Isabela Burley Tobacco In Demand Worldwide

The fertile soil of the Cagayan Valley, nourished by the mighty Cagayan River, and coupled with the humid weather condition resulted in the production of quality burley tobacco that is now sought after by cigarette manufacturers worldwide. According to the multinational leaf supplier Universal Leaf Philippines Inc. (ULPI), the leaf, which is globally known as Isabela burley, is now considered to be one of the best types of tobacco that is used to manufacture cigarettes. The demand for Isabela burley all over the world has been steadily rising over the years, says ULPI president Winston Uy.

He also credits the farmers in Cagayan Valley for their commitment to produce this type of leaf. Without them, Isabela burley would not become famous all over the world, he said. The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) says that burley production began increasing in 2008, or after years of being in the doldrums due to extreme weather conditions such as droughts and storms. The damage used to be so extensive that the NTA estimated that some P200 million-worth of tobacco were destroyed several years ago. In Isabela province alone, 26 towns were flooded, displacing more than 4,000 families and destroying millions of pesos worth of farm produce. ULPI, together with the NTA and Philip Morris Fortune Tobaco Company (PMFTC) Inc., immediately provided relief assistance to the farmers and their families so that they could go back planting their cash crop. PMFTC Inc. President Chris Nelson says weve seen a tremendous growth and improvement in the quality and harvest of home-grown burley following years of support we have extended to the farmers. Our collaboration is finally bearing fruit. PMFTC agronomists said good agriculture practices, such as the correct use of fertilizer and pesticides as well use of new farm implements, resulted in the renewed export of Philippinegrown tobacco.

Protection of the environment is also of paramount consideration. We will continue to assist the farmers through the use of good agricultural practices as we remain committed together with the NTA to the overall development of the Philippine tobacco industry, Nelson said. NTA records show that farmers were able to sell 8.61 million kilos of burley in 2008, valued at P447.5 million. These figures went up the following year, when 13.6 million kilos were harvested, amounting to P918 million. In 2010, the harvest has already reached 19.4 million kilos, valued at P1.35 billion.
Source: http://www.agribusinessweek.com/isabela-burley-in-demand-worldwide/#more-2323

Pekin Duck : Fast-growing Money-maker

One promising new money-maker for local investors is the Pekin duck, particularly the F1 (first generation) ducklings of a superior genetic line from the Czech Republic that is now available locally. According to Dr. Erwin Cruz who is distributing the ducklings, this Pekin duck will usually attain a liveweight of 3.6 kilos in only 49 days. With a dressing percentage of 69%, each bird will yield 2.48 kilos of marketable meat. The meat has a farmgate price of P190 per kilo, hence one dressed duck will gross the raiser P471.20. And what is the cost of production per bird of a batch of 100? The cost of producing one kilo of meat, including the cost of dressing, is P122.83, according to Dr. Cruz. So the cost of producing the 2.48 kilos of meat per bird is P304.61. Subtract this from the gross of P471.20, and you get a net profit of P166.59 per head. Thats not bad for a growing period of 49 days. The quality of the meat meets the high standards of the top restaurants in Manila as well as the importers from Japan, according to Dr. Cruz. In fact, one Japanese importer would like to import

three container loads (54 tons) of dressed Pekin duck every week. However, as of the moment, the requirement could only be met partially. Dr. Cruz said that the ducks should be raised in confinement inside a house with elevated floor (one meter above the ground). In the growing period of 49 days, each bird will usually consume 8.4 kilos costing P194.58. The other costs are the cost of the ducklings (P65 each), brooding cost at P5 per head; rice hull used for brooding (P5 per head). Labor is placed at P1,000 per 100 birds. Here is a golden opportunity for the Philippines to capitalize on the fact that it is about the only country in the region that is free of the bird flu. Clusters of Pekin duck production involving the small farmers is possible, according to Dr. Cruz. What is needed is government support for the industry such as the provision of AAA dressing plants that will make it possible to export the Pekin duck meat not only to Japan but also elsewhere. Technology in postharvest processing as well as various ways of cooking Pekin duck meat should be in the research agenda. Of course, the target should not only be for export. More Filipinos should also be able to savor the Pekin duck meat. Actually, many Filipinos think very lowly of duck meat because they believe it is tough and has a fishy taste (malangsa). Thats because the local ducks often cooked are the culls whose meat is tough. Once they taste the fleshy and tender meat of the 49-days-old Pekin duck of Dr. Cruz, their impression of duck meat would be totally different. By Zac B. Sarian
Source: http://www.agribusinessweek.com/pekin-duck-fast-growing-money-maker/

Hog Raising For Returning OFWs

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. The program is called Balikbayan Bagong Kabuhayan under the auspices of Univet Nutrition and Animal Healthcare Company (UNAHCO). The first training will be held at the companys headquarters in Mandaluyong City on May 11.

Clint B. Escondo, UNAHCOs senior product manager and group head of the swine cluster, said that the training is for free. Each batch could consist of 50 to 70 attendees. Escondo said that hog raising, even on a backyard scale, could be a profitable venture for returning overseas workers. The beauty about piggery is that it has a short gestation period, which means that cash flow starts within a short period. There are three types of backyard project that the OFWs can engage in. One is the grow-out operation where the proponent buys piglets for fattening. He can buy 10 weanlings for a start, for instance. If the pigs are well managed, they can be sent to market after taking care of them for four months. Usually, the animals would weigh 85 to 90 kilos each. Usually, the profit is P20 per kilo liveweight. Another type of backyard piggery operation is called Sow-Litter operation. This means the investor buys breeding animals, say five female breeders for a start. He breeds the animals and after weaning the litter, the piglets are sold to interested buyers who are in the fattening business. The usual price of a weanling is P2,000. The third type of backyard project is called Farrow to Finisher operation. In this scheme, the project proponent buys female breeders. After giving birth, the weanlings are not sold. Instead, they are sold after they are fattened. This also has its own advantage. In the seminar, the attendees are taught about proper housing, stock selection, proper nutrition, disease management, biosecurity or the need for disinfection of the growing area, etc. They may also be taught about artificial insemination. Actually, UNAHCO has been conducting free training of pig farmers in different parts of the country in the last 10 years. Many of the backyard farmers are successful in their projects because of the latest production techniques that are taught by the companys technicians. Escondo revealed that out of the 13 million hogs produced in the Philippines, about 9 million are produced by backyard raisers. Most of the backyard raisers maintain three to five sows. A fivesow level is estimated to produce 100 piglets per year. If the owner opts to fatten all of them, it is estimated that he could make a net profit of P180,000. Resource persons for the seminar are experts from the International Training Center for Pig Husbandry and UNAHCO experts themselves. By Zac B. Sarian
Source: http://www.agribusinessweek.com/hog-raising-for-returning-ofws/

Hybrid Squash Is Resistant to Different Viruses

The vegetable farmers in Rizal harvested Jupiter 208 hybrid squash developed by breeders of Allied Botanical Corporation which has an experiment station in Tayug, Pangasinan. The plant is claimed to be highly resistant to different kinds of virus that attack the squash family. It has strong vines that produce a lot of fruits. The fruits are 5 to 7 kilos each and are uniformly ribbed so that they are stackable. They can be conveniently stacked on top of one another during transport (see left photo). The flesh is best described in Tagalog as maligat which is preferred by most consumers. The club could also organize farm tours and meetings for both Taiwan and the Philippines to open the eyes of farmers in both countries to the potentials of a closer working relationship. It could also initiate investment forums, particularly Philippine investment policies on agricultural projects that could be undertaken by Taiwanese, and come up with investor-friendly services to facilitate the process of setting up farming operations here. The Board of Investments, Department of Trade and Industry, local government units, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Immigration and the Departments of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform can provide a cohesive and clear cut policy to attract investors in various crops and farm animals, fisheries, agro-forestry, food processing and marketing for both local and export markets. Formosa Filipina can initiate an exchange program for students and professors in state universities to expose them to new technologies which could be adopted right on the farms rather than just in the classroom or library. It can also establish an apprentice program with farming groups in Taiwan for Filipino agriculturists and technicians. It can also encourage sisterhood relationships between farmers cooperatives in the Philippines and Taiwan. Toto also observes that there are many NGOs that are involved in agricultural development. They can also be encouraged to establish linkages with Taiwanese NGOs that will enhance the livelihood of Filipino farmers through technology transfers and training program. They can also provide transportation funding and scholarships for promising agriculturists to train in Taiwan. Formosa Filipina could also tap Taiwanese grants for local research in agricultural technology such as in the fields of entomology, plant breeding, biotechnology, nanotechnology, farm mechanization and others. It could also organize symposiums for LGU executives on policy formulation that will attract investors in agricultural projects considering their geographic and climatic advantages. Toto cites an example Nueva Vizcayas potential as a growing area for Taiwanese semi-temperate fruits. The Philippines long coastline and protective coves can be ideal for fish cage culture, oyster culture and fish hatcheries. Because the northern provinces are near Taiwan, these could be a vegetable production base for big Taiwanese packers and exporters of organic and hydroponics vegetables, as well as greenhouse-grown crops. Mushroom production can be developed in many provinces. Oh yes, there are so many possibilities with the establishment of Formosa Filipina.

A Club for RP-Taiwan Sisterhood in Agriculture

Our Friend Toto Barcelona of Harbest Agribusiness has a bright idea. He said that if Philippine cities have sister-cities in other countries, why not sisterhood between farmer groups, from the Philippines and other countries? He has particularly in mind a sisterhood (or brotherhood?) of groups interested in agriculture from the Philippines and Taiwan. The idea all started recently when Toto guided a group of experts from the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) in going around to observe local developments in agriculture. Toto has close affinity with Taiwanese matters so it is but natural that he always thinks of things that will further enhance beneficial relationships between citizens of the two countries. First, he stayed for many years in Taiwan doing business. He is now distributing in the Philippines hybrid seeds from Taiwans leading seed company. And most of all, he is married to a beautiful Taiwanese. Fostering a closer relationship between farming groups will benefit both the Filipinos and Taiwanese. Toto rightly observes that Filipino farmers are still mainly into rice, corn, vegetables and mango production. Larger farms are into sugarcane, coffee, citrus and coconut while big corporate farnis are producing bananas, pineapple and oil palm. He notes that although efforts by the government and private initiatives are helping to improve farmers income, we are still far from the productivity of our Taiwanese counterparts. Toto said that there are still lots of agricultural technologies that Filipinos can learn from Taiwan that could increase their fuming incomes. On the other hand, potential investors from Taiwan can discover excellent opportunities in agricultural production here in the Philippines as exemplified by pioneering Taiwanese investors in watermelon production and aquaculture. A number of them pioneered in these fields as early as 20 years ago and are still here. He cited the example of Wu Yu Lien who started growing seedless watermelon in Ilocos and then ended in large-scale production in Pampanga to this day. Another is Peter Lin who is a large-scale producer of melons and wateimelon in Magalang, Pampanga and Concepcion, Tarlac. Another Taiwanese investor is Gregory Lee, one of the biggest poultry producers in the country today based in Cavite. Toto explained that agribusinessmen from Taiwan will find the Philippines as an excellent base for expanding the production of various agricultural products, and developing new markets with their Filipino partners. Because of rapid industrialization of Taiwan in the past 20 years or so, cost of agricultural production in that country has skyrocketed. This has been due to decreasing number of available labor. Most of the younger Taiwanese would rather work in business offices rather than in the farms. The sisterhood relationship could be achieved by forming a club with a core group of volunteers that will start the ball rolling. Toto has mentioned a number of Taiwanese now involved in agribusiness in the Philippines as well as some who are in Taiwan who could be the initial members or volunteers. Likewise, he has named a number of possible Filipinos involved in agriculture who could become charter members. The members could be individuals as well as agencies or organizations. And he has suggested Formosa Filipina as a possible name of the club. The Portuguese seafarers of long ago, he explained, called the island of Taiwan Formosa which means beautiful. And for a long time Taiwan was better known as Formosa.

Formosa Filipina, Toto believes, can be instrumental in pursuing a more organized and more aggressive exchange of agricultural technologies. It can foster a better understanding of government policies which could improve the investment climate. It could also help develop more opportunities for cultural, social, business and technical interaction among farmer groups from both countries. There are many things that can be done to achieve the objectives of Formosa Filipina. The club can establish linkages with Taiwanese farmers associations or cooperatives and communities through the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute (TART) Philippine Economic and Cultural Office on the one hand, and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) and Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) on the other.
Source: http://www.agribusinessweek.com/a-club-for-rp-taiwan-sisterhood-in-agriculture/

From Jeepney Driver to A Successful Farmer

Diligence, foresight and determination to provide well for his family were the key factors that led Rodolfo Ronnie Abas, 57, to success. Forty-two years ago, he was just a mere jeepney driver who was earning what was left from his P8-boundary. Now he cultivates more than 100 hectares (has) in Kiliog, Libona, Bukidnon. His farm is planted mostly to corn and raises 110,000 broilers per growing cycle with the help of his son Marte, second in a brood of five. His wife of 39 years, Mila, a former high school teacher, has provided him all the assistance he needed from a loving wife. Ronnie, a high school graduate, narrates that he became jobless for a year after he got married. The owner sold the jeepney that he was driving, and he was forced to stay at home doing nothing but to take care of their firstborn child. He was mad at himself very often because his wife was the one canning. He also found it difficult to be ataynaylong (a term coined to describe a person who acts as tatay [dad], nanay [mom] and katulong [househelp]). Much as he wanted to be the breadwinner, he could not find any profitable job. And he was worried of what could happen if he Would have more children. JUNKED JEEPNEY FOR A START Even with his predicament, Ronnie envisioned himself to be the owner of a fleet of jeepneys. And by the stroke of fate, probably, he found in 1970-a junked jeepney for sale. His problem, of course, was that he did not have money to buy it. He needed P 10,000 to buy it even if its engine

was no longer functional and its tires needed replacement. His last recourse was his aunt who, upon learning of his only opportunity to become a family breadwinner, bravely lent him money. Because of my happiness, I really cried when she gave me the money, Ronnie said. After repairing the engine and vulcanizing the tires, he started to use the vehicle to ferry passengers from Libona to Cagayan de Oro City. In one particular trip, he was hailed by pregnant woman who wanted to be brought to a hospital in the city. He initially refused to take her, thinking that it would be bad luck for him and for his jeepney if she died on the way to the hospital. But he it did not take him long, when he thought that his conscience would be greatly bothered if the woman died for not being brought to the hospital; so he backed up to get her. As he was traversing the very rough road down to the city, the woman already gave birth. This made him increase his speed, not minding his jeeps worn out tires. When he visited her the following day, he found out that she needed some money to pay for the hospital bill. Without even thinking twice, he gave her P50, the only money in his pocket. Ronnie said this particular event was the turning point in his life. The following day was the feast of the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Brgy. San Miguel, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, which is adjacent to Libona. Just like any other barangays fiesta in the Philippines, people from other barangays attended the fiesta. Much to Ronnies delight and astonishment, it was his jeepney that was loaded with passengers all the time. Passengers insisted to ride in his vehicle even if it was already loaded to the brim, so to speak. From then on, his income from the jeepney kept on increasing. Not long after the acquisition of the first jeepney, he decided to loan from a bank to buy another jeepney. One loan after another led to the development of a fleet of more than 10 jeepneys. TRIES AGRICULTURAL LANDS His success in running a jeepney fleet did not make him complacent. Instead, he decided to try his luck in agriculture. That is why even if his first jeepney has some sentimental value, he sold it for P70,000 in 1982 to buy 6 has in the town proper. However, the land was adjacent to the residential area and Ronnie thought it would be extremely difficult for him to expand the property if ever he would have money. He sold the property a year after for P230,000 and bought 5 has in Kiliog for P75,000. He also bought six cattle for draft purposes and used the rest of the money for mortgaging lands from neighboring farmers and for production inputs. For a start, he had 10 has planted to corn. Even if his harvest was low and the price of corn at that time was only P2 a kilo, Ronnie was making money from his agricultural venture.

Not long after, he bought again 7 has for P70,000. He realized that he was making more money from agriculture and, hence, decided to sell his passenger vehicles to be able to further expand his agricultural operation. By 1990 he already owned 20 has and he decided to mechanize his farming operations, as he could no longer rely on animal power for land cultivation. Thus, he obtained a loan of P700,000 from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to buy 90 hp Ford 6610; he also borrowed P200,000 for production cost. Unfortunately, the crop failed because the rains stopped after two downpours. Although he paid the premium for the insurance of his crop, the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation did not pay for his losses worth P 100,000 because the bank failed to remit the premium. The best thing he got from LBP was a restructuring of his loan amounting to P100,000, as this was the amount that he actually spent. The next crops were successful and so he was able to pay his loans. Ronnie said his success in corn production is primarily due to the use of hybrid seeds and Bt corn, which is resistant to the destructive corn borer. Among the varieties he is using are Dekalb and YieldGard, which are marketed by Monsanto Philippines. He said he has used hybrid seeds of San Miguel Corporation, Ayala and Cargill. He mentioned that his corn yield is normally higher in the first crop with 9 to 10 tons a hectare (t/ha). Although the yield of the second crop drops to 5 to 6 t/ha, it is compensated by a much higher price and, hence, still makes almost the same net income as from the first crop. For this cropping season, he has planned to try Durabloom, a bio-organic fertilizer produced by Novatech Agri-Food Industries, in a few hectares in an attempt to cut down fertilizer cost. The rains had not yet come when we visited Ronnie last April, but the fields were already ready for planting as soon as there is enough moisture in the soil. He said that although farmers in other parts of Mindanao have already successfully used Durabloom, he has to try it himself before using it on a wide scale. Weve got to go slow on this, he said. If I find that it (Durabloom) works well, there will be no reason why I will not use it on a large scale. As a large-scale corn producer, he has already mechanized his farm operations. Lately, in a trip to Thailand with his family, he brought home a 4-row corn planter, which he bought for P200,000. For faster land preparation, he has also acquired three large tractors. He said, however, the corn harvest must be dried soon after harvest so that the grains would not be attacked by aflatoxin, a fungus that diminishes the quality of the grains. If the corn would be free from the fungus, he could sell his produce at good prices. He invested P1 million for the installation of two vertical mechanical dryers right in the farm.

To insure availability of water for his crops, he installed three years ago several deep wells (248 feet deep) in strategic locations of the farm. BROILER PRODUCTION Not yet contented with his success in corn production, he ventured into broiler contract growing with Swift RFM in 1994. For a start, he had three broiler houses with a capacity of 10,000 birds per house. Ronnie confessed that he was so excited with his new venture because it was his first time to see and take care of such a large number of chicks. Although he really did not know much about broiler production, he had to learn all the tricks as fast as he could. Indeed, determination and diligence made him a successful poultry grower. After 13 years, he now has nine poultry houses with a total capacity of 110,000 birds. Four houses can contain 15,000 birds each, while the five other houses have a capacity of 10,000 birds. Marte, a nursing undergraduate, now manages the poultry business. He said they have five to six production cycles a year. After 13 years with Swift, they recently decided to do business with Gamma Fanns, a supplier of birds for the roasted chicken business. Marte also manages the poultry farms of his uncle and another grower. All in all, he raises 540,000 birds per grow. BACK TO JEEPNEYS, THEN HAULING TRUCKS Even if Ronnie sold his fleet of passenger jeeps earlier, he was forced to buy a brand new Armak passenger jeepney in 1989 because it was already becoming difficult for their children to get a ride to school. Besides, he was still the president of the local jeepney operators and drivers association, a position he held for 20 years. By 1997, he already had 12 Armak passenger jeepneys, as he continued to buy one after another whenever he had extra money. Later, he bought a truck with a capacity of 18 tons, which he used for hauling pineapple on a contract basis for Del Monte, which is adjacent to Libona. He was attracted by the handsome income and, hence, decided to sell the jeepneys to buy three more trucks. Lately, however, Del Monte decided to hire 10-wheelers only. Because the income is good, he had his hauling trucks converted as such to conform to the demand of the pineapple company. Ronnie is a kind of person who catches every opportunity where he sees good income. It was only recently that he also became a contract grower of Del Monte; he allotted 2 has of land near his house for this purpose. Del Monte provides the seed pieces and fertilizer, while he provides the labor.

He said he can harvest three times from one crop. The first harvest is done 18 months after planting. This is followed by a second harvest nine months after and a third harvest after another nine months. The income is attractive as Del Monte pays P3 a kilo for the first harvest and P1.75 a kilo for the succeeding harvests. Ronnie said the cost of production for the first year is P147,000 per hectare. Ronnie has also allocated a portion of his farm for fruit production. Although he says that it is not on a commercial scale, he has more than 600 fruit bearing trees of durian, over 200 lanzones, 35 pummelo, several mango trees, and lots of lakatan banana. Ronnie has not yet stopped looking for business opportunities. Aside from his ventures in agriculture, he also has a fleet of 52 taxis in Cagayan de Oro with the name Abas Farm Taxi.
Source : http://www.agribusinessweek.com/from-jeepney-driver-to-a-successful-farmer/

Jaime Matabang : Theres Money in Calamansi!

This former vegetable farmer from Santa Rosa, Pangasinan swears that calamansi is a virtual money tree. In 1968, Jaime Matabang and his family migrated to Santa Rosa, Pangasinan to start a new life. He was only 22 years old during that time and romantically dreamt of tending vegetables while raising his kids in their quaint tranquil farm. Me and my wife tried to plant various vegetables for several years, Mang Jaime recalls in Filipino. We survived pretty well, although I couldnt categorically say that we earned a lot. It was just enough to feed my children and send them to school. It was in 1982, however, when Mang Jaime thought of planting calamansi, also popularly known as calamondin (Citrofortunella microcarpa) a citrus fruit tree native to the Philippines, and the most commonly grown backyard tree in the country. This vitamin-C rich fruit is processed into beverages, syrups, concentrates, juices, preserves, jams, candies, etc. The 62-year-old cheerful farmer said he got the idea from the farmers in a nearby barrio call San Jacinto, where people have been reported to have earned a lot from calamansi farming. We started planting calamansi in our one-hectare lot, said Mang Jaime. We bought grafted calamansi plants from Talisay, Batangas. From there, our usiness flowed naturally. The calamansi tree, as Mang Jaime explains, bears fruit after two to three years from planting. As noted in agricultural journals, this native fruit can be grown in four types of climate, but areas

with well-distributed rainfall throughout the year are the best. In Mang Jaimes experience, one hectare planted to calamansi trees can yield a harvest of 9,000 kilos of fruits. That amounts to 300 bags. We sell the fruits at PHP500 per bag in Divisoria. We have our own stall there being managed by my nephew. From a mere hectare, Mang Jaimes plantation grew to seven hectares of his calamansi farm because he divided the other five hectares to his two married children. Still, thats around 1,500 calamansi trees and yields an average of four tons of calamansi fruits per year. And just how much does Mang Jaime earn from this business? As fas as I can recall, the biggest profit we had was around PHP1.5 milion. Net na yun. Im not exaggerating but there is really money in calamansi. We have a lot of success stories here. I can point to you several of my friends and neighbors whose quality of lives have improved from calamansi farming. Mang Jaime explained that one thing good about calamansi farming is that unlike other crops or fruit trees, it doesnt really need much caring. Of course aside from the usual watering and fertilizing, we spray it with pesticide once in a while but other than that, we just leave it there, he disclosed. Pests and diseases in calamansi are easy to spot according to Mang Jaime. Zigzag marks, cuts and rugged edges on the bark indicate that the tree is infested with citrus bark borers. Other pests such as the purple and glovers scale, suck the trees sap until its leaves and fruits wither. But we dont really have much problems with pests. We were very lucky we never had serious problems, said Mang Jaime. We eats most of his production cost is his inputs and labor. As he further explained : In one hectare, we spend around PHP40,000 inputs alone. For labor, we spend around 3,000 per month. We hire pickers and pay them PHP% per kilo of harvest. They earn quite well around PHP500 to PHP600 per half day of harvesting. And they do their work so quickly! Now that Chinese fortune tellers are saying that planting calamansi trees in the backyards will bring good luck in this year of the earth rat, Mang Jaime said he has long been persuading a lot of his colleagues to do the same. Who know? Maybe thats also one of the reasons why we became so lucky. we really owe a lot to this citrus tree!
Source: http://www.agribusinessweek.com/jaime-matabang-theres-money-in-calamansi/

Nilo Casas Sheep Raising is a Profitable Venture

A former banker resigned from the corporate world and found joy and profits from raising sheep. If insomniacs mentally count sheep to be able to fall asleep, former banker Nilo Casas literally do that in his two farms in Cavite and Masbate to be able to calculate his profits. For 23 years, Casas, who is also an avid goat raiser, is very much convinced that there is money in sheep raising. While it is true that Filipinos generally do not eat lamb, the Arab and Muslim

communities, Piney mestizos, as well as returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who come from the Middle East all contribute to the continuous growing demand for sheep meat.

One time, the 54-year-old Casas recalls, I was able to earn more than a million pesos for selling 275 heads of sheep alone. There was a politician who bought 20o heads and another rancher who bought the other 75 heads. I told myself, may pera pala talaga rito! How Casas stumbled into raising these wooly mammal species is an interesting story in itself. In 1984, right after he resigned as a liaison officer of a prestigious bank, Casas focused his energy on managing his five goat stores in Metro Manila. One day, a farmer from Dumaguete offered him to buy a live sheep. I told him, I dont have any market for that. But the farmer insisted and I bought the sheep for Php405.00. The next day, I was able to sell the sheep for Php600.00. The following day, he came again and sold more sheep. This time, I was able to sell those for Php1,000.00 each. That cycle repeated until I was able to sell 32 heads of sheep. After five months, I bought 22 heads but did not sell the ewes (female sheep). I brought them in my mothers farm in San Juan, Batangas. In three years time, the number of heads multiplied by eight times. By 1987, I was already raising around 400 heads of sheep. Since sheep belong to the genus Ovis and are part of the goat antelope subfamily, Casas discloses that there isnt much difference in raising sheep and goats. In fact, he says, it is even easier to raise sheep because they dont succumb to the dreaded sore eyes and foot and mouth diseases which usually infect a lot of goat breeds. Both ruminants, sheep and goats could also be raised together in the same farm and share the same food, which mostly consist of weeds and silage. The sheep has a higher survival rate than goats, Casas explains. One of the reasons for this is that sheep rarely give birth to twins and as such, dont really compete in drinking from the milk of their mothers. To date, Nilo Casas maintains two sheep and goat farms. One is an 18 hectare farm in Masbate and the other, a smaller 5-hectare farm in Kawit, Cavite where all his ruminants roam freely to pasture in verdant grasslands. Through the years, he has tried to shepherd different sheep breeds from the fine-textured Suffolk to the hairy St. Croix and the exceptionally vigorous Damara. The prices of these imported breeds range between Php25,000 and PhP35,000 per head. They are raised primarily for their meat, unlike in other countries, where some sheep are also raised for their good quality wool. In three to five months after birth, the sheep are sold live, the prices of which range from Php3,000 to Php4,000. However, the ewes sell more for Php5,000. Through time, the astute entrepreneur has also learned the art of value-adding by grilling the lamb and selling the whole lechon tupa at Php5,500. The price would include his version of the tupang kilawin and papaitan. Imagine this, Casas proudly enthuses, just say you have 50 heads of sheep. If you could sell that at Php4,000 each-thats already Php200,000. How much does a Filipino domestic helper in other countries earn? Php35,000 a month. They could just come back here and raise sheep!

But then, the proverbial question remains: is there really a growing market demand for sheep meat? Casas says he doesnt have the accurate figure to answer that question, although based on his experience, the demand is something close to 250 heads a month. The demand peaks during Christmas and Muslim holidays and when the Arab communities in the Philippines have their own celebrations. And as Ive said, explains Casas, the Spanish Filipinos or the mestizos also buy a lot of sheep from me, as well as the growing number of OFW engineers who have already imbibed the habit of cooking and eating sheep meat which they have acquired during the years they have stayed in various Arab countries. In selling his product to Arabs, Casas notes that they have their own requirements in buying sheep. They really want it live, he quips. They want a sheep thats complete with ears and tail. They dont want parts of the sheep to be cut off. To further expand his market, Casas makes his sheep visible in agri-trade shows like Agrilink, which he has already been a loyal suki of for the past four years. Added to this, at the start of the year, he designs his own Sheep Calendars and distributes them to the different Middle East and Arab embassies in Makati. He says those calendars contain pictures of his sheep, his name and contact numbers and even maps of how to go to his farms. Moreover, he is also an active member of the Federation of Goat and Sheep Raisers of the Philippines, from which he regularly exchanges notes and pointers with other sheep raisers on how to improve their enterprises. For those who are interested to raise sheep, Casas willingly shares this advice: For a start, you can raise five to 10 heads of sheep. After eight months, the ewes can already be impregnated by the rams. In five months, they would already give birth. If the sheep reaches the optimum weight of 18 kilograms, they can already be sold. In my experience, you would spend around Php500 per head of sheep. That would already include their food, depreciation and labor costs. Sheep can eat any kind of grass although I would recommend napier, para grass, centrosema, malunggay and ipil-ipil. If you want good quality meat, you could also feed them with growing mash-the one that you feed the pigs. Sheep can also eat leftovers and food peelings. I would also advise them to contact other sheep raisers so that they could learn from their own experiences. We are growing in number. We have sheep farms in Bulacan, Antipolo, etc. If they are worried about their market, they can come to me because I also dont merely sell sheep. I also happen to buy and outsource from other raisers in order to meet my volume requirement. In the future, Nilo Casas aims to increase his sheep production from mere hundreds to around 3,500 heads. In fact, he is on the lookout for possible business partners who might want to forge an alliance with him. With the growing number of sheep enthusiasts and the continuous increase of well-traveled Filipinos who have already acquired the taste for lamb meat, time will come when Mr. Casas will no longer be able to count the sheep in his farms. By that time, he would probably be paying it forward and teaching the new generation of Pinoy shepherds how to earn more money by raising these well loved wooly farm animals.
Source: http://www.agribusinessweek.com/nilo-casas-sheep-raising-is-a-profitable-venture/

Learn Ways to Increase Farm Income from Two Bulakeno Farmers

Why settle with your current farm income when there are means to earn more? Farmers should always keep this in mind like farmers Romeo Mendoza Jr. and Jose Velasquez of San Ildefonso, Bulacan. They have always been receptive to new farming technologies, and have ventured to other agribusiness to increase their income. Now, they have over a hundred sacks of rice, baskets of vegetables, and buckets of fish to sell. A man open to new ideas, Mendoza, an official of Barangay Pinaud, initiates the conduct of seminars with the help of extension workers to update himself and his fellow farmers on new farming methods. In one of the seminars he attended, he learned that the use of certified seeds of a recommended variety is the first key in increasing yield. Hence, he travels to the Science City of Munoz Nueva Ecija to buy certified seeds from the seed centers along the road. He also learned in the seminars that during land leveling, the field should have 2 cm -3 cm water depth, and that rice crop establishment shouldnt be rushed to allow stubbles and weeds to decompose and be of use as fertilizers. Has been farming for 25 years, this 41year-old Bulakeno knows that he will be broke if he produced less than 80 cavans per hectare, considering the soaring prices of inputs nowadays. Thus, he strives hard to produce 100 cavans per hectare from his rainfed farm and 120 cavans per hectare from his irrigated farm. He earns P635,000 from his 10hectare tainted farm in the wet season and as high as P892,000 in a year from the 4-hectare irrigated farm, which he rents for 10 cavans per hectare every harvest. Mendoza also grows mangoes, vegetables, and tilapia. His 20 mango trees are already bearing fruits, and he earns P30,000 a month from 4 hectares planted to vegetables such as bitter gourd, tomatoes, and string beans. Aside from this, he has recently harvested 300 kilos of tilapia from a hectare, which he sold at P60 per kilo or a total of P 18,000. He transports his produce to Balintawak Market where prices are higher. Velasquez, on the other hand, has been in farming for 60 years. This 73-year-old Bulakeno was a seed grower, but he stopped to take care of his sick wife. After her death, he ventured into commercial rice production. In managing his crops, he maintains 3 cm-5cm water depth during irrigation and allows a fallow period of at least a month. He saves on fertilizer cost because some of the chicken manure from a nearby poultry farm are thrown to his field.

Believing that sowing the right amount of seeds results in the production of healthy seedlings, he follows the recommended crop establishment practices. He sows 40 kg of seeds in 400 square meters (m2) seedbed. At this seedling density, the seedlings wouldnt compete with each other for nutrients and sunlight. He transplants the seedlings at a distance of 20 cm x 20 cm in the wet season and 20 cm x 15 cm in the dry season. He usually harvests 100 to 117 cavans from his 1-hectare irrigated farm and 70 to 90 cavans per hectare from his 2hectare rainfed farms. He sells a cavan of his milled rice at P1,600 to P1,800. Velasquez has a fishpond, too. It measures 1,000 m2 and contains 4,000 fingerlings. He also raises pigs, chickens and ducks, and grows string beans, okra, sponge gourd and squash, too. He has been earning a considerable amount of money from these farm ventures, and he is thankful for succeeding in these and wishes other farmers to succeed, too. He has a tip for them: To get a high yield, you should really look after your crops. You know your crop more than other people do. Dont be complacent with the thought that your helpers can do all the farming activities.
Source: http://www.agribusinessweek.com/learn-ways-to-increase-farm-income-from-two-bulakenofarmers/

Finding Simple Joy and Therapy in the Darag Native Chicken

Such is the most appropriate description of a man, Johnny Tagamolila of Bacolod City who has become an avid raiser of the Darag, a strain of native chicken indegenous to Western Visayas. The farmer gentleman in his seventies is a retired bank manager but is still very much active in the business of money lending. But apart from this business, the Tagamolila family also owns 15 hectares(ha) of sugarland and about 3 ha of bangus fishpond located in Himamalayan, Negros Occidental. A successful family man, all his sons are already professionals, two medical doctors and one from the academe. His lovely wife takes pride in caring for him, the household and the family business. PHYSICAL HANDICAP IS NO EXCUSE TO RAISE NATIVE CHICKEN Tagamolila is a recent acquaintance of the Livestock Research Division team of the Los Banosbased Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD). He was introduced by the staff of the West Visayas State University (WVSU) which spearheads the native chicken R&D in the region through the S&T Anchor Program for the Philippine Native Chicken being supported by PCARRD. Tagamolila has become an active cooperator of WVSU and the interaction with the gentleman and the short visit to his farm proved so well that even with a physical handicap due to a problem

in the spinal column, raising native chicken could be very successful. He moves around with two canes assisted by a lady caregiver who helps him in his daily routine, particularly in doing monitoring visit and supervision in the farm. To Tagamolila, just like any Ilonggo either from Iloilo or Negros Occidental, native chicken is always a special fare on the table. Its a preferred food over the others especially when cooked as tinola or chicken inasal. Thus when he bought a dozen Darag native chicken (10 pullets and 2 roosters) from Iloilo, his passion for this strain of native chicken started. Initially, he multiplied the chicken in his farm purposely for home consumption. Later on, the native chicken became specialty gifts for the family `amigos and parientes during special occasions or on special request, who also share the same liking for manok bisaya. COMMERCIALIZING THE NATIVE CHICKEN In almost two years since he started the native chicken hobby, Tagamolila already raises over 200 head of mature and seemingly pure Darag chicken as shown by the uniform plumage of the birds. The birds are raised only with minimal supervision by a farmhand. Tagamolila mentioned that until recently, he never thought that one can really derive income from native chicken. But when he started receiving inquiries and orders for hardened chicks or ready-to-lay pullets, then he realized that raising native chicken can become a small or medium size business. For hacienderos it can be an alternative economic option for farm workers during off milling season when economic activity is lean. Recently, the office of the governor of Negros Occidental ordered from him several hundred native chickens for a livelihood project. However, the order was declined because he cannot supply the desired number of stocks. Another big order from Iloilo significant number was also declined for the same reason. The old man, however, admits that his setup is still far from ideal and he still has to do improvements in his farm, particularly in keeping mortality at acceptable leveh ; and in increasing egg production and hatchability in order to increase his stocks. But his intention to go commercial is very evident in the way he asked for more information and technology to improve his production system. He is happy that WVSU is assisting him in terms of improving his farm practices and PCARRD gives him hope that his aspiration to upgrade his current level of production to commercial level is within reach. SIMPLE JOY FROM SIMPLE THINGS Compared to the current business the Tagamolilas are involved in like fish farming, sugarcane farming, lending, etc., the economic returns from native chicken is a mere minuscule in fact very insignificant. To this, he can only say, At the moment at this point of my life, any small thing or any positive effect on simple intervention that I implement and would result in better survival of my Darag chicks for instance, gives me immense happiness. And that, he said, is more important than what money can buy or even getting a good income from sugarcane and fishpond. The simple joys that the native chickens give me as I see them very healthy and alert, quite uniform in color, and surround me with excitement in a flurry every time I arrive in the farm and throw grains on the ground; the reputation I am getting as a source of good quality stocks for Darag, the friends from WVSU who periodically visit, the new friends I meet like the PCARRD

staff, the UPV professors, and people from the local government units, are giving me the desired therapeutic effect, strength and psychological satisfaction to ease up my incapacity. For that I could not ask for more, he added. Johnny Tagamolila dropped us off Bacolod airport clasping with him a folded sheet of paper where Dr. Syrian Baguio indicated his recommendations hoping that it will give the old man more simple joys as he anticipates better production of the Darag chicken. The group bade goodbye to the old man hoping to see him soonest in the future.
Source: http://www.agribusinessweek.com/finding-simple-joy-and-therapy-in-the-darag-native-chicken/

He Recycles Farm Wastes Into Gold

Gonzalo Jun Catans name has long been associated with household and industrial pest control. He has been in that business since 1961 and is still very much in the same business. Of late, however, he has also turned his attention in a big way to recycling farm wastes into gold. He has three main commercial products recycled from various wastes. Foremost is activated carbon which has many industrial uses like purifying water supplies, softdrinks and many more. He makes activated carbon out of coconut shell which is plentiful in Southern Luzon where he also has his factory. Another product is what he calls green charcoal, a fuel that produces higher heat than the ordinary wood charcoal. It is made of grass and other biomass like water hyacinth (wrongly called water lily in this country), tree leaves and many more. His latest recycled product is vermicompost, a potent organic fertilizer produced by earthworms that feed on the same farm wastes which Jun uses in making green charcoal. Catan explains that it takes a lot of fuel to produce activated carbon because the raw materials (coconut shell) have to be subjected to extremely high heat of 1,000 degrees Celsius. The factory in Alaminos, Laguna can produce 4.5 tons of activated carbon a day which sells at P72,000 per ton. About 2.5 to 3 tons of coconut shell produce one ton of activated carbon. The main cost of producing activated carbon is fuel. The former owners of the factory which Catan took over failed to make any profit because the boilers needed some 6,000 liters of bunker fuel a day to operate. That means P3.2 million worth of fuel a month. Thanks to Catans green charcoal, the cost of fuel was reduced to P800,000 a month. And that is the reason why his operation has become profitable. In making activated carbon, the coconut shells are crushed into the right sizes before they are placed in the kiln, where the right moisture is maintained. These are subjected to 1,000 degrees Celsius for 8 hours. Instead of bunker fuel, Catan uses his green charcoal as fuel. Aside from

being cheaper, green charcoal is more environment-friendly because unlike bunker fuel, it does not emit a lot of carbon dioxide. Catan explains that green charcoal is much more efficient because it has a heating power of 59,000 BTU (British thermal unit) compared to 29,000 BTU for LPG and 18,000 BTU for bunker fuel. Green charcoal is a product of Catans own research. The farm wastes are shredded, infused with hydrogen-producing beneficial microorganisms and enzymes, and then extruded to form small round logs about 1.5 inches in diameter. These are subsequently cut into shorter pieces. Green charcoal is much cheaper to use than LPG, according to Catan. That is why it is extensively used in public markets where it is used for boiling water used in dressing chicken. The users are saving at least 40 percent by using green charcoal instead of LPG. Catan has also fabricated appropriate stoves not only for use in boiling water in public markets but also for household use. The household model is also convenient for use by families during outings in remote places. Catan has also come up with a reactor that uses green charcoal as fuel to run engines instead of using electricity. In fact, he has a reactor using green charcoal which is used to power a shredding machine. That is what Catan is using to shred farm wastes like pineapple leaves and stumps which are subsequently used for making green charcoal or for feeding earthworms to produce organic fertilizer. In fact, green charcoal can also be used to power moving vehicles. He has a Multicab truck that has been fitted with a hydrogen reactor using green charcoal as fuel. Twenty kilos of green charcoal can run the vehicle more than 150 kilometers, or round trip from Catans Mapecon office in Manila to his factory in Laguna. One possible use of his technology is in big sugarcane plantations. The thousands and thousands of tons of cane tops can be made into green charcoal and the green charcoal can then be used to power trucks for hauling the canes. Another possibility is to use the green charcoal for drying copra and at the same time extracting the oil right at the village level. VERMICOMPOST PRODUCTION One timely project that Catan got into recently is the production of organic fertilizer via vermiculture or the use of earthworms to convert waste materials into plant food. This is very timely in the light of soaring prices of chemical fertilizers. His vermiculture project started when he and a provincemate, Alex Amor, received the Oriental Negrense Award given by their home province in 2005 (he is a native of Valencia). That time, Amor had already a thriving vermiculture project but he lacked cash to buy a delivery truck and for expanding his operations. He asked Catan if he could lend him a million pesos. When Catan asked Amor how he would pay him back, the latter said he could pay him an interest of 4 percent a month. Catan replied that was too much. He asked for just a 3 percent monthly interest, and it would not be in cash. He said that Amor could pay him with earthworms worth P30,000 monthly. Amor liked the idea very much because thats even easier to do than paying in cash.

At the start, Catan found that it was not that easy to culture earthworms. The first few batches he received were failures. The worms died or that they escaped their growing bins. He had to attend different seminars on the subject and then conducted his own research. He found that the worms require special feeds that will make them multiply and do their task of transforming their food into organic fertilizer. Today, he claims he has mastered caring for the earthworms. He has formulated their feed using various raw materials that are available, including spent tea leaves from a local tea factory (eight tons a day), grasses, rice straw, water hyacinth, buko wastes and others. These are shredded, inoculated with beneficial microorganisms and enzymes, and then extruded to form what he calls vermilogs. Different feed formulations are made, depending on the intended crops to be fertilized. Leafy vegetables, for instance, may require more nitrogen so ipil-pil leaves may be included in the formulation Today, Catan produces 4 to 5 tons of organic fertilizer. He is selling his product at around P7 per kilo, picked up from the factory. Thats much cheaper than the price obtaining in retail outlets (P25 per kilo) in Metro Manila.
Source: http://www.agribusinessweek.com/he-recycles-farm-wastes-into-gold/