Agri-Kapihan Has A New Home

FAVORITE AMPALAYA IN INDIA NOW IN PH — The most widely grown hybrid ampalaya in India called Palee has been observed to perform well under local conditions.

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.

We think this is best because attendees will not only be able to hear the lectures of invited resource persons, they will also be able to observe the various farming activities at the urban farm which is practicing natural farming techniques.

For instance, they can observe the production of vermicompost and vermicast for use as organic fertilizer for growing various vegetables and other plants. The vermicast is also made into vermi-tea which is sprayed on the plants. There is a vermi-tea brewer available at the farm.

Seedling production of various vegetables is also done at the AANI Urban Farm with the use of seedling trays and the right germinating medium.

The Agri-Kapihan is held every second Sunday of the month at the AANI Urban Farm. During the last session, Dr. Erwin Cruz discussed the basics of raising free-range chickens and Pekin duck.

He said that there is an increasing demand for naturally grown chickens and ducks. A group of Pekin duck raisers in Floridablanca, Pampanga is doing good business raising and marketing their ducks.

At the same session, Dr. Jose Mallari, a microbiologist, discussed the probiotic products that he developed for use in poultry and fishponds which are now manufactured commercially by the group of Redentor Pangilinan. 

During the latest session, Dr. Eduardo Paningbatan Jr. also displayed his hanging vegetables grown on recycled soda bottles. He has developed a special growing medium as well as special nutrient formulation to sustain the good growth of plants grown in the recycled bottles.

In a forthcoming session, Dr. Paningbatan is scheduled to discuss before the attendees how his technology works.

Also in a previous session, Caysing Tan demonstrated his many farm machines that could be used in farming, gardening, milling and other operations in the farm and garden.

The AANI Urban Farm can be accessed through Sumulong Highway. It is about a kilometer from Marcos Highway, Masinag junction. The entrance of the subdivision is right in front of the Shell gas station. Details about how to reach the place can be given by the guard on duty.

By the way, the Department of Agriculture is collaborating with AANI in conducting the Agri-Kapihan. Once a month, on the last Saturday of the month, an Agri-Kapihan session is held at the Agribusiness Development Center at the Department of Agriculture in Quezon City.

The Agri-Kapihan is open free to every farming enthusiast. There is no entrance fee or any other fee whatsoever.

************

FACTORY BYPRODUCTS AS COFFEE FERTILIZER – We got word that Nestle’s factory byproducts such as ash and sludge will soon be used by their agronomists to fertilize coffee farms.

According to Arthur Baria, head of Agricultural Services of Nestle Philippines, “the initiative will help Nestle provide a technology component to promote an integrated approach to nutrient management for farmers and contribute to our goal of making coffee production in the Philippines more sustainable.”

Baria said they have recently concluded trials to test the efficacy of sludge and ash as compost. Trials were done at the Nestle Demonstration Farm in Tagum City and at the coffee demonstration plot of Nestle located within the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Research Center of the Department of Agriculture in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

************

RUBBER GRAFTING TUBE – Many readers have inquired from us where they could buy the rubber tubing used in grafting ampalaya on rootstocks of patola. Well, our good friend Toto Barcelona informed us that it is now available at Harbest Agribusiness, No.5 Rosemarie Lane, Barrio Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

************

MANGO MEETING TOMORROW – Members of the Aani Mango Industry Network Foundation will meet tomorrow, 8 to 12 noon, at the AANI lecture room at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City. The foundation is headed by Tony S. Rola.

************

FARMING ON RADIO – Tune in to radio program “Kaunlaran Sa Agrikultura” for the latest developments in farming. This is aired on radio station DWWW, 774 khz on the AM band, every Sunday from 4 to 6 in the morning. The program which has been on the air for more than a dozen years is hosted by Tony S. Rola, Nina Manzanares-Agu and Zac B. Sarian.

************

Log on to: www.agrizaccess.com [1] for practical farming tips, ideas and interesting agri-people. Last January 13, 1,964 page viewers visited our site.