sure of its safety,”she said.

Known as the deepestfreshwater lake and thesecond largest lake in thePhilippines, Lake Lanao playsa vital role in the economicactivities in the region andwhole of Mindanao.

Aside from a main source oflivelihood, the lake is also asource of water for the hydro-electric power supplying theMaria Cristina Falls.

Rohaida said every morningeither she or her husband hasto bring containers at a‘cleaner’ part of the shorelineto fetch water for drinking andcooking.

But at times whendriftwoods and garbage gatherin the shoreline, they have togo out into the deeper part ofthe lake on board a banca.

“It thus becomes moredifficult, consumes a lot oftime fetching our daily ration

Rohaida Salip (left) and her constituents enjoy the new potable watersystem provided by the DA-Mindanao Rural Development Programin partnership with the local government of Balindong, which hasaddressed their long clamor for safe, accessible potable water.

The Philippines is nowcapable of DNA fingerprinting forfisheries, which is critical infood safety and to ensure thatglobal markets could trace theorigin of fishery products.

The DA-BFAR through theNational Fisheries Researchand Development Institute(NFRDI) is now utilizing DNAbarcoding to reveal the geneticmaterial of fish species.

The country’s capability inensuring fishery food safety andsupply traceability is critical forthe fishery sector.

The Philippines is consideredsixth in world fishery produc-tion, ninth in aquaculture, andthird in aquatic plant produc-tion, primarily seaweeds.Without accurate identificationof fish species through DNAbarcoding, mislabeling offishery species may occur.Consumers may be misled intopaying more than the actualvalue of goods they are buying,according to NFRDI’s BenedictA. Maralit and five co-authors intheir entry at the Bureau ofAgricultural Research (BAR)-National Research Symposium(NRS).

“DNA barcoding can differenti-ate between closely relatedspecies that are hard to tellapart, especially large fishesthat are difficult to bring backfrom the field. It can identifyproducts like fish fillets so youknow if the grouper you orderedin a restaurant is really agrouper,” said Dr. MudjekeewisD. Santos, senior author of theNFRDI Genetic FingerprintingLaboratory (GFL).

Their study won a silveraward at the 2011 BAR-NRS.Research in fisheries is amongthe priorities of BAR as thecountry’s archipelagic natureprovides for a rich food resourceuseful not only for generatinglivelihood but enabling value-adding in products that can beexported.

Ensuring these productsare food-safe is a majorconsideration amid thestricter sanitary andphytosanitary standards ofimporting countries.

“Food safety has alreadybecome a necessity for ourfishery industry to survive inthe international market. It isalso important in ensuringthat what we import is safeto eat,” said BAR directorNicomedes P. Eleazar.Certain export destinationshave started requiringtraceability, or identificationof food origin, as a require-ment to suppliers. Forinstance, the EuropeanUnion law EC No. 2065/2001requests appropriate speciestraceability and properlabeling.

“Global trade negotiationsrequire a stringent line ofcertifications on accuratelabeling and species trace-ability. National trade policiesshould comply to increaseinternational competitivenessand ensure food security,sustainability and safety,” theresearchers said.

Headed by Dr. Santos,Maralit is accompanied byRoselyn D. Aguila, MinervaFatimae H. Ventolero andSweedy Kay L. Perez of theNFRDI-GFL and Dr. DemianA. Willete of the Old Domin-ion University. DNAbarcoding is also essential inencouraging the industry tocomply with labeling provi-sions of the Consumer Act orRepublic Act (RA) 7394 andthe Fisheries Code of thePhilippines, RA 8550.

For fishery managers andresearchers, DNA barcodingcan legally verify fishescaught as by-catch andspecies under regulation.This is important in protect-ing endangered species andsustaining fish population.

Six fishery products, some ofwhich are priced expensively inrestaurants –have been identi-fied properly by the NFRDI-GFLthrough DNA barcoding todistinguish these species andcorrect the mislabeling.

Among the mislabeled fisheryproducts are fresh tawilissardines, blue fin tuna slices,tuna sashimi and fillets, wholeand headless shrimp products,cream dory slices, and gindarasteaks.

“It is important to identify thecorrect species as there is, forexample, a gindara speciesthat is not safe to eat.

Tuna may also be identifiedcommercially as the moreexpensive blue fin tuna when infact it’s just a yellow fin tuna,”said Maralit.

The NFRDI study found outthat the Sardinella tawilisspecies sold in identifiedsupermarkets is not really S.tawilis but another species, S.fimbriata.

Cream dory, for instance, is afish from the Pangasius family,originating from Mekong Deltain Vietnam.

While in the study creamdory was labeled correctly,

ensuring it is the correctcream dory species willguarantee quality in the light ofproliferation of imported fishfillets in the market.

Hence, the NFRDI recom-mended a national program forthe correct labeling of fisheryproducts.

“A valuable effort should beplaced to create a strong andstandardized monitoringprogram and evoke consumerawareness on several aspectsof accurate labeling informa-tion.” (DA-BFAR, Philippine Star)

Safe water makes ‘people of the lake’ more productive

of water not to mention the riskof tipping over during strong andrough tides,” she said.

She said their community hasrecorded a number of water-borne diseases. They have nooptions.

Their plight was addressedwhen the local government unitof Balindong and the Depart-ment of Agriculture’s MindanaoRural Development Program

(DA-MRDP) partnered to put upa potable water system.

MRDP is a long-term povertyalleviation initiative, catering225 municipalities mostly thepoorest of the poor towns in thesix regions of Mindanao.

A fourth-class town,Balindong is one of 38 munici-palities comprising the Provinceof Lanao del Sur. It lies on thewestern part of the province.

The town is 16 kilometer toMarawi City, and 53 kilometersfrom the nearest seaport ofIligan City.

The town received a total ofP2.5 million under the Com-munity Fund for AgriculturalDevelopment (CFAD) compo-nent.

CFAD utilizes communitydemand-driven scheme wherethe beneficiaries themselvesidentify their priority project.Aside from the various agri-livelihoods, three peoples’organizations have benefitedfrom the project includingLalabuan Friendship Associa-tion in Brgy. Lumbayao where

Rohaida is the chairwomanof the Poblacion NeighborhoodAssociation and the PaigoayVendors Association. Thesegroups received P125,000each to fund their respectivepotable water system.

After a series of tests, it wasfound that the ground water atBgy Poblacion and Paigoay isa safe source of potable water.So their money was spent topurchase water pump, reser-voir, pipes of various sizes,and faucets.

Now with the potable watersystem, Rohaida said theyhave more time tending herstore and other livelihood.

“The accessible, adequateand clean water has helped usmade our household activitiesa lot easier and simpler.”Rohaida said, adding “I canspend more time tending tomy small grocery store, attendto the concern of our associa-tion and my husband candevote more time fishing. Thewater system has helped to bemore productive.”

For the Lalabuan associa-tion, there are at least 12 tapstands that served not just the25 members of the organiza-tion, but also the otherresidents, who required to paya minimum monthly contribu-tion for maintenance and otherexpenses.

Rohaida said the project hasalso promoted friendship andbetter relationship amongthem and their neighboringbarangay.

“Aside from us (directbeneficiaries), our neighborsfrom the other barangay havebenefited from the project.They too don’t have to fetchanymore from the lake, butfrom our potable water sys-tem, as our water is muchsafer,” she said. (SherwinManual, DA-MRDP)

Secretary Alcala and New Zealand Ambassador to the PhilippinesReuben Levermore share a light moment during the latter’s cour-tesy call at the DA, where they discussed ways to further expandtrade between the two countries. The Philippines exports bananasand other tropical fruits to New Zealand, and imports mainly NZmilk, cream and dairy products. Secretary Alcala thanked Ambas-sador Levermore for his country’s continuing official developmentassistance to the Philippines in the field of agriculture.

The DA through the NationalAgricultural and FisheriesCouncil (NAFC) and Bureau ofAgricultural Research (BAR)will ‘upscale’ 12 technologycommercialization projectsdue to their high impact andgreater benefits to beneficia-ries.

The 12 projects are on:• Accelerated pigeon pea

production and utilization;• Commercializing and

integrating hybrid squashseed production technologyinto the cropping system;

• Mangrove crab fattening;• Enhancing the productivity

of abaca farms in the Bicolregion through integratedfarming system:Abakayamanan program;

• Technology promotion ofpromising varieties of peanutunder coco-based areas;

• Sweet srghum processingand marketing towardscommercialization in Batac,

DA-NAFC, BAR fund 12 high-impact R&D projectsIlocos Norte;

• Beekeeping situationer inSorsogon;

• Breeds to cross the chal-lenges: Medium-scale commer-cial goat breeder and fattenerproduction through upgradingtechnology;

• Commercialization andtechnology promotion of mangowine and dried mango;

• Poverty alleviation andenhancement of food security ofrice farms in Central Luzon;

• Native swine for “lechon deleche” production: Improvingfeed availability through integra-tion of SAKWA as forage feed incoconut-based productionsystem; and

• Technology commercializa-tion project: Processing ofcarabao milk into dairy prod-ucts.

The projects were selecteddue to their benefits andimpacts in increasing incomesof marginal farmers, thus

alleviating poverty, their contri-bution to overall growth of theagriculture sector and nationalfood security.

The BAR study team said theprojects have the potentials forcommercial scale and replica-tion in other areas.

When implemented effi-ciently, the subsequent com-mercial projects could contrib-ute to the growth of the agricul-ture sector, create employmentopportunities, increase farmers’incomes and help alleviatepoverty in the countryside.

The 12 projects were identi-fied and evaluated out of the 25high-potential projects whichwere supported through a grantfunds received from the Govern-ment of Japan (GOJ) forprojects and initiatives underthe KR2-Grant Assistance forUnderprivileged Framers(GAUF), which is administeredby the DA-NFAC. (Rita delaCruz, DA-BAR)