Rainmakers Looking for Clouds Find Blue Sky

8/14/2019 Rainmakers Looking for Clouds Find Blue Sky

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Rainmakers looking for clouds find blue skyInquirer2010-02-22

MANILA, PhilippinesWhile rainmakers are having trouble finding clouds to induce rain overnorthern Luzon, cash and food-for-work programs are being readied to help 1.3 million poorfamilies cope with the dry spell, according to the National DisasterCoordinating Council(NDCC). Social Welfare Secretary Celia Yangco Monday said the Department of Social Welfareand Development (DSWD) was just awaiting Malacaang's go-signal to implement livelihoodprograms to help the poorest families as the El Nio phenomenon continued to dry up farmlands

and dams across the country. 'We will implement a...

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'Food crops must be grown naturally'The Hindu2010-02-23

Staff ReporterBangalore: Foodcrops must be grown naturally for attaining self-sufficiency and not primarily for exports, scientist Shiv S. Chopra said on Sunday. He

pointed out that both ourculture and agriculture have long been destroyed owing to

corruptive systems ever since Lord Macaulay's time, which continues to date...

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Energy execs assure stable power supply in Visayas starting MarchInquirer2010-02-22

ILOILO CITY, PhilippinesEnergy Secretary Angelo Reyes on Mondayannounced that thepowersituation in the Visayas would stabilize starting March 4until 2014. Reyes who presided over a meeting here of energy industry stakeholders inthe Visayas said the almost daily rotational brownouts would stop in the next few daysand assured that there would be enough power in the region during the May 10elections. "The Cebu-Negros-Panay grid will not experience any brownouts, any

shortage in supply, starting March 4 up to 2014 because of the entry of many powerplants," Reyes told reporters at the...

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Over a million Syrians affected by droughtMiddle East Online

2010-02-22
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DEIR EZ ZOUR - Drought in eastern and northeastern Syria has driven some300,000 families to urban settlements such as Aleppo, Damascus and Deir ez Zourin search of work in one of the largest internal displacements in the Middle East inrecent years. The countrys agriculture sector, which until recently employed 40

percent of Syrias workforce and accounted for 25 percent of gross domesticproduct, has been hit badly, but farmers themselves are worst affected, say aidofficials. In some villages, up to 50 percent of thepopulation has left for nearbycities. Farmers who depend on only one...

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Bremerton debates value, risk of backyard chickens TheExaminer
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2010-02-22

Comments BREMERTON, Wash. (Map,News) - Hens and roosters haveno legal backyard ground to stand on in Bremerton. Roosters make so much

noise they're not likely to get any sympathy in the city, but the hens havetheir allies as a movement to legalize egg-laying chickens in the city gathersmomentum. Such a move would give legitimacy to the four hens which,during laying season, provide up to an egg a day to one Manette residentwho asked not to be named in this story. The resident fears that going publicwould mean the end of the illegal egg operation.

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New hope emerges for local cotton industry(The Philippine Star) Updated January 03, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Agriculture officials are confident that the countrys adoption of the Bt cotton

technology from China and India will help boost the local cotton industry and rev up Philippine agriculture in

the next few years.

Bt cotton, which has the ability to resist the highly-destructive bollworm, will soon be available for

commercial plantation as the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Cotton Development
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Administration (CODA) steps up plans for the introduction of the genetically-engineered pest-resistant

cotton variety in the Philippines soon, Agriculture undersecretary for policy and planning Segfredo Serrano

revealed.

He said the CODA has planted transgenic hybrid cotton in one of its screen houses at the agencys Cotton

Research Center located in Batac City, Ilocos Norte as part of a project to commercially introduce Btcotton

varieties in the country.The introduction ofBtcotton, like the Bt corn, aims to reduce losses because of infestation by pests - in this

case the bollworm, which adversely affects cotton production.

The bollworm infestation of cotton plantations in the Philippines has been severely affecting the local cotton

industry. Our biotech solution to this problem is the introduction of a superior variety that resists pests, DA

Biotechnology Program Office (DA-BPO) DirectorAlicia Ilaga said.

The DA BPO supports various research and development projects for superior crops that are disease-free,

resistant to pests, and high- yielding crops such as corn, papaya, eggplant and other varieties through

genetic engineering. The DA-BPO has been facilitating technology transfer, if not funding local research and

development of disease-free and pest-resistant crops.

Under the strict supervision of the Biosafety Committee of the Department of Science and Technology

(DOST) and the Bureau of Plant Industry- Quarantine Service, together with CODA Institutional Biosafety

Committee (IBC), six commercial transgenic cotton varieties imported from Nath Biogene (India) Ltd. were

planted side by side with three locally-developed commercial non-Bt cotton varieties.

The contained experiment will evaluate the efficacy of the six Indian transgenic hy-brid cotton varieties that

contains the Chi-na-developed fused Bt genes in controlling bollworm under local environments. Limited

field trials will be conducted in CODAs experiment stations and selected farms in Luzon, Visayas and

Mindanao within the next one or two cotton seasons.

The transgenic hybrid cotton or Bt cotton in the trial contains the fused Bt-genes cry 1Ab/cry 1Acthat

provides the plant a high degree of protection against cotton boll-worm (Helicoverpa armigera Hubn.), the

most significant pest of cotton. In Asia, Bt cotton is already planted largely in China and India.

Bollworm is a great threat to local cotton farming. The pest attacks the cotton plant as early as the

vegetative stage feeding on the leaf terminals, fruit buds, flowers, and developing bolls.

Current control measure is predominantly through chemical insecticides. Aside from being costly and

hazardous to humans and the environment, the pesticide-based management scheme does not guarantee

full protection from the target pest. Local farmers spray chemicals 8-10 times, which cost them about 43

percent of the total production cost, yet lose 30-65 percent of their potential yields.

Four years ago, CODA inked a memorandum of agreement with the BioCentury Transgene Co. (China) Ltd.

to conduct Bt cotton testing in the country as approved by Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap.

Funds for the project came from the DA Biotech Program Office (BPO), headed by Ilaga.

The project, however, was stalled, according to CODA Administrator Orpia by regulatory procedures at the

source country, which is China then later, India.

Nevertheless, we are finally rolling the very first Bt cotton test in the country after a long wait and we are

confident that we shall be commercializing the Bt cotton three seasons later, at the least. Our goal is to

provide the local cotton industry a viable alternative cotton variety which provides farmers a higher profit

from a technology that requires cheaper cost of producing high quality cotton fiber besides environment-

friendly Orpia reiterated.

The Philippines consumes an average of 40,000 metric tons of lint per annum valued at P3 billion, a volume

that is almost entirely 97 percent imported, primarily from the USA.
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While the country has a favorable soil and climate to grow cotton, the local industry has been enduring a

major setback due to various socio-economic and technical factors with the bollworm problem as the most

critical.

The commercialization of Bt cotton locally is expected to provide the turning point for the cotton sector to

recover and enhance the countrys competitiveness in the global arena.

It will significantly reduce the cost of production while it increases yield. Besides, cotton is a feasiblealternative dry season crop grown after rice. It is also adapted to dry and marginal or saline areas where

water is a limiting factor.

This agricultural biotechnology product is a feasible import substitute that will save the country from costly

cotton importation.

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Rice import bidding hitBy Noel Bartolome (The Philippine Star) Updated February 23, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Importers and farmers cooperatives protested yesterday alleged irregularities in the

scheduled awarding of tariff-free rice import permits issued by the National Food Authority (NFA).

The program involves the tax-free importation of 200,000 metric tons of rice to be allocated to importers

from Metro Manila (125,000 MT) and Cebu (75,000 MT).

Sources said the importation of 200,000 MT or 4 million bags of well milled white rice could be worth P4

billion at P1,000 per bag tax-free.

Import permits, if resold, could net winning importers picked by the NFA up to P1 billion.

The source said if the government would collect tax from the importation, it could take in P2 billion since

tariff for rice importation is now at P500 per bag or 50 percent of purchase price.

The NFA allows tax-free importation of rice to give incentives to private importers, including farmers

cooperatives, to assist the government in the rice procurement program to increase rice reserves.
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Most importers, the source said, were caught off-guard by the sudden change in the guidelines that the NFA

published in The STAR on Feb. 19, 2010, which included the general requirements for the awarding of the

import permits to qualified importers.

The NFA traditionally awarded the allocations to import rice on a first-come, first-serve basis to make the

awarding fair to all importers.

The source said that on Feb. 19, a Friday, the NFA revised the guidelines by posting on their websitewww.nfa.gov.ph the procedure to obtain priority numbers, which was not mentioned in the newspaper

advertisement of the agency.

The priority numbers that were issued to importers were later used by the NFA to choose the winners to be

given the rice import permits.

He said when news regarding the new guidelines were leaked, many importers proceeded to the NFA office

in Cebu City to fall in line to get priority numbers last Saturday and Sunday. Some even camped out at the

NFA offices overnight. The NFA offices were also surprisingly open last weekend.

The San Jose Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative from San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, was able to secure a

priority number at the NFA National Capital Region office along United Nations Ave. in Manila.

The source said that the importers and cooperatives were shocked when NFA officials announced yesterdaythat the permits to import tariff-free rice were already awarded to 10 importers from Metro Manila and

seven importers from Cebu.

He said that shortly after the awarding of the import permits were announced, some of the winning

importers circulated offers that they would allow other importers to use their import permits for a fee of

P250 per bag of rice. At a fee of P250 per bag, that would mean a take of P1 billion to import 4 million bags

or 200,000 MT of rice.

The source said that with the expected rice shortage brought about by the El Nio dry spell, speculators and

even smugglers would pay the P250 fee per bag to the winners of the import permits to be able to

continuously import rice that could be sold at a higher price in the coming months when there is an

expected rice shortage.

Rizalina Fernandez, a representative of the Sa Jose Vendors Multi-Purpose Cooperative, sent yesterday aletter of complaint to NFA Administrator Jessup Navarro to protest the alleged irregular process of awarding

the import permits.

She complained that the NFA did not inform the public through a newspaper advertisement of the changing

of the guidelines that included the giving of priority numbers. The giving of priority permits was only posted

on the NFA website.

Fernandez said the NFA should have published the new guidelines in newspapers so that all imtesrested

importers would know the new procedure.

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Ilocos Norte, Cagayan farmers win top prize in hybrid ricepromo(The Philippine Star) Updated February 21, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Two hybrid rice farmers from Ilocos Norte and Cagayan won the top prize in the raffle

draw sponsored by SL Agritech Corp. to promote the planting of hybrid rice.

Ma. Diana Loreign Veloria of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte and Dante S. Padre of Sta. Teresita, Cagayan, will each

receive a Suzuki deluxe multicab, one of three major prizes given away by SL Agritech. The raffle draw,

dubbed, Todo Hataw sa Tag-araw, was held Feb. 15 at the firms offices in Makati City.

Over 130,000 ticket stubs submitted by hybrid rice farmers from different provinces and towns were raffledoff under the supervision of representatives of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the

Department of Agriculture (DA).

Second prize winners were Dexter Guinto of Gapan, Nueva Ecija and Melanor Reyes of San Isidro, also of

the same province, who each won a Kawasaki motorcycle with sidecare. Two Shinski scooters were given, as

winners of the third prize, to Constancia Gallarga of Sta. Rosa, Nueva Ecija and Carmelita dela Cruz also of

San Isidrio, N.E.

Cathy Galura, SL Agritech senior vice president for operation, said the prizes will be given over to the

winners right in their respective provinces.

Henry Lim, chairman and CEO of SL Agritech, said 10 single door refrigerators, 10 flat TV sets, 10 washing

machines, 20 colored cellphones, 20 stand fans, 20 gas stoves and 20 oven toasters were given away as

consolation prizes.

Over 120,000 hybrid rice farmers from all over the country participated in the raffle promo which is being

held every year by SL Agritech, the countrys biggest producer of the high-yielding SL-8H hybrid rice seeds.

Last year, it gave away valuable prizes including a trip to Hong Kong, hand tractors, rice threshers and

water pumps.

Also present during the raffle draw were former food minister and NFA administrator Jesus Tanchanco and

Dr. Noel Mamicpic, SL Agritech vice president for quality control.

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A nutritious noodle made from bangus scrap and seaweed(The Philippine Star) Updated February 21, 2010 12:00 AM


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MANILA, Philippines - Enrichednoodlescan be produced from scraps of milkfish and Gracilaria seaweed.

This product has been developed by Aurora Afalla, a researcher of the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State

University (DMMMSU), a multi-campus school in La Union whose main campus is in Barangay Sapilang,

Bacnotan.

The technology won first prize in the Aquatic Technology Competition and Marketplace (ATCOM), an annual

activity that awards outstanding technologies for their significant contribution to the countrys aquatic and

marine industry and to the national economy as a whole.

Afalla prepared noodles from Gracilaria seaweed, milkfish scrap powder, flour and salt. The technology is

best suited for regions such as the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley where Gracilaria seaweed is abundant. Also,

bangus scraps (bones or tinik which are washed, pressure-cooked, sundried, and pulverized) are readily

available in areas where milkfish deboning is a big industry.

No sophisticated equipment is needed to produce the noodles, Afalla said.

She said that Gracilaria and milkfish bones are rich in nutrients and minerals needed by the body. Seaweed

is also a source of agar, a gelatinous extract used as gelling and stabilizing agent in foods.Enriched noodles are cheap and nutritious, Afalla said.

These seaweed-based products can help address malnutrition problems in coastal communities and can

serve as source of livelihood for unemployed women and out-of-school youths. These groups can be

organized to engage in small-scale production and marketing of enriched canton noodles, thus, they can

earn additional income and eventually improve the quality of their lives.

In fact, the technology has been adopted by groups of women in coastal areas in Sto. Tomas, La Union;

Sto.Domingo, Ilocos Sur; and Buguey, Cagayan.

Each group has been producing 250 kilos of nutri-enriched noodles per month. The women's group sell most

of their produce to local residents and in provincial and regional trade fairs and exhibits.

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Farm group bats for higher DA budgetBy Nestor Etolle (The Philippine Star) Updated February 21, 2010 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - A party-list group has urged the government to increase the budget of the

Department of Agriculture to allow the agency more leeway in assisting the distressed farmers in drought-hit

provinces in the country.

The government should increase the budget of the DA to buy more seeds, fertilizer and irrigation facilities

to the farmers to tide them over the calamity, Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP) Rep.

Nicanor Briones said in a press forum.
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He said that corn farmers in Isabela and Cagayan are now reeling from the P1.4-billion loss of their crops

from the harsh effects of the El Nio phenomenon. He said the figure could go up to P3 billion unless the

government provides assistance to cushion the effect of the drought. He said the government should

immediately give corn farmers water pumps to improve the irrigation facilities in all the towns of the two

provinces.

The lawmaker expressed fears the continuing losses to the corn farming sector in those provinces may resultin higher prices of products from other equally important agricultural sectors like hog and poultry raising and

other livestock business that include fisheries, which rely on corn as feeds.

Briones rejected the practice of the government to import corn products from nearby countries like China

and Vietnam, and urged the government to address the problems head-on.

He pointed out that the National Government is unnecessarily losing at least P30 billion due to the

importation of rice, meat, and other agricultural products in other countries. He stressed that these funds

should be earmarked to other national concerns like education, health care, and housing.

Farmers in other countries are the ones earning due to the governments importation practice, he said.

Briones, vice chairman of the House committee on agriculture, said he will call an emergency meeting at the

House of Representatives to address the farmers concerns on the El Nio phenomenon.

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I, Gloria M. Arroyo, President of the Philippines, by the power vested inme by law, do hereby order - Rolling Out The Backyard FoodProduction Programs In The Urban Areas January 16, 2009

by Michael Levenston
http://www.cityfarmer.info/2009/02/06/i-gloria-m-arroyo-president-of-the-philippines-by-the-power-vested-in-me-by-law-do-hereby-order-rolling-out-the-backyard-food-production-programs-in-the-urban-areas-january-16-2009/http://www.cityfarmer.info/2009/02/06/i-gloria-m-arroyo-president-of-the-philippines-by-the-power-vested-in-me-by-law-do-hereby-order-rolling-out-the-backyard-food-production-programs-in-the-urban-areas-january-16-2009/http://www.cityfarmer.info/2009/02/06/i-gloria-m-arroyo-president-of-the-philippines-by-the-power-vested-in-me-by-law-do-hereby-order-rolling-out-the-backyard-food-production-programs-in-the-urban-areas-january-16-2009/http://www.cityfarmer.info/2009/02/06/i-gloria-m-arroyo-president-of-the-philippines-by-the-power-vested-in-me-by-law-do-hereby-order-rolling-out-the-backyard-food-production-programs-in-the-urban-areas-january-16-2009/http://www.cityfarmer.info/2009/02/06/i-gloria-m-arroyo-president-of-the-philippines-by-the-power-vested-in-me-by-law-do-hereby-order-rolling-out-the-backyard-food-production-programs-in-the-urban-areas-january-16-2009/http://www.cityfarmer.info/2009/02/06/i-gloria-m-arroyo-president-of-the-philippines-by-the-power-vested-in-me-by-law-do-hereby-order-rolling-out-the-backyard-food-production-programs-in-the-urban-areas-january-16-2009/


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Malacaang, ManilaBy The President Of The Philippines

Executive Order No. 776Rolling Out The Backyard Food Production Programs In The Urban Areas

WHEREAS, two-thirds of the world is in recession, though the Philippines is not;WHEREAS, it is not business as usual; government agencies must hit the round running;

WHEREAS, the government should take advantage of the window of opportunity, i.e. declining inflationand interest rates and good weather;

WHEREAS, the government has committed Three Hundred Billion Pesos (P300,000,000,000.00) toeconomic stimulus programs, including comprehensive livelihood and emergency employment program(CLEEP), that will save or create millions of new jobs.

WHEREAS, part of CLEEP consists of backyard food production programs like Gulayan ng Masa andthe Integrated Services for Livelihood Advancement (ISLA) for subsistence fisherfolk.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA M. ARROYO, President of the Philippines, by the power vested in me

by law, do hereby order:

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Philippines Residents in poor areas in Manila plantvegetables in their backyards to save on food expensesby Michael Levenston

By Michaela Cabrera, Reuters, May 28, 2008 With prices of food items reaching record-highsin Philippines, residents in poor areas in Manila plant vegetables in their backyards to save onfood expenses and harvest enough to sell at a local market. See video story here.

For green thumbs living in Manila, urban farming is the answer to soaring food prices. It mayseem impossible to grow lettuce and eggplant in a crowded, humid environment, but city living
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has not stopped farmers like Bernabe Atenta from cultivating greens. He and his wife Virgieliterally pick out their lunch from their backyard.

This helps a lot, in securing your familys welfare. You dont need to buy vegetables in themarket. If all people here in Manila planted vegetables even in pots, it will ease some expenses,Atenta said.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2010

Philippine Farm Sector Growth Declined in 2009

Philippine farm sector posts lower-than-expected growth in 2009

The countrys farm sector posted a lower-than-expected production growth rate of 0.37 percent

in 2009 as strong typhoons significantly slashed the output of farmers and fisherfolk from

October to December.

The farm sectors 2009 output was lower than the low-end of the 0.5- to 1.5-percent growth rate

which the Department of Agriculture (DA) projected for last year. The increase in the sectors

production last year was significantly slower than the 3.8 percent recorded in January toDecember 2008. The gains of the first three quarters were cut by huge production losses

during the fourth quarter of 2009, said Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap in a statement.

Farm production for October to December 2009 declined by 2.43 percent, with paddy-rice

production getting slashed by 13.88 percent to 5.36 million metric tons (MMT) during the period,

as against the 6.22 MMT produced in October to December 2008.
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The heavily affected [rice-producing] regions were Ilocos, Central Luzon and Calabarzon, said

the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) in its official report.

For the whole of 2009, palay production went down by 3.31 percent to 16.26 MMT. The sector

accounted for 16 percent of total farm output in 2009.

The corn subsector fared better last year as production grew by 1.53 percent to 7.03 MMT.

Output gains were realized in the second half of 2009, particularly in Cagayan Valley, Northern

Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Expansion in area harvested was

recorded in Cagayan Valley as a result of recovery of corn farms from Typhoon Karen last

year, said BAS in a report.

Figures released by the DA showed that the crops subsector, which accounts for 46.8 percent

of total farm output, registered a 1.42-percent decline in production in 2009.

Meanwhile, the livestock subsector recovered from last years downturn and grew by 1.24

percent last year. The subsector accounted for 12.47 percent of total farm output.

Hog production recovered from last years slump and grew by 1.16 percent while the outputs in

cattle and dairy farms went up by 2.5 percent and 3.33 percent, respectively.

The poultry subsectors production grew by 1.82 percent last year. The subsector accounted for

14.33 percent of total farm output. Chicken production went up by 1.53 percent. Chicken eggalso put up a 5.04-percent production gain during the period.

The fisheries subsector, which accounted for 26.4 percent of total farm output, expanded by

2.45 percent during the period. The production growth rate in 2009 was slower compared with

the 5.81 percent registered in 2008 due to the lower production in aquaculture and municipal

fisheries. This, said BAS, is due to the damage caused by weather disturbances during the

fourth quarter of 2009.

At current prices, the countrys farm sector grossed P1.2 trillion, representing a 2.18-percent

increase from the 2008 level. The agriculture sector accounts for one-fifth of the countrys grossdomestic product, or the total amount of goods and products produced within a countrys border.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010

Better Food Crop Seeds Needed for Philippine Farmers

BPI challenged to develop better-engineered food crops to help farmers vs climate change.

The Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) was challenged to develop better-engineered food crops,

including genetically modified ones, that could withstand the devastating effects of climate

change.

BPI, an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), has what Agriculture Sec.

Arthur Yap calls a critical job of developing seeds that can withstand harsh weather patterns.

Your job at BPI is critical. You have to move our farms to better-quality crops and that begins

with seeds, said Yap in a statement.

Yap called on the BPI to take advantage of the attention that the government and the world

have given agriculture by spearheading programs that would open opportunities for small

farmers to earn more and produce more food.
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He cited the BPIs achievements, which include working for the registration of 122 crop varieties

with the National Seed Industry Council and substantially contributing to efforts aimed at making

the Philippines one of the worlds leading sources of fruits and vegetables, including mangoes,

bananas and asparagus via the establishment of, among others, a mango gene bank that

contains 100 accessions of mango varieties and carabao strains for future breeding works.

The DA chief also cited the BPIs initiatives in developing cheap, practical, and environmentally

safe technologies to control the bugtok bacterial hard-puff disease affecting bananas and the

crafting of genetically modified (GM) crop regulations and the biosafety regulatory framework on

GM crops that is regarded as a model system in Asia.

The Philippines is already feeling the effects of climate change with the onslaught of a mild El

Nio which threatens to destroy crucial food crops like palay and corn.

Under a mild El Nio, the DA estimates losses of 264,940 metric tons (MT) of rice worth close to

P4 billion and 174,224 MT of corn valued at P2.26 billion. The fisheries subsector could lose

21,181 MT of catch worth P1.27 billion, while losses in the high-value commercial crops

(HVCCs) sector could reach 3.17 million MT valued at P583 million.

A severe dry spell could lead to losses of 816,372 MT of rice worth P12.24 billion; 440,429 MT

of corn worth P5.2 billion; 42,362 MT of marine catch worth P2.54 billion; and 3.08 million MT of

HVCCs worth 443 million.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration hadreported that this years El Nio would likely be moderate, the DA noted.

As early as December last year, the DA had already created a task force to carry out its five-

point program to raise crop production along with farmers incomes in the face of a looming El

Nio attack that is expected to last till early this year.

The task force, which will implement the DAs El Nio Mitigation Program, will focus on 23

highly vulnerable areas and 24 moderately vulnerable areas in the country.

The areas considered highly vulnerable to El Nio are Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union,Pangasinan, Cagayan, Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales,

Cavite, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Palawan, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Misamis Oriental,

Zamboanga City, Sarangani and South Cotabato.

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Philippine Farming Agriculture Science

Instilling Agriculture Science back in RP Farms

DAVAO CITY High commodity prices and low supply of food tend to rile consumers and the

first thing theyd most likely question is the agriculture sector.In time like these, agriculture tends

to be on the defensive, according to Dr. Calixto Protacio, chairman of the Initiatives for Farm

Advocacy and Resource Management (iFarm), a nongovernment organization.

He said, however, that the sector must become proactive in order to make a real impact.

iFarm is in the thick of instilling back the awareness within the sector and the society at large

that what we have been doing all along in agriculture for the past several decades is science-

based, and yet many have forgotten this fact and have taken agriculture for granted, said

Protacio. Its almost similar to thinking that agriculture is simply tilling the land and producing

crops for the immediate needs of the household.

He noted in his Powerpoint presentation at the seminar-workshop here on Facing the
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Challenges and Opportunities of Sustainable Agriculture in 2010, while everyone in the

agriculture industry knows that agriculture is science-based, not everyone in society

understands this fact.

Croplife Philippines, a private organization promoting safe and responsible use of manufactured

farm inputs, sponsored the seminar held at the Grand Regal Hotel here, facilitated by

iFarm.Science has enabled societies to produce both adequate and surplus amounts in

agriculture.

We forgot that weve been producing adequately over and above the surplus, because of our

scientific knowledge and the application of appropriate technology, he told the BusinessMirror

at the side sidelines of the workshop.Farmers produce not only for themselves but for a lot of

other people as well, he said.

Many people are ignorant of food production and can be led to believe a lot of myths, Protacio

added.

Scientists, agriculture experts and technicians know that the full potential of agriculture in the

Philippines hasnt been harnessed yet, hampered by the high cost of farm technology used in

developed countries, according to Protacio.

We are developing our own, and have been slowly accessing most technologies in agriculture,

he said and cited the work now being done in the use of microorganisms, or plant growth-

promoting bacteria, that could raise farm yields per hectare at a lower cost.

The results of this work could have a positive impact on food production and be largely gauged

in how societys food needs are met as well as in promoting human health and maintaining soil

sustainability.

Production of cash crops in large-scale plantations is an example of science at work in

agriculture, according to experts.Pineapple and bananathe countrys principal fruit exports

could be produced several folds above the average production yield in small farms across the

country.

These farms produce 30 to 40 metric tons (MT) of pineapple on average per hectare per year,compared to 93MT in large plantations.

The countrys mango, coconut and sugar exports, including other crops, rose 4.1 percent to

more than P150 billion last year.In 2006, crude and refined coconut oil production reached $300

million.


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Two years later, it surged to $1.1 billion. Tobacco production last year totaled $100 million or

double than in 2006.These increases can be attributed to advances in crop science. Studies on

planting density, nutrition, plant breeding and physiology, and soil science made the dramatic

yield increases possible, Protacio said in his presentation.

Primarily, the concern of the government is food security, especially after the recent crisis in

rice, which fortunately, was confined only to [southern and central region] part of Mindanao,

said Agriculture Assistant Secretary Salvador S. M. Salacup, who gave a speech at workshop.

A copy of his speech, Agribusiness and Marketing Support for High Value Crops, shows that in

2007, agriculture and fisheries accounted for 18.3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP)

and employed 35.1 percent of the those employed at that time.

To avoid a repeat of the 2008 rice crisis, Salacup said that government aims for self-sufficiency

in rice by 2013 and in corn by 2010.The government also wants to sustain the growth of high-

value crops at the rate of at least 7 percent per year, as well as in livestock and poultry through

a massive program of breeder stock infusion, stocks upgrade, and prevention, control and

eradication of animal diseases.

The DA said it wants to increase fish production by at least 7 percent this year to ensure

resource sustainability.

To achieve these targets, Salacup said the DA would identify and pursue agribusiness

development of two million hectares of agriculture and fisheries areas and to generate three

million jobs in six years.Farm inputs and good agricultural practices would largely helpgovernment reach its targets, according to Dr. Dario Sabularse, deputy director of the Fertilizer

and Pesticide Authority (FPA).

But the rising cost of inorganic pesticides and fertilizers and issues about their impact on the

environment and human health have lead to a significant shift toward organic productsmany

are manufactured locally and still undergoing tests in small farms.

Farm inputs are used mainly to improved growth and productive capacities of the crops and

control agricultural pests.

With the concern for environment and human health, environmental advocates have searched

and pushed for practices that could sustain the use of the soil and its resources.Sabularse said

there was a significant drop in the use of inorganic chemical inputs and a gradual rise in organic

fertilizers and pesticides in the Philippines.

Sabularse said his agency would see to it that not only production be maintained, but to let


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many people using them to understand how these chemicals work, especially on the 16

essential elements.

Inculcating farmers with science-based agriculture would help our agriculture serve the

countrys food needs, he said.Florence Vasquez, president of CropLife, said the organization

would like to promote in the proper application of inorganic chemicals in farms, and promote the

proper mix with or shift to organic farm inputs through the proper education of applicators and

farmers in the use of these inputs as found in their labels.

She said that despite issues against chemical inputs companies are doing their part in

promoting sustainable agriculture and to educate more farmers on how to use these inputs.

We all want to produce new results, and these companies are also producing green

pesticides, she said, noting that the CropLife, was formed in the early 1960s by big chemical

companies to help promote the proper use of fertilizers and pesticides.

Vasquez clarified that sustainable agriculture does not necessarily mean discontinuing the use

of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. Its the proper mix of both inorganic and organic inputs.

Roger Gualberto, executive director of the Vegetable Industry Council of Southern Mindanao

(Vicsmin), told the BusinessMirror after the workshop that he was grateful of the event.

We are also using inorganic inputs but we want these chemical companies to conduct their own

CSR and teach our farmers how to really use their products, he said, citing a plant-growth

regulating chemical that was recently introduced to the Philippines without saying in the labelwhen to stop its use.

He said, We warned the FPA that if it cannot compel that company to explain why its use was

only limited to the Philippines, India and Pakistan, [as] this would come out openly in the news

media, he said.Gualberto said the decision of the vegetable farmers to shift to organic fertilizers

and pesticides was due to the economics of our pocket.

Protacio said production must be efficient and this objective has been achieved largely through

advances in agricultural engineering. Machines were developed that made it easier to cultivate

and protect large tracts of cropland.

He said that science-based agriculture has been tested over time in several countries and that

studies are deep down to the genomic level and far-reaching as whole landscapes or

ecosystems are now being studied.

But to make this popular and easy for people in general to embrace, Protacio said that the


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general public needs accurate, science-based facts from legitimate sources in order to better

understand agricultures importance to their quality of life.

Agriculture needs to have a strong, clear, truthful voice speaking on its behalf, he added.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2009

Agricultural Extension Bill

Early Passage of National Agricultural Extension Bill Pushed

Sen. Loren Legarda wants Congress to fast-track passage of the National Agricultural Extension

Bill as ineffective extension services currently offered by the government limit the productivity ofFilipino farmers.

It remains a puzzle to many Filipinos why the Philippines still has to import 10 percent of its rice

needs each year despite hosting for decades now the International Rice Research Institute

(IRRI), the source of many rice-farming innovations and research, Legarda said in sponsoring

the bill at yesterdays session.

According to her, the output of many agricultural research institutions are also not fully used in

the fields as local government units (LGUs) find it difficult to provide farmers extension services

like transfer of technology, credit and marketing assistance.

Our extension services fail to translate the technologies from our research stations into actual

field practice by our farmers or agriculture producers, she said and noted that its downside is

that agricultures contribution to the countrys gross domestic product has been shrinking

through the years.
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For example, Vietnam and the Philippines have the same technology in rice. Yet, the difference

in yield is about one ton per hectare. If we increase Philippine yield by one ton per hectare in the

irrigated areas alone, it is enough to wipe out the annual average total rice imports of the

country, the senator said.

She explained that the bill she is pushing for seeks to transform the Agricultural Training

Institute (ATI) into the Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Agency (PAFEA),

expanding ATIs limited mandate. The PAFEA, she added, will be tasked to plan, make policies

and manage knowledge resources, as well as provide other extension services such as

demonstrations, mass media and human resource development.

According to her, the bill also proposes that grant aid be given by the national government to

increase the resources of LGUs, especially the fourth- to sixth-class municipalities.

These grants, she said, will be used to defray the cost of personal salaries and leverage against

the provision of funds of operations by the LGU concerned. This addresses the often-cited

problem that municipalities provide funds for personal salaries, but do not have resources to

finance operations, severely limiting the productivity and usefulness of extension workers, she

added.

[email protected]


Road Construction To Help Farmers

DA Goes Into Road Construction to Help Farmers

In line with governments Economic Resiliency Plan or ERP, the Department of Agriculture (DA)

said it would build 2,000 kilometers (km) of farm-to-market roads (FMRs) nationwide and create
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53,000 jobs in the process.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the construction of FMRs will start this week as part of a

program designed to help Filipinos weather the global economic slowdown year through jobs

and higher food production by 212,000 farmers in the countrys hunger-prone areas.

The FMR projects would amount to P5.3 billion and put in place within Key Production Areas

and marginal lands or new sites to link these areas to higher class road systems and major

markets or trading posts, Yap said.

Yap said that more than half of the total length of the FMRs would be in major food production

sites in Central Philippines and the Mindanao Super Region.

About 567.6 km of FMRs to be built in Central Philippines are expected to benefit 56,760

farmers and create 14,190 new jobs, while 536.94 km of roads in Mindanao would have 53,694

direct farmer-beneficiaries and require 13,424 workers.

Yap said the North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle would also get 420.80 km of new FMRs that

would benefit 42,080 farmers and generate 10,520 jobs while 366.8 km to be constructed in the

Metro Luzon Urban Beltway, which include Central Luzon, would benefit 36,680 farmers and

create 9,170 jobs.

Another 230.8 km of FMRs in other priority areas the DA has identified would create 5,770 jobs

and benefit 23,080 farmers.

Farm-to-market roads would also be constructed in sites that link other nonconvergence areas

to markets and trading posts. These sites are within the Strategic Agricultural and Fisheries

Development Zones, Community-Based Forest Management Agreements, and Agrarian Reform

Communities.

The construction would also take place in areas identified by the National Nutrition Council as

very vulnerable areas in line with the hunger mitigating measures of the government or within

peace-conflicted areas.

The plan, said Yap, is for the DA to speed up these intervention projects in the first semester ofthe year to create many jobs and stimulate economic activity in the countryside by the time the

full brunt of the global financial crisis is felt in the Philippines.

He noted that faster bidding processes would help speed up the release of funds for the road

projects, given that under the government auditing rules, no disbursements can be made unless

the bidding process is complete and the winning bidders are named.


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Yap said the DA would closely monitor the implementation of its high-impact projects to ensure

the judicious disbursement of funds particularly to its program partners in the private sector.

To maximize the use of DA funds, Yap said the DA is also shifting its focus this year on hard or

big-ticket projects for irrigation maintenance, postharvest facilities, FMRs and rural extension

work, in lieu of soft projects like fertilizer support to farmers.

Instead of the fertilizer discount coupons that the DA gave out in 2008 to farmer-beneficiaries in

partnership with local government units, the Department will provide organic fertilizer

manufacturing support to farmers in 2,600 clusters or sites where the DA is channeling the bulk

of its funds for intervention measures this year.

These clusters of neighboring farms cover 48 provinces in rain-fed areas where yields per

hectare are below the national average of 3.8 tons of palay.

Philippines triples its rice yield in last 50

years

2010-02-20 15:30:00


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Reports indicate that in the last fifty years, the Philippines has more thantripled its rice yield, while the world average rice yield has increased onlyabout 2.3 times.

Despite being criticized as a poor rice producer because of its status as the

world's biggest rice importer, the Philippines has actually done remarkablywell in raising its rice yields from 1.16 tons per hectare in 1960 to 3.59tons per hectare in 2009.

In 2009, Philippine rice yields were actually lower than the previous twoyears due to the damage done by the tropical storms "Ondoy" and"Pepeng".

In 2007, average rice yields topped 3.8 tons per hectare and in 2008 theywere 3.77 tons per hectare.

Rice yields in the Philippines are also higher than those in Thailand, theworld's biggest exporter of rice, where yields over the last few years havebeen around 3 tons per hectare.

"The Philippines has enthusiastically taken up rice science technologiesthat have helped farmers dramatically increase their yields," said Dr.William Padolina, deputy director general for operations at theInternational Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

"Filipino farmers have adopted more than 75 IRRI-bred high-yielding ricevarieties since 1960, have greatly improved their fertilizer and pestmanagement strategies, and are implementing water-saving technologies,"he added.

According to estimates from the United States Department of Agriculture,the average world rice yield in 1960 was 1.84 tons per hectare and in 2009

it was forecast at 4.24 tons per hectare.Dr. Padolina acknowledges that the Philippines could improve its riceyields even more and said that he was confident that "the Philippines willcontinue to support rice research as a way of nsuring food security forFilipinos, to help lift local rice farmers and consumers out of poverty, andin turn improve the entire economy of the country." (ANI)

Rice Losses on Philippine Dry Weather May Deepen

(Update1)

Share Business ExchangeTwitterFacebook| Email | Print | AAA

By Luzi Ann Javier

Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Rice production lost to dry weather in the Philippines,

the worlds biggest importer, may be more than the 800,000 metric tons

estimated, raising concern a shortfall may deepen, a government official said.

Even with our assistance like cloud seeding, there have been some towns

where crops just dried out, Agriculture Undersecretary Joel Rudinas said in an

interview from Manila today. Its probable, he said, when asked if losses may

exceed 800,000 tons, the higher end of a range estimated this month by the

Department of Agriculture.

Increased losses may cause the nation to boost imports beyond the record
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El Nio toll could worsen

BusinessWorld | 02/22/2010 11:52 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The impact of an ongoing El Nio-induced dry spell could be more severe than initially predicted,

officials said, with some areas possibly seeing a repeat of 1998 wherein a drought took its toll on the economy.

The dry spell, a National Food Authority (NFA) spokesman yesterday said, could mean the Philippines -- the worlds biggest

rice buyer -- importing around 800,000 tons more this year.

The additional rice imports would bring total purchases to just over a record 3.2 million tons for the year. But bulging

stocks from Thailand and Vietnam, the top two rice exporters, may cushion any impact on Asian rice prices which have

eased considerably since Manilas last rice tender in December.

Last Friday, an Agriculture official said total farm damage from El Nio could increase as more and more provinces report

losses.

"It could reach beyond P10 billion because more and more areas are reporting more water stresses. [The dry spell] in the

northern [provinces] is becoming more intense," Undersecretary for Field Operations Joel S. Rudinas told reporters.

"The way things are going right now it is already alarming because it (the toll) is already within our expectations. So far,

the damages have not yet reached [beyond our estimates] but we are still in February and as the days progress and

unless relief is delivered, the impact [will be] felt more," he said.

But Mr. Rudinas held out the hope that the final cost would still be within the governments projected range: P8 billion

under a mild El Nio and P20 billion under a severe dry spell.

A February 16 report by the Department of Agricultures Central Action Center said 14 provinces in Luzon and the Visayas

had been affected. The dry spell was said to have damaged over 200,000 tons of crops with an aggregate value of P2.84

billion.

Nathaniel A. Cruz, officer-in-charge of operations and services at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical

Services Administration, said the weather bureau was still looking at a moderate El Nio that would likely last until June.

The impact in certain areas, however, could be as bad as in 1998 when the country was hit hard by the weather

phenomenon.

"We can have a moderate El Nio but the impact will be that of a severe El Nio. The water level in Magat Dam in Isabela

province, for instance, can already reach or even go below the 1998 water level," Mr. Cruz said.

A dry spell that began in mid-1997 lingered well into the following year, with officials reporting drought conditions in 68%

of the country. Drastic water conservation measures were implemented as levels at the multipurpose Angat dam in

Bulacan, which supplies drinking water for Metro Manila and irrigation water to nearby farmlands, fell to critical levels.

A paper on the 1997-1998 El Nio noted that the economy contracted by 0.5%, although it said the situation was

exacerbated by the then-ongoing Asian financial crisis.

Yesterday, meanwhile, NFA spokesman Rex C. Estoperez told Reuters: "What is being harvested now by farmers is what

was planted from around September last year when the ricefields were hit by typhoons."

"With the dry spell expected to last until July, there might not be enough water available for the planting season in May

and June which will be harvested starting around September. This means we may need to buy about 800,000 tons more to

offset any production shortfall."

Asked for more details, Mr. Estoperez told BusinessWorld: "We do not have a final figure as to how much additional

imports [the country] will need because we still do not have final figure of the [total effect] of the El Nio damage."

Water levels at dams across the country have been dropping to near record lows due to the dry spell, putting at risk

irrigation for farms as well as hydropower plants. Wide swathes of farmlands in northern Philippines, including rice-growing

areas, have dried up completely.

- .

and Thailand surged to records in 2008 as the Philippines boosted imports and

exporters including India and Vietnam restricted shipments on global food

shortage concerns.

While some towns have reported some rainfall this month, there have been no

rains in areas where we need it most, Rudinas said by phone, referring to the

biggest producing provinces. We deem it as a matter of concern.

Rice for May delivery rose 1.7 percent to $14.20 per 100 pounds in after-hours

electronic trading on the Chicago Board of Trade at 1:32 p.m. Singapore time,

outpacing wheats 0.6 percent advance and corns 1 percent gain. Rice futures

reached an all- time high of $25.07 in April 2008.

Price Gains

Prices have pulled up, said Ben Barber, a futures adviser at Bell

Commodities Ltd., citing the production comment by Rudinas. Obviously its

lending a little bit of support to the futures, he said.

Prices are unlikely to decline amid potentially tight supplies, Robert Zeigler,

director general of the International Rice Research Institute, told reporters in

New Delhi on Feb. 18.

The committee of Philippine government officials which recommends the ceiling

for state rice imports may meet in February, a month earlier than scheduled, to

decide whether to raise the 2.4 million-tons limit set late last year, Romeo

Jimenez, National Food Authority marketing director, said in an interview Feb.

19.

The dry weather follows the development of an El Nino, characterized by the

warming of sea-surface temperatures along the equatorial Pacific. The event

can reduce rainfall in parts of Asia and bring excessive rains to South America,

curbing global supply.

El Nino

The current El Nino episode is near or at its peak, the U.S. Climate Prediction

Center said in a report dated Feb. 15. After peaking, nearly all models

indicate Nino temperature departures will gradually decrease, with about half of

the models indicating that El Nino will continue into April-May- June, the

report said.

About 2,000 Philippine rice farmers have already switched to planting

vegetables instead of water-intensive rice, because of potential losses caused

by the drier weather, Rudinas said.

The Department of Agriculture on Feb. 2 estimated losses from El Nino at

200,000 tons to 816,372 tons

To contact the reporter on this story: Luzi Ann Javier in Singapore at

[email protected]

Last Updated: February 22, 2010 01:36 EST

Rainmakers looking for clouds
http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Ben+Barber&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Ben+Barber&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Robert+Zeigler&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdfhttp://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdfhttp://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdfmailto:[email protected]://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Luzi+Ann+Javier&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1mailto:[email protected]://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Luzi+Ann+Javier&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1mailto:[email protected]://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=THRQWRGB:INDhttp://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=THRQWRGB:INDhttp://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Ben+Barber&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Ben+Barber&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Robert+Zeigler&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdfhttp://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdfmailto:[email protected]://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Luzi+Ann+Javier&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.bloomberg.com/apps/quote?ticker=THRQWRGB:INDhttp://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Ben+Barber&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Robert+Zeigler&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/lanina/enso_evolution-status-fcsts-web.pdfhttp://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Luzi+Ann+Javier&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1mailto:[email protected]


27/40

The government has forecast the loss of 800,000 tons of rice if the El Nio-caused dry spell becomes severe. The harvest

in the first half was projected to drop 1.7% from a year earlier to 7.25 million tons.

The Philippines has so far contracted to import 2.25 million tons of rice from four tenders in November and December

when it advanced 2010 purchases after strong storms purged 1.3 million tons of paddy, or unhusked rice, in September

and October. The entire volume is expected to be delivered by June.

The NFA on Friday also allowed private firms to bring in 200,000 tons of rice tariff-free, under an annual allocation, until

Sept. 15.

Mr. Estoperez said a government panel had increased the volume of NFAs rice imports for this year to about 3.2 million

tons, from 2.4 million tons previously. This allows the agency, tasked to stabilize domestic supply and prices of the

national staple, room to buy more rice overseas if needed.

"I understand there are ongoing discussions now for further purchases," he said.

Reuters earlier reported that the rice import limit for 2010 had been increased to more than three million tons as a caution

against El Nio, a periodic warming in the Pacific Ocean that affects global weather patterns and occurs only once every

two to seven years.

It is not clear whether part of Manilas additional imports would include a pending deal to buy 367,000 tons of rice from

Thailand in exchange for not cutting tariffs on rice imports from the start of 2010 as stipulated under a regional trade pact.

The agreement, likely to be signed at a regional economic ministers meeting towards the end of the month, was expected

to take effect from 2010 until 2014. With Reuters

Philippines Bracing for the Worst in Drought

Romeo Ranoco/Reuters

A farmer walked with his carabao over dried farmland in Batangas province, south of Manila, on

Thursday.

Top of Form

Jocelyn Uy

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Publication Date: 23-02-2010

While rainmakers are having trouble finding clouds to induce rain over thePhilippines' northern Luzon region, cash and food-for-work programmes arebeing readied to help 1.3 million poor families cope with the dry spell,according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

Social welfare secretary Celia Yangco said the department of social welfareand development (DSWD) was just awaiting Malacaangs go-signal toimplement livelihood programmes to help the poorest families as the El Niophenomenon continued to dry up farmlands and dams across the country.

We will implement a social integration program for over one million familiesidentified as the poorest of the poor to help them get by until the drought isover, Yangco said at the meeting of the Regional Consultative Committee onDisaster Management in Pasig City Monday (February 22).

The DSWD is among the agencies that make up the NDCC, host of the three-day assembly of Asian countries, together with the Bangkok-based AsianDisaster Preparedness Centre, a nongovernment organisation.

The disaster management meeting was aimed at discussing the priorities ofeach participating country and the implementation of community-baseddisaster risk reduction in vulnerable communities in the face of climatechange.

The Philippines said it would share its expertise in disaster response andlearn from its counterparts some measures on how to cope with climatechange, particularly the prolonged dry spell, during the meeting.

Back-to-back storms

Food-for-work and cash-for-work programmes will be implemented to benefit

families who have been greatly affected by the back-to-back storms thatbattered the country late last year, Yangco told reporters.

In an interview later with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, she said the 1.3 millionfamilies targeted for the livelihood programs were those already beingsubsidised by the conditional cash transfer program that was rolled out by theDSWD two years ago.

These families come from the 40 poorest provinces in the country.

Cash, food programme

The cash-for-work programme will provide 150 pesos (US$3) a day to eachpoor household for two weeks, while the food-for-work programme will giveone cavan of rice to each family for the entire month, according to Yangco.

Jobs will include cleaning parched farmlands to prepare them for the next

planting season and desiltation of canals, she said.

The department ofagriculture has pegged the budget for the livelihoodprogrammes at about 1.5 billion pesos (US$32.5 million).

Looking for clouds

For his part, the NDCC chair, defense secretary Norberto Gonzales, saidrainmakers were ready to seed clouds to help out farmers because werehaving problems finding clouds.

So there is not much we can do but to repair water pipe leaks, Gonzalessaid at the press conference of the consultative meeting.

He said the NDCC had authorised the repairs of old water pipes across MetroManila in coordination with local government units and barangay (village)

officials.Leaking pipes
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PhilippinesBr ac i By CA RL OS H http :/ /w w w .ny def ault FEB 20 2010 The New Y ork

ny times .com 418

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By CARLOS H. CONDE

Published: February 19, 2010

MANILA A drought in the Philippines has destroyed millions of dollars

worth of crops, reduced the countrys water supply and is threatening

widespread blackouts as power companies contend with low water levels in

hydroelectric dams, officials said Friday.

It is such a difficult situation because we have just survived the typhoonsin October that destroyed 1.5 million metric tons of rice and countless basic

infrastructure, Joel Rudinas, an under secretary at the Department of

Agriculture, said Friday. We are bracing for the worst.

.24/7, Gonzales said.

He placed the damage of El Nio to rice, corn and other crops at 3 billionpesos ($65 million).

Various measures are being taken up by the task force to reduce the impactof drought, NDCC Executive Director Glenn Rabonza said.

Shallow tube wells

Aside from cloud-seeding, the use of shallow tube wells is being implementedto save farms that are worth saving.

Rainmakers started cloud-seedingoperations in January in Isabela provinceand the southern part of Tuguegarao, among the areas worst-hit by the dryspell, said Lt. Col. Gerardo Zamudio, spokesperson of the Philippine AirForce.

He said Air Force pilots were cloud chasers because they fly once theydetect the appropriate clouds to seed.

On Friday (February 19), pilots were able to seed clouds that triggered about20 minutes of rain in Burgos town, Isabela, Zamudio told the Inquirer over thephone Monday.

On Sunday, rainmakers were able to induce a 10-minute rain in another partof the province, he said.

Rice output seen dropping

further02-23-10

by Luzi Ann Javier

RICE production lost to dry weather in the Philippines, the worlds biggest importer,may be more than the 800,000 metric tons estimated, raising concern a shortfall maydeepen, a government official said Monday.

Even with our assistance like cloud seeding, there have been some towns wherecrops just dried out, Agriculture Undersecretary Joel Rudinas said.

Its probable, he said, when asked if losses might exceed 800,000 tons, the higherend of a range estimated this month by the Agriculture Department.

Increased losses may cause the government to boost imports beyond the record 2.45million tons planned for 2010 after rain last year wiped out 1.38 million tons of theSeptember-December harvest.

Benchmark rice prices in Chicago and Thailand surged to records in 2008 as thePhilippines boosted imports and exporters including India and Vietnam restrictedshipments on global food shortage concerns.

While some towns have reported some rainfall this month, there have been no rain inareas where we need it most, Rudinas said by telephone, referring to the biggestproducing provinces.

We deem it as a matter of concern.

Rice for May delivery rose 1.4 percent to $14.17 per 100 pounds at 11:10 a.m.Singapore time. The contract reached an all-time high of $25.07 in April 2008.

Prices were unlikely to decline amid potentially tight supplies, Robert Zeigler, directorgeneral of the International Rice Research Institute, told reporters in New Delhi onFeb. 18.

The committee of Philippine government officials that recommends the ceiling for staterice imports might meet in February, a month earlier than scheduled, to decidewhether to raise the 2.4 million-tons limit set late last year, Romeo Jimenez, NationalFood Authority marketing director, said in an interview Feb. 19.

The dry weather follows the development of an El Nio, characterized by the warmingof sea-surface temperatures along the equatorial Pacific. The event can reducerainfall in parts of Asia and bring excessive rain to South America, curbing globalsupply.

The current El Nio episode is near or at its peak, the US Climate Prediction Centersaid in a report dated Feb. 15.

After peaking, nearly all models indicate Nio temperature departures will graduallydecrease, with about half of the models indicating that El Nio will continue into April-
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Rainmakers Looking for Clouds Find Blue Sky