MANILA, Philippines — Make sure to get a copy of the December issue of Agriculture magazine which is published by Manila Bulletin and edited by yours truly. It is now off the press.

Agritourism as the next big thing in agriculture is featured, citing the case of Dasoland in Pangasinan developed by Menardo Jimenez who used to be a chief executive of a big TV network.

Other features include a report on the 8th National Organic Agriculture Congress (NOAC) which was recently held in Tarlac City attended by no less than President Noynoy Aquino and Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala.

If you are interested in starting a native chicken project, you can read the practical advice of Dr. Rey Itchon, a veterinarian who does his own farming in Santiago, Isabela.

You will also read the inspiring story of a midwife who went into growing ornamental plants and vegetables. She runs Vivier’s Blooms and Farm Supply store in Candelaria, Quezon.

A three-part article of Dr. Pablito P. Pamplona starts in the December issue. It is a practical guide to oil palm farming. Oil palm production is a hot project that is exciting many investors because of the many advantages that oil palm production offers.

There’s also an article which features local plants used in controlling or preventing parasites in goats. Another is a feature on organic farm inputs that are replacing inorganic fertilizers and pesticides in Bulacan. Then there is a story of a cooperative in Tarlac that is spearheading the production of organic vegetables in the province.

Mark Nas and Jade Quinio report that hybrid rice farmers in the Visayas are enjoying bountiful harvests. One of the varieties they are planting is PHB71, the first hybrid rice variety introduced and commercialized by Pioneer Hi-Bred. Released in 2008, it has a yield potential of 11 to 14 metric tons per hectare. It is harvestable 110 days after sowing. It is claimed to be moderately resistant to rice blast and is recommended for both the wet and dry seasons in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

One successful grower of PHB71 who recently harvested 9.1 metric tons of fresh grains from one hectare is Leonard “Dingdong” Hermacuelos of Bohol. He was able to sell his palay at P15 per kilo, grossing P136,500 per hectare. He made a big profit because his total cost of production was only P42,700 per hectare.

Allan Nieves and Gerry Bandiola, on the other hand, wrote about a new hybrid corn for the high elevation areas in Mindanao. This is Pioneer Hi-Bred’s P364YR. a biotech variety that resists the Asian corn borer and is also not affected by herbicide during spraying the field against weeds.

The new variety has a potential yield of 10 to 11 tons per hectare and has a shelling recovery of 77 to 80 percent, according to Nieves and Bandiola.

Amado Tolentino, an environmental law pioneer and a former ambassador to Papua New Guinea and Qatar, writes about the importance of the so-called wetlands which are among the most valuable ecosystems in the world as they provide so many benefits to people. He lists seven of them. You will read them in the magazine.

There’s also an unusual dairy farmer in Thailand who feeds his cows eight times a day and gets more than 30 liters of milk per cow in their peak production period. That’s double the usual milk yield under tropical conditions.

The various projects of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) are featured in the December issue. The two agencies are hard at work in trying to find solutions to various agricultural problems all over the world so that international food security could be achieved, even if only partly.

4TH Pinoy Aquatic Fair and Bazaar starts Friday – This will be held at the AANI Herbal Garden and Livelihood Center at the Quezon Memorial Center, Quezon City, on December 2 to 4. To be showcased are the latest developments in fisheries, but there will also be a display of Christmas items, organic products as well as exotic fruit trees.

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