Big companies with a well-focused Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) could transform the lives of poor farmers, making them financially independent and proud of their achievement.

Attending field days is always rewarding, educational and enjoyable. Just like our visit to the experimental farm of Allied Botanical Corporation in Tayug, Pangasinan during their field day on February 21.

A special fertilizer that has been proven to more than double the yield of sugarcane and fruit trees also does wonders on Burley tobacco. This is the Power Grower Combo, a plant growth promotant formulated by Alfonso G. Puyat.

Time and time again, plant aficionados come to us complaining about the poor quality of their fruit harvest. 

Producing hybrid papaya seeds could be a big business for seed companies if their plant breeders could develop varieties with the color and taste preferred by the target markets, are productive and tolerant to pests, diseases and other stresses.

The seed company that started in the Philippines 30 years ago is poised to conquer the tropical world with its high-yielding vegetable seeds that have many other desirable characteristics.

Foreign investors, particularly OFWs or overseas Filipino workers, are getting interested in partnering with Ronald Costales of the Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay, Laguna.

It is always a rewarding experience to visit farms that are unique in their own way. 

The February issue of Agriculture Magazine is now off the press, containing many feature stories that inspire and motivate readers to pursue their selected projects.

Not many people may realize it, but garden shows also contribute to more jobs and livelihood in the cities as well as in the countryside.

Paraoakan is becoming the choice of native chicken raisers.

One very successful program that is helping farmers become more entrepreneurial is the Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan training program for farmers to grow vegetables and other high-value crops (watermelon, honeydew, sweet corn) that was started about five years ago in Bacolod and is being expanded aggressively.

The Agri-Kapihan, the long-running forum for farming enthusiasts, has a new home. This is the AANI Urban Farm at the Kingsville Court in Antipolo City.

Farm tours can be very educational for those who are interested in farming or gardening, whether it is just a backyard garden or an honest-to-goodness business enterprise.

Recently we had the good fortune of joining a dinner with Dr. William Dar, the director general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, India.

Sometime back, we featured the special fertilizer that doubled the yield of sugarcane in the farm of Mauro and Melanie Merculio in Victoria, Tarlac.

Our good friend Max Ricohermoso is all smiles these days.

 It pays to pelletize organic fertilizer. That’s the conclusion of Dr. Rene Sumaoang of Novatech, a leading manufacturer of organic fertilizer.

The cover story of the January, 2013 issue of Agriculture Magazine is on Arabica coffee in the Cordillera. 

The order of the day for the Typhoon Pablo victims is for them to produce food within the shortest possible time. There are crops that can be harvested within just a few weeks from planting.

They are actually Gmelina trees but they are better known as “Soul Trees” as far as the St. Peter Group of Companies is concerned.

When the Organic Agriculture Act was passed in 2010, it was a big challenge for the technical staff of East-West Seed Company to prove that vegetables, the modern varieties as well as the indigenous ones, could be grown successfully without chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

The great success that the East-West Seed is enjoying today is the result of dogged perseverance and the strong belief that a good and reliable seed could have more lasting impact on our farmers than the billions of aid money from well-meaning donor nations and NGOs.

In the past, mango trees in Ilocos Norte used to be very productive. But not anymore. Of late, production had been going down and many of the mango trees have become sickly or even died. 

Next week, December 12 to be exact, the country’s leading seed firm, the East-West Seed Company, will be observing its 30th anniversary. As a fitting gesture, it will give special recognition to 30 outstanding “Farmer Heroes” who have prospered, thanks to the improved technologies developed by the company.

There are a number of developments that point to a rosy future for the local sugar industry. These were cited by a top executive of a leading company engaged in the sugar industry.

An increasing number of fruit farmers are discovering the advantages of growing Longkong lanzones instead of mango for a number of good reasons.

Lady farmers can be at par with, if not better than,many of their male counterparts.

The application of a special fertilizer formulation on sugarcane has virtually doubled the yield in terms of cane tonnage as well as in sugar yield.

 The latest development in growing ampalaya is grafting. That’s what they are doing at the Farm Ready Nursery of East-West Seed Company in San Rafael, Bulacan.

The Red Hot variety of hot pepper is proving to be a money maker for many farmers in the Philippines.

The Singapore government is providing hefty incentives to people who would like to engage in food production.

Not many farmers may realize it, but the most crucial stage that can assure high yield in corn is proper care of the corn plant during its first 45 days.

The 14th National Mango  Congress 2012 will focus on efficient and sustainable production as well as increased investment in mango tourism.

Here’s one money-making project that is very doable and requires very little capital.

The organizers thought that they should come up with not just the common garden show that showcases nothing but ornamentals and flowering plants.

Last Wednesday, we were able to talk to Agriculture Sec. Proceso J. Alcala at the opening of the Quezon City Country Fair and Garden Show at the Quezon Memorial Circle.

This coming Saturday, Onctober 20, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon we will conduct a lecture on the money-making opportunities in exotic fruit trees.

After Agrilink, follows another event that should also attract a lot of farming and gardening enthusiasts.

This year’s edition of the Agrilink trade show opens today at the World Trade Center in Pasay City with Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala leading the special guests.

This Saturday, August 25, the 26th anniversary of the Agri-Kapihan will be celebrated at the St. Vincent Seminary on Tandang Sora St. in Quezon City, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

Attending agricultural exhibits is really rewarding. You meet a lot of interesting people and learn about their interesting products or technologies.

The garden people are cooking something new. Instead of the usual garden show, they are coming up with a Country Fair right in the heart of Quezon City.

Major world distributors of machines and equipment for the livestock and poultry industry will showcase their products and services at the 2012 edition of Agrilink which will be held at the World Trade Center-Manila on October 4 to 6.

One unique project that is being pursued in Dagupan City is the production of organically grown pigs for lechon making. Earlier this year, we witnessed the piglets that were raised for the Lechon Festival staged by the city government in an effort to attract more tourists to the city.

More farmers and agribusiness people should attend the Agri Machinery Show which ends on Saturday at the World Trade Center at the corner of Gil Puyat Avenue and Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City.

More and more byproducts of the coconut are becoming commercialized, thanks to government and private initiatives. We are, of course, familiar with the many old byproducts like broom, vinegar, coco coir, coco peat, virgin coconut oil and lately coco sugar and coco water from mature nuts (not buko).

If you want to read the detailed guide in planting the Diana watermelon, better get a copy of the July issue of Agriculture Magazine published by the Bulletin and edited by yours truly, which is now off the press.

Processed products from the fruits of an indigenous tree in Batanes will be researched and developed in earnest with the financial support expected to be released soon by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) of the Department of Agriculture.

Women are enterprising and they also make good farmers. Just like two women from Brgy. Posnaan, Aguinaldo, Ifugao. who have been growing one of the latest corn hybrids called Healer 101.

One municipal head who is really serious in propagating organic farming in his own town is Mayor Leoncio “Jun” Evasco of Maribojoc, Bohol.

The ongoing trend is production of healthy foods, which means naturally-farmed food products that are not sprayed with chemical pesticides or meat products that are laced with antibiotics.

How did the idea of making sugar powder out of sweet sorghum juice? 

We just got an e-mail announcing the convening of the “First National Agritourism Research Conference in the Philippines” under the auspices of the Tourism Foundation Inc. and the Los Baños-based SEARCA or Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture. 

Not a few readers have been asking us how best they can start their own farm projects. 

Sweet sorghum was introduced in the Philippines several years back as a possible source of biofuel. 

This is the success story of the Mama Sita banana that has become a very promising commercial variety for farmers to grow. It is one of a number of products of a collaborative research effort between a private foundation (Mama Sita Foundation) and the 

Make sure to get a copy of the March 2012 issue of Agriculture Magazine published by the Manila Bulletin. It is now off the press and is available in bookstores and Bulletin outlets in various parts of the country. 

One of the interesting persons we met at the recent Philippine Food Exposition (Philfoodex) at the World Trade Center was a lady who specializes in making pickles out of locally available raw materials. 

Three processing plants in Aurora province are converting the coconut husk into important byproducts, thus maximizing the income of farmers from their trees. 

There are important coming events that you would like to know. Like the Philfoodex, for instance.

There’s really money and job opportunity in those green coconut husks with shell usually thrown away by vendors of “buko” who are found in many places in Metro Manila. 

Household waste disposal can be money-making, money-saving and job generating. Just like what they are doing in Las Piñas City. 

One effective way of gathering useful techniques and know-how in farming is by joining farm tours.

Helping Indigenous Peoples (IPs) harness their ancestral lands could contribute to the production of more food and other necessities. If the huge ancestral lands set aside for our brothers in the uplands are farmed in a sustainable way, rural poverty could be alleviated and there could be less peace and order problems.

They are in their early 40s and are both working for a construction company in Manila. This early Gilbert and Anita Catudio are thinking of their retirement so they bought a small farm in Anita’s hometown of Magdalena in Laguna.

One of the first things that former Senator Leticia Shahani told us when we met her at the recent Agri-Kapihan in Carmen, Rosales, Pangasinan was that we should not only write about successful farmers. We should also write about farming failures. 

One of the most-attended Agri-Kapihan sessions was held last Saturday, January 14, at the experimental farm of Known-You Philippines in Carmen, Rosales, Pangasinan. 

If you are receiving P270,000 salary a month would you give up your job even if your bosses are not asking you to resign? For many people, they would probably think not only twice but many times over.

An ongoing research on forage crops for goats points to a very promising potential of Indigofera as an excellent source of protein for both the dairy and meat type goats.

The melon family – watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew - are major crops in Taiwan. 

A leading breeder of purebred Brahman cattle in Batangas has come up with a liberal investment package for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as well as for interested retirees. 

Make sure to get a copy of the January 2012 Agriculture Magazine which is now off the press. You will read about the amazing feats of desert farmers in Israel, producing record harvests of high-value crops and the highest milk yield per cow in the world.

One possible new project for enterprising agribusiness people is growing cherry tomato. Not so many Filipino farmers are familiar with this miniature tomato whose fruits are about the size of most seedless grapes.

Seed companies are continually developing new crop varieties in order to provide solutions to the concerns of farmers, creating new opportunities for them in the process. 

An Israeli invention is poised to catapult pomegranate, heretofore considered mostly as a minor fruit, into something of major importance. 

High-tech agriculture in Israel is producing record yields in both animal and field crops.

How can vegetable farmers in a desert produce 300 tons of tomatoes in one year per hectare?

We often hear that when you go into farming, you should devote your full time to it to make sure that your project will be successful.

The good news for vegetable growers is that more and more new varieties are being developed by the local seed companies. 

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. 

One beautiful vegetable garden that we have seen and which may be considered educational as well as commercial is the Tanim sa Kinabukasan (TSK) project at the San Miguel Elementary School in Magalang, Pampanga. 

Do you want to start a commercial goat raising project? You say you have a lot of money so you think you can start a huge project right away. 

Most business graduates dream of joining a corporate operation after graduation. There are some, however, who opt to go into farming as their full-time endeavor. Just like Lucio Alfredo Cubillejo, a master’s degree holder in business management.

Even ordinary farmers, like land reform beneficiaries, can earn big money if they plant the right varieties and they also learn how to grow their plants the right way. 

The first session of the now-weekly Agri-Kapihan drew a big crowd last Saturday at the St. Vincent Seminary on Tandang Sora in Quezon City. 

Starting Saturday, November 5, the Agri-Kapihan which has become a virtual institution as a free forum for farming enthusiasts, will now be held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

The vast potential of African oil palm as a profitable crop is highlighted in the November issue of Agriculture Magazine published by the Manila Bulletin and edited by yours truly. 

In every line of farming, there is usually one or a few who excel in a number of ways. Just like Surapong Peanprasop who owns the Tropical Dairy Farm in Tamung, Kanjanaburi province in Thailand. 

A group of five culinary students from the Pililla campus of the University of Rizal System romped away with the first prize in the Culinary Clash that was a highlight of the Pangasius Festival organized by the Department of Trade and Industry in Rizal province.

More and more groups are batting for the intensified planting and consumption of the lowly camote for a number of good reasons.

The Rizal provincial office of the Department of Trade and Industry is conducting a Pangasius Culinary Festival next Tuesday, October 18, starting at 2 p.m. at the University of Rizal System in Morong, Rizal.

A two-day short course on Permaculture will be held on Oct. 29-30 (Saturday and Sunday) at the Agribusiness Center of the Department of Agriculture main headquarters in Diliman, Quezon City. This is under the auspices of the group called SOAP or “Spread Organic Agriculture in the Philippines” and the Cabiokid Permaculture Farm. 

This i s your las t chance to visit the Agrilink trade show which will end at 6 o’clock Saturday evening. 

Let’s take a peek at the biggest dairy cooperative in Thailand. This is the Nongpho Dairy Cooperative in Ratchaburi province located over a hundred kilometers from Bangkok.

Filipino farmers will be able to know more about the wonders of drip irrigation and fertigation at the Agrilink trade show which starts on Thursday, October 6, and will run through Saturday, October 8, at the World Trade Center-Metro Manila.

Dairy production is booming in Thailand and so is the production of feeds for the animals. 

In agribusiness, you have to be fast in spotting money-making opportunities. In good times and in bad, there are always money-making opportunities for the enterprising.

Every now and then we meet interesting agri-people with wonderful ideas or projects. And what we think as one smart idea is the new project of Dr. Pablito P. Pamplona and his son Joseph Anthony in Laak, Compostela Valley. 

A three-day Harvest Festival will be held at the Quezon Memorial Circle under the auspices of the Agri-Aqua Network International (AANI) starting Friday, September 16, and ending on Sunday, September 18. 

There are smart ways of creating a fund for some noble projects. 

Rubber has been grown commercially in the Philippines for many years but this was only in Mindanao. Rubber is particularly profitable to grow at this time because the price in the world market (and in the Philippines) is really high.

Agricultural companies are developing new technologies aimed at producing higher crop yields in more economical and more sustainable ways. 

Good news for the Agri-Kapihan aficionados. Starting this September, two more sessions will be held in addition to the one held every last Sunday of the month at the courtyard of radio station DWWW in Quezon City. 

Meet a pioneer producer of organic rice seeds for planting. He is Manuel “Nonong” Bagatsing who owns the Kahariam Organic Farm in Lipa City that is producing a lot of vermicompost and vermicast. 

More and more makapuno seedlings are being made available to farmers who want to plant this high-value crop

Science-based practices really work wonders. Just like the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) that scientist recommend for reducing pest and disease damage in crops. 

It is heartening to note that many agribusiness firms are expanding their operations and are creating new jobs for our farmers, technicians and traders. 

This seems to be the season for agricultural events which our farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, businessmen as well as people in the academe should attend. 

Now that the rains are here, we might as well harvest them for future use. 

One group that has stood the test of time is the Agri-Kapihan, a forum for farming enthusiasts that is open free to the public. 

The company that makes the ubiquitous Mama Sita sauces and condiment mixes is in an expansion mode. 

A five-year experiment has proven that it is advantageous to use paraquat (Gramoxone) in suppressing weeds in sloping areas and planting the same without any plowing. After suppressing the weeds, the seeds or seedlings are planted by dibbling.

With just one spray with a new growth-enhancing formulation, a farmer in Pangasinan was able to produce 13 tons of corn kernels (14% moisture content) in one hectare. 

The latest developments in the coconut industry will be showcased during the 10th Coconut Festival which will be held at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City on August 25-28. 

For 12 days starting last June 25, we had the good fortune of witnessing the transformation of even virtual wastelands into productive farms in India through the miracle of drip irrigation.

In this column last June 25, we reported on the Xylose Coco Sugar, a special kind of sugar that is extracted from the coconut shell.

There’s a new hybrid papaya that promises to be a good money-maker for farmers. It is called Red Royale and it is dwarf and very fruitful.

Make sure to buy a copy of the July issue of Agriculture Magazine published by the Manila Bulletin and edited by yours truly.

Would you believe that a new kind of coconut sugar can be extracted from the shell of mature coconut? It looks unimaginable but the fact is that a P2-billion company has been set up at the DADC Economic Zone in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, to produce the novel product.

Finally, people in high places are taking a more serious stance on the lowly camote and all the other rootcrops that have long been ignored or neglected by the Department of Agriculture.

Whenever we have the chance to visit Thailand, we always try our best to revisit the famous Talad Thai market, about an hour’s drive from the heart of Bangkok.

When people think of growing fruit trees, the first thing that usually comes to their mind is mango. Our carabao mango variety tastes great when ripened at the proper maturity.

Thailand is great in cattle dairying. It is 90 percent selfsufficient as far as fresh cow’s milk is concerned compared to 2 percent in the Philippines.

If Thai farmers are progressive in their various agricultural projects today, you can credit that in a big way to King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

We just received a copy of the profitability analysis of a coconut sap sugar production module from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD).

Make sure to get a copy of the June issue of Agriculture Magazine so you won’t miss the many informative articles that range from brown egg production to technologies that will increase the yield of upland rice.

Farming means hard work and while it is often gratifying, it can also be very frustrating. 

The country’s most-attended agricultural trade expo will be staged on October 6 to 8 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

One fellow who is proving that there is more money to be earned from farming than from one’s employment is Reynaldo Hilario of Brgy. Caanipahan, Talavera, Nueva Ecija.

The Mama Sita banana, an introduced cultivar from Thailand, is showing some of its fine qualities in field trials as well as in actual small plantings of people who have planted some of the first available planting materials.

Farming can be a good source of income even as just a sideline for those who are employed. In fact there are many people we know who are making good income from farming as a sideline.

The growing trend is eating healthy foods. This means organically or naturally-farmed agricultural products, both plants and animals.

Anselmo Dionio, 57, of Kaaringayan, Laoac, Pangasinan studied electronics in college but by some twist of fate, he drifted towards agriculture.

Most students who go to college usually look for employment after graduation. But there are a few who would rather become entrepreneurs and put up their own source of livelihood.

The right farming technologies are very important for farmers to succeed in their projects.

A leading animal nutrition and healthcare company is launching a new program that will teach returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) how to put up their own piggery projects.

In farming, as in any other business, it pays to have a good credit line. And to develop a good credit line, you have to be a good payer of whatever you borrow. 

We had an interesting exchange of ideas with Roberto P. Alingog during breakfast at a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City last April 2. He is a rural banker and founder of Ropali, a distributor of agricultural implements and motorcycles with 110 outlets all over the country.

One major interest of ours during our recent trip to Vietnam was to sample their fruits in season. The trip was part of our prize for winning in the Bright Leaf Journalism Award under the auspices of Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation.

It is always refreshing to note that there are scientists who are continually coming up with practical technologies that provide a big impact on local farming.

We just received the results of a recent research on the impact of improved vegetable seed varieties in five countries that included Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and the Philippines. 

On April 4, Pioneer Hi-Bred will inaugurate its P1-billion Tarlac Production Plant at the Luisita Industrial Park.

Watch for the release of the April issue of Agriculture Magazine this weekend and get a liberal dose about hybrid onion, rice and corn.

We were invited to a dinner one evening attended by gentleman farmers. Many of them have been following our articles in the Bulletin. Their complaint was that we are not writing enough about failures in farming. Maybe, they said, we should write also about costly mistakes. 

Would you believe that a once-landless land reform beneficiary is now a millionaire several times over after 15 years? 

We met some of the most enterprising lady farmers during our visit to Mindanao last Friday. Some started very young and continue to be farmers even after finishing college. 

Will there be 50 million cacao trees planted by our farmers by the year 2020? 

It is always heartening to hear of positive developments in the different sectors in agriculture. Last week we were updated on the new developments in the pili industry in Bicol. 

The March issue of Agriculture Magazine features an extensive report on the “Field Evaluation of Antica for Management of Rice Bacterial Leaf Blight and Tungro.”

 Dr. Bart Lapus and wife Clara of Mama Sita fame are advocates of healthy eating.

 Five years ago, Zamboanga del Norte was listed as the poorest province in the country. 

 People who are intending to put up their own farm projects should consider joining farm tours or visits to different farms.

 The onion growers in Nueva Ecija are upbeat these days, thanks to the high price that traders are offering for their early harvests.

 Sen. Edgardo J. Angara’s latest pet project, “Oh My Gulay!”, will be launched tomorrow evening, Feb. 11, at the Manila Polo Club in Makati.

 Some 1,600 farmers in Pangasinan and nearby provinces will enjoy a new source of livelihood, thanks to the newly inaugurated Bt corn seed processing plant put up by Syngenta in Brgy. Sumabnit, Binalonan, Pangasinan.

 What does it take to convert a rice field cultivated the conventional way into an organic farm? 

Sometime back, we joined an informal discussion on how we could help minimize importing rice.

The February issue of Agriculture Magazine published by the Manila Bulletin and edited by yours truly features the organic farming movement in Negros Occidental as well as another certified organic farm in Lipa City, the Kahariam farm of Manuel Bagatsing.

Bokashi is a cheaper organic fertilizer compared to vermicompost. Yet it is also a very potent fertilizer for various crops.

Ramon Uy of Bacolod City does not only make the now-well known RU shredders used in shredding materials for vermicomposting.

One trend is that there are less and less students enrolling in agriculture courses. The usual reason advanced is that students tend to enroll in other courses like nursing and computer science.

The organic rice producers in Negros Occidental are upbeat these days.

 Oton town in Iloilo is considered the watermelon capital of the country.

An increasing number of organic farming enthusiasts are getting serious in pursuing their projects.

A food festival was held last December 28 at the Las Brisas Resort in Antipolo City aimed at promoting the production as well as consumption of Pangasius, the fish from Vietnam which we are importing in big volumes at a high cost.

 Investing heavily in the Alaminos Salad Garden is one of the best business decisions that Alaminos Goat Farm (AGF) has made in their goat business in 2010, according to Rene Almeda who and his two sons run the modern goat farm in Laguna.

Provincianos who have ventured to find their luck in Manila but who are finding it hard to make both ends meet should get some inspiration from those who have come to the city and then returned to the province for good.

 A new aeration system for fishponds was showcased at the recent AANI Agri-Aqua Christmas Festival at the St. Vincent Seminary along Tandang Sora in Quezon City.

 Early this month, we visited Boracay not necessarily to be a tourist but to try to find out what vegetables and other farm products the island resort needs, and where are the usual sources?

 Some very ordinary plants are often taken for granted.

 The white chickens which the big integrators are raising in confinement in large operations are now being raised as free-range chickens.

 Bartolome Demateo, 66, has proven that it is much better to go back to the farm rather than be a bus conductor in Metro Manila.

 In Korea forest trees are taken care of just like any other precious crop.

 The world, and the Philippines in particular, can learn much from the experience of South Korea in rehabilitating its forest lands that were devastated during the Japanese occupation as well as during the Korean war in the early 1950s.

 Listening to the speakers at the recent International Rice Congress in Hanoi, Vietnam, convinced us that the pesky rice problem will stay with us for a long time.

 Make sure to get a copy of the December issue of Agriculture Magazine which is now off the press.

 Vietnam produces some 40 million tons of rice a year and is the second biggest rice exporter in the world.

Ramgo International is investing some P5-million in its expansion program that includes the setting up of a new research station in Polomolok, South Cotabato which was inaugurated last October 28.

Efficiency in farm production is just one half of the farming game.

Make sure to get a copy of the November issue of Agriculture Magazine published by the Manila Bulletin and edited by yours truly.

It is always rewarding to talk to people who have the know-how and who are willing to share their expertise.

At the coconut festival which was held recently at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, we met the lady who pioneered in making coconut sugar in the Philippines.

If you have not gone to the Agrilink trade show at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, you still have the whole day today to do so. You will be happy to see so many interesting products, technologies and ideas that you can adopt in your own projects.

The country’s premier agricultural trade show, Agrilink 2010, opens today at the World Trade Center-Metro Manila at the corner of Puyat Avenue and Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, and will run through Saturday, October 9.

Would you believe that a kid that is just two months old weighs 20.8 kilos?

Read about the latest on Longkong, the superior variety of lanzones from Thailand, in the October issue of Agriculture Magazine which is now off the press.

There is one more reason why farming enthusiasts should attend the Agrilink trade show that will be held on October 7 to 9 at the World Trade Center–Metro Manila at the corner of Puyat Avenue and Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City.

The last time in this column we featured some winning strategies in agriculture.

Practical techniques in farming make for greater efficiency that could mean more profits.

While small ruminants (goats and sheep) will be the major sector that will be highlighted at the Agrilink 2010 which is fast approaching, there are many good reasons why farming enthusiasts should attend this most prestigious and most successful agri trade fair in the country.

The development of mariculture parks promises to be the answer to the continuing depletion of fish catch in our marine waters that threatens the livelihood of fisherfolks in our coastal communities.

Sometimes the joy in farming comes from discovering something new that has potential benefits.

We often receive complaints of people wanting to go into the business of farming.

There’s a good money-making potential in raising sheep as featured in the September issue of Agriculture Magazine which is now off the press.

A new coconut variety that can yield as many as 150 nuts per tree in one year was showcased at the recent coconut festival and trade fair held at the SM Megamall recently.

It is always highly rewarding to attend agricultural events that are held every now and then.

We just got this e-mail from Nixon Princesa, currently procurement assistant of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste.

The Technoguide on Oil Palm Production and Disease Management was launched last Thursday during the opening of the 6th Agriculture and Fisheries Technology Forum.

Perhaps, one way of helping Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala achieve his goal of stopping rice importation after three years is to grow more camote and more people shifting from rice to eating camote.

Sheep raisers in the Philippines are much less than goat raisers.

The 24th anniversary of the Agri-Kapihan was celebrated together with the 10th anniversary of the radio program Kaunlaran sa Agrikultura last Sunday at the courtyard of radio station DWWW in Quezon City.

Get a copy of the August issue of Agriculture Magazine and learn many things about pummelo production and other improved farming techniques. The magazine is now off the press.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala got a rousing welcome at the three-day AANI Harvest Festival held at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City on July 16 to 18.

We just got an email from Leo Fernandez from the US bewailing the proliferation of Philippine food products being copied mostly by Thailand, Taiwan and other countries.

A five-day international confab on native animals will be held from July 19 to 23 at the Philippine Carabao Center located on the campus of Central Luzon State University in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

We have received a copy of a letter of Dr. William Dar urging the new Agriculture Secretary, former Rep. Proceso J. Alcala, to support the establishment of the proposed Philippine Dryland Research Institute.

One of the most upbeat gentleman farmers we met recently is Rene Florencio, a mechanical engineer who used to manage a well known machinery firm based in Makati.

When we first met him a couple of years back, then Congressman Proceso J. Alcala, now the new Department of Agriculture Secretary, admitted that Quezon province was well known for its insurgents.

A three-day Agri-Aqua Harvest Festival will be held on July 16 to 18 at the Quezon Memorial Circle as a special feature of the celebration of the 14th anniversary of AANI or Agri-Aqua Network International.

If you want to read about a success story in papaya production, better get hold of the July issue of Agriculture Magazine published by the Manila Bulletin and edited by yours truly.

A 28-year-old lady chemical engineer gave up her job in a multinational company three years ago to devote her time to organic farming in the cool mountains of Daraitan in Tanay, Rizal.

There are really a number of good reasons why we should plant more pummelos, the good varieties of course.

A civil engineer who worked for six years in Saudi Arabia returned to his hometown of Sta. Rita, Pampanga, in 1992 and decided to make farming as his main source of livelihood.

An organic farmer in Majayjay, Laguna, has found a way to combat the deadly bacterial wilt disease of tomato without using any chemical pesticide.

It seems the organic movement is going great everywhere.

The Agri-Kapihan is really where you can pick up very useful information in farming and gardening.

A model vegetable garden in a subdivision in San Fernando City in Pampanga could provide inspiration to other subdivisions in other parts of the country.

More than 50 varieties of new vegetables and other high-value crops are currently grown on two hectares in Brgy. Sto. Rosario, Floridablanca, Pampanga to find out how they fare under growing conditions in actual farmers’ fields.

Advocates of organic agriculture will showcase their products and technologies during the 3rd Pinoy Organic Festival on May 28 to 30 at the AANI Herbal Garden and Livelihood Center at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.

In agriculture, cost-cutting is an important key to success.

If you are interested in farming, gardening or anything related to agriculture and fisheries, better attend the Agri-Kapihan that is held every last Sunday of the month from 8 to 11 a.m.

Whatever you plant, take good care of them, please. We recently came from a piggery where the owner had planted about a hundred calamansi trees in a vacant space not far from the pig houses.

While there are reports of fantastic high rice yields obtained by some farmers, most Filipino farmers are still experiencing low yields.

We attended last week the presentation of results of a study on the performance of Saanen goats as dairy animals under the collaborative effort of the Alaminos Goat Farm in Laguna, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) and the National Dairy Authority.

More contract-growing schemes in rice production is being advocated by Dr. Frisco Malabanan, the national program coordinator of Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program of the government.

Make sure to get a copy of the May issue of Agriculture Magazine which is now off the press.

Different technologies that could help boost rice production in the country will be showcased at the Rice Expo to be held on April 27 to 30 at the Syntech Research Station in Purok 2, Brgy. Sta. Arcadia in Cabanatuan City.

Time is gold. So don’t lose time.

An enterprising couple have put up the country’s first commercial Tilanggit processing plant, currently processing 200 kilos of baby tilapia for the local and export markets.

A new research involving a private goat farm and two government agencies has come up with proof that indeed, goat dairying can develop into a viable industry.

One way of stimulating interest in farming or hobby gardening is to form a group of similarly-inclined people.

Our good friend from Los Baños, Dr. Benito S. Vergara, national scientist, has a subtle sense of humor.

The April issue of Agriculture Magazine is now off the press.

A new chemical is being introduced in the market to protect corn seeds and seedlings in the field from the usual pests that attack them.

Gerardo Viloria, 75, is a lawyer who was a provincial board member of La Union for many years until his last term in 2007.

Expect something great when a professional who is a management expert goes into farming.

Arrowroot is probably one of the most neglected crops by our government agriculturists and researchers.

Total defoliation of custard apple, a member of the atis family, really works wonders.

Farm tours are increasingly becoming popular for a number of good reasons.

Agri PLain Talk

Not many people may realize it bu the orchid business is also creating a lot of jobs, not only for farm workers but also for traders and other entrepreneurs.
 

There are some surprises if you visit the integrated solid waste management facility of the town of Teresa, Rizal, a pet project of Mayor Rodel de la Cruz.

Organic rice farming can be a sustainable and profitable undertaking, especially if farmers will integrate growing fish and vegetables.

Farming is just like any other business and one winning strategy is to develop one’s network with similarly agriculturally-inclined individuals.

Agri Plain Talk

What started as a seed company focused on breeding sorghum some 25 years ago has now become a major player in the seed industry.

Agri Plain Talk

Make sure to get a copy of the February issue of Agriculture Magazine which is now off the press and is available in major bookstores and outlets of Manila Bulletin nationwide.

Now that El Niño is here with us, what are the crops that we should plant?

One laudable project that aims to teach elementary school kids was launched recently by East-West Seed Company in two elementary schools in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

If you have the area and the money to invest, better get into sugarcane production, especially if there is an accessible sugar mill where you can take your harvest for milling.

A lady civil engineer who teaches computer science subjects in Cagayan de Oro has recently caught the vegetable gardening bug and is very excited about it.

Our friend Remy Rodis Santelices is very ecstatic these days.

Adding a new product to your main line could be a winning strategy in these challenging times.

This new year, try doing something new in your own farm. Just what we have done lately in our own little farm.

One characteristic of successful farmers we have met is that they create a steady market for whatever they produce.

Our ood friend Arsenio ‘Toto’ Barcelona of Harbest Agribusiness is in the process of forming a club that will promote closer ties between farmers in the Philippines and Taiwan.

When it comes to dissemination of farming technology, nothing beats the demo farm.

Looking for a niche market in farming is a tried and tested strategy.

If you have some money to invest this new year, better get hold of the latest two publications from the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development.

The technology to commercially tap three nontraditional sources of natural fiber has been developed by the Philippine Textile Research Institute, an agency of the Department of Science and Technology headed by Dr. Carlos Tomboc.

Research is the major key to success for Du Pont, a global company with various products used to meet every conceivable need, including agriculture.

A revolutionary product has been developed by an American firm, SenesTech, Inc., which will virtually sterilize the female rats so that they will not reproduce.

Make sure to get a copy of the December issue of Agriculture Magazine which is now off the press. It contains a lot of informative articles which could help you achieve greater success in your farming.

Biotechnology is increasingly becoming important to agriculture, especially in the light of changing climate and the need to achieve sufficiency not only in the food we eat but also in other agricultural products.

Mitigating the adverse effects of climate on fruit production is the subject of an interesting article of Dr. Pablito P. Pamplona which is scheduled for inclusion in the January 2010 issue of Agriculture Magazine.

A forum titled “Revisiting the Organic Fertilizer Issue in Rice” has been set for November 26 at the SEARCA Umali Auditorium at the UP Los Banos campus under the auspices of Asia Rice Foundation.

One of our listeners in our radio program wanted to know what plant he could plant in his Cabuyao property that does not need any care. Apparently, he is a busy person who does not have any time to attend to his farm.

In the radio program, Kaunlaran sa Agrikultura, which we co-host, we have been featuring a lot of agribusiness people, big and small, who are immensely successful in their projects.

Cutting trees is not really a bad thing.

One successful agribusiness venture that continues to surge is Harbest Agribusiness Corporation owned by our good friend Arsenio ‘Toto’ Barcelona.

The 2008 annual report of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development features a number of successful farmers.

The Animal Products Development Center, a section of the Research Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry, is a most helpful government agency, if you ask entrepreneurs like Rene Almeda of Alaminos Goat Farm.

You still have your last chance to visit Agrilink Saturday.

For agri people, all roads lead starting Thursday to the World Trade Center Metro Manila at the corner of Gil Puyat Avenue and Diosdado Macapagal Blvd. in Pasay City.

The Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program is bent on pushing the adoption of the technology up to the year 2013.

Garden shows have a wonderful way of promoting agriculture, too.

The October issue of Agriculture Magazine is out with hobby farmer Justito Fernandez on the cover.

Our long time friend Dave Deppner always has an interesting story to tell whenever he comes to the Philippines and gives us a visit.

We just got an e-mail from a lady who said she discovered what she really wanted in life after reading our column in Panorama magazine.

The good news is that the farmers being trained to grow high-value vegetables and other crops are being afforded an excellent opportunity to sell their products, too.

The most awaited agricultural trade show is just around the corner.

The development of a standard for goat meat cuts and value-added products from goat meat is the objective of a new project spearheaded by Alaminos Goat Farm of Laguna.

The camote or sweetpotato is more important than you think in ensuring food security.

The September issue of Agriculture Magazine features sweet pepper as a favorite money-maker of many high-value vegetable farmers. Of course, they have good reasons for preferring to plant this crop.

We just visited the Small Ruminants Center (SRC) at the Central Luzon State University and one of the interesting items we saw is the portable pelletizing machine developed by the center.

Four senior agriculture students at the Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte, are growing high-value vegetables provided by East-West Seed Company on 3,000 square meters allocated by the university so they could earn money for their tuition and other school expenses.

New high-value products are being developed at the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center, PhilRootcrops for short, based at the Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte.

One strategy of successful farmers is to specialize in a crop that they have mastered to produce and to market.

In the banana producing areas in Mindanao, the growers have a problem with their so-called “rejects”
which are either too small or too big for the export market.

A husband and wife team at the Philippine Coconut Authority’s Davao Research Center in Davao City has discovered an indigenous wasp that could help control the spread of the destructive coconut leaf beetle called Brontispa longissima.

A unique brooding system has been developed by Andry and Joji Lim of Helen’s Farm in Calinan, Davao City.

The hitherto unexploited opportunities in the coconut industry will be discussed in the First Mindanao Coconut Summit which will be held today and tomorrow in Mati City, Davao Oriental.

Make sure to get a copy of the August issue of Agriculture Magazine, which is now off the press, so you will get updated on the latest developments in crop production aquaculture and many more.

We have been traveling throughout the country the past several months and everywhere we go, everybody seems to be getting into some kind of organic or natural farming.

The country’s leading seed companies recently showcased their favorite vegetable hybrids at the Pacman Farm of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.

Did you know that the country’s biggest dairy farm is in Lanao del Norte?

One simple technique that could add more weight to our corn harvest is to air-dry the husked ears rather than drying the kernels in the sun.

One of the most successful artificial insemination programs in large ruminants we have seen lately is in Lanao del Norte.

Lanao del Norte is rich in agricultural and fisheries resources.

The First Mindanao Coconut Summit that was originally set at an earlier date will be finally held in Mati City, Davao Oriental, on July 30 to 31.

Natural farming has been the growing trend among more and more places that thrive on the agricultural industry.

Lighting Ridge Farm growers Arvin and Angel Bryan Yumul shares there secret to growing more and more poultry using antibiotics and an innovative ventilation system.

One effective method of making farmers readily accept new ideas is to involve them in experiments
of their own with the guidance of experts.

Don’t look now, but the trend is increasingly going towards organic. That means using less and less chemical inputs in agriculture and using more and more natural products for growing not only plant crops but also farm animals.

With the increasing popularity of raising naturally-farmed free-range chickens, farmers from the provinces are now sourcing their chicks from suppliers in Manila and through their distributors in the provinces.

Among the bestsellers at the recent national mango congress in Tagbilaran City were the dried mangoes and mango juice produced by the Itable Agri-Industrial Corporation in Tubigon, Bohol.

We have met some of the most interesting mango people at the 11th National Mango Congress held at the Bohol Cultural Center in Tagbilaran City from April 27 to 29.

If you ask progressive rice and corn farmers in Occidental Mindoro who taught them improved techniques of grains production, they will most likely point to Jose Paquibongan.

Get a copy of the May issue of Agriculture Magazine and read about the bright prospects of dairying with Saanen goats. Featured on the cover is Rene Almeda who runs the Alaminos Goat Farm in Laguna together with his two sons, Art and Toti.

I have been toying with this idea for quite some time now, voicing it to friends and acquaintances.

Take it from 46-year-old Nestor Kalaw of Brgy. Plaridel, Lipa City.

Our long-time friend Dave Deppner has a few concerns about the confusing stories he hears and reads about jatropha.

The damage inflicted by 'Kurikong' is becoming an important concern of mango growers in many parts of the country.

Sometimes what some people consider as misfortune might actually turn out to be blessings in disguise.

Some 100,000 tons of coconut coir dust in a factory in Mati City, Davao Oriental, will soon be converted into gold.

If you want to learn more about natural farming, better get hold of the April issue of Agriculture Magazine.

An increasing number of farmers in Pangasinan are resorting to the use of a powder spray to increase the yields of their vegetables.

More and more people are getting interested in natural farming. To make a profitable operation, you can make your inputs like fermented juices for your plants as well as your animals.

Don’t look now, but something is happening to improve the income of Virginia tobacco farmers in the Ilocos. One is the dissemination of two new varieties that produce higher-priced flue-cured leaves, higher-yielding and are also resistant to pests and diseases.

The government is not exactly efficient in implementing cattle dispersal program. Dr. Emil Q. Javier, president of the National Academy of Science and Technology, has provided us figures that 88 percent of cattle dispersed by the government were not paid back. And that’s probably why Sen. Edgardo Angara stopped the DA’s dispersal program when he became the Secretary of Agriculture in 1999.

Forced molting is a time-tested strategy in egg production.This technique forces the chickens to change their feathers. In the process, the birds stop laying eggs for about a month in preparation for a  heavier egg production. 

A certified public accountant is one of the most successful durian farmers in Davao City.

A number of enterprising farmers are doing their brand of natural farming in Brgy. Los Amigos in Tugbok district, Davao City. They are showing how one can succeed in farming without using the conventional means of growing crops, like controlling pests and diseases with chemical pesticides. They don’t use chemical fertilizers either, which don’t only make the soil acidic, they are also very expensive.

When a US-educated young man becomes the governor of his province, expect him to do a business-like approach in developing agriculture and fisheries in his territory. Just like Mohammad Khalid Q. Dimaporo, 29, who became Lanao del Norte’s youngest governor two years ago.

DON'T look now, but more and more farmers are planting Bt corn, the GMO or genetically modified corn variety that many anti-biotech people had been condemning. Last year, at least 200,000 small corn farmers planted and made money from Bt corn, planting some 350,000 hectares.

A new platform funded with $ 6.2 million has been launched in India to translate transgenic technology and harness its products to meet the needs of agricultural growth, it was learned from Dr. William Dar, director general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) based in India.

In these times of economic turmoil, when employees are being retrenched left and right, you have to be creative to be able to create your own source of income. No matter how small the project may be in the beginning, it is worth starting. Who knows, it could be the start of something big and profitable.

The trend these days is towards natural farming, especially with spiraling prices of chemical agricultural inputs. That is why the release of Teresa Perez-Saniano’s book titled "Likasaka" is most timely. She co-authored the book with Cong. Proceso J. Alcala, Carmen L. Cabling and Dante S. Delima.

Our friend Toto Barcelona of Harbest Agribusiness has a bright idea. Why not declare 2009 as the Year of the Farmers?

There’s a special feeling of joy when you harvest the fruits of your own trees, even if these are just grown in your front yard.

THE goat industry in the Philippines has gone a long way. A lot of improved breeds have been introduced, and more importantly, improved technologies have been developed to make goat farming a profitable venture. The main thrust in the past several years, however, was the production of meat animals.

It makes sense to combine a piggery and layer operation. Especially so if the piggery has a biogas system that could cut the cost of production of both pork and eggs. Just like the case of the Brookside Farm in Brgy. Anupol, Bamban, Tarlac.

In agribusiness, you don’t have to be an instant success. Usually, there are costly mistakes in the beginning. And that’s the reason why experts usually advise people to start small. That way, when one fails, the loss is bearable.

Meet a civil engineer who is successful in commercial production of corn, sugarcane, poultry and some fruit trees. He is Engr. Raul Carreras of Tigaon, Camarines Sur, a 1982 civil engineering graduate from the University of Nueva Caceres in Naga City.

Anao, Tarlac used to be famous as a pioneer in ilang-ilang production and processing. Today, the town is also becoming popular for its pandesal enriched with squash. The bakery of Tito Rey Quindara has been producing a best-selling pandesal which consists of 70 percent wheat flour and 30 percent squash.

There are a number of good reasons why you should grow pummelo. You will read these reasons in the December issue of Agriculture Magazine which is now off the press. The magazine is published by the Manila Bulletin and is the most widely-circulated publication of its kind in the Philippines.

Agriculture has a bright future today in Tigaon, Camarines Sur, thanks to its youthful mayor who is well focused on farming. Thanks also to his able agriculturists who are implementing his programs.

One minor crop that farmers should give a good second look is pigeon pea. This is what the Tagalogs call "kadios" and "kardis" to the Ilocanos. It is a minor crop but its potentials are not peanuts.

The company has long been synonymous with household and industrial pest control products.

The company has long been synonymous with household and industrial pest control products.

The company has long been synonymous with household and industrial pest control products. Now, Mapecon headed by Gonzalo "Jun" Catan is becoming a big-time producer of organic fertilizer, particularly vermicast. It can produce as much as 4 to 5 tons a day in its manufacturing plant in Alaminos, Laguna.

When he retired as PNP chief several years back, Gen. Recaredo Sarmiento was offered a high-paying job in a first class hotel in Manila.

One heartening development in agriculture is that more and more people are getting interested in natural farming. We just got an e-mail from Maj. Noel J. Detoyato, public affairs officer of the newly activated AFP National Development Support Command (AFPNDSC).

The coconut industry is not only faced with the devastating Brontispa beetle that feeds on the young shoots of coconut.