Volume 13 Issue No. 5 A monthly publication of the Bureau of Agricultural Research May 2012

hronicleCVisit our official website at http://www.bar.gov.ph

ISSN 1655-3942

BARBUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

BAR hronicleCBUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

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BARLOCAL EVENT

IN THIS ISSUE...

BAR chairs 7th ATWGARD Meeting...............................

Promotion of non rice staples.......................................

BAR showcases R&D products in HortiAsia................

Phl commercially produces anhydrous........................

CIMMYT official visits BAR............................................

Balingasag women’s association.................................

PhilRice shows Pinoyouth’s involvement....................

Region 2 hosts 1st National Staples Festival..............

Legume project progresses to phase 3.......................

Persistent Peter: A BAR scholar...................................

Turmeric: Bringing more color to healthier.................

First quarter coco water export up by 300..................

CPAR in Senator Ninoy Aquino: Providing..................

DA-PIOs consultative meeting held.............................

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7th ATWGARD Chair and BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar (3rd from left); DA Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning and BAS Director Romeo S. Recide

(4th from left); ASEAN Secretariat Pouchamarn Wongsanga (2nd from right); and BAR Asst. Director Teodoro S. Solsoloy; (right) with the ATWGARD

participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand; and key officials and staff from BAR. PHOTO BY ABRION

Enhancing knowledge sharingand coming up withcollaborative research and

development initiatives are needed forthe improvement of the agriculturesector, especially on addressing issuesrelated to productivity, production andfood security. Hence, in 2003, theAssociation of Southeast Asian NationsTechnical Working Group on AgriculturalResearch and Development(ATWGARD) was established. It wasparticipated in by member countriesincluding Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia,Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia,Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore,Thailand, and Vietnam.

The Philippines, through theDepartment of Agriculture (DA) and the

collaborative R&D initiatives forgedBAR chairs 7 ATWGARD Meeting;th

Bureau of Agricultural Research(BAR), spearheaded the 7 ATWGARDmeeting held on 16-18 May 2012 atCentury Park Hotel, Malate, Manila.BAR Director Dr. Nicomedes P. Eleazarchaired this international event.

DA's Assistant Secretary forPolicy and Planning and Bureau ofAgricultural Statistics (BAS) DirectorRomeo S. Recide warmly welcomed thedelegates. In his message, hehighlighted the importance of theagriculture and fisheries sector inhelping achieve inclusive growth andpoverty reduction. He also pointed outthe focus of the meeting which includesthe following: 1) inclusion of climatechange adaptation and mitigationstrategies in projects and programs; 2)

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strengthening information technology,and 3) fostering strong cooperation andpartnership among member countries.

Dr. Eleazar subsequently openedturn to page 2

Acknowledging the importanceof information officers aschannels of relevant and

updated information on the Departmentof Agriculture (DA)'s latest initiativesand programs, a consultative meeting ofpublic information officers (PIOs) washeld on 3-4 May 2012 in PuertoPrincesa Palawan. The DA-Agricultureand Fisheries Information Service(AFIS) led by OIC-Director Noel O.Reyes spearheaded the event.

The PIO meeting, which isdone twice a year, encourages PIOs ofconcerned DA attached agencies, staffbureaus, and attached corporations toregularly produce updates and successstories on their activities contributing toDA's major programs and initiatives.With AFIS at the helm, the activityhopes to develop an efficient, workingnetwork among PIOs in spreading the"good news" and keeping the publicupdated.

Dr. Yvonne G. Vinas, regionaltechnical director for planning andresearch of DA-RFU 4B, delivered theopening message in behalf of RegionalExecutive Director Cipriano G.Santiago. In the speech, Dr. Santiagocommended the information championsof DA and encouraged them to intensify

DA-PIOs consultative meeting held;updates on DA banner programs

the role of DA through the disseminationof relevant information to the public.

AFIS Director Noel O. Reyesgave an overview of the activity andreported on the recent directives ofSecretary Proceso J. Alcala for 2012. Healso discussed the protocols andguidelines in disseminatingcommunication releases to the media andthe public in general.

Presentations on the variousupdates of the DA Banner Programshighlighted the rest of the sessions.Presentations included: 1) updates on riceprogram/rice achievers/DA-Food StaplesSufficiency Program; 2) cornprogram/cassava project; 3) livestock

program; 4) biotechnology program;and 5) postharvest program.

The second day was acontinuation of the seminar updates onthe various DA Programs.Presentations composed of updates on1) marketing/agribusiness initiatives;and 2) irrigation program.

Dr. Karen Barroga, head ofthe Development CommunicationDivision of the Philippine RiceResearch Institute (PhilRice);presented “Knowledge Sharing andLearning: The PhilRice Experience”

Capping of the activity werediscussions of agency's informationadvocacy activities. (Rita T. dela Cruz)

Participants of the “First Semester Consultative Meeting of PIOs” composed information officers

from DA attached agencies, staff bureaus, and attached corporations.

2 BAR hronicleC May 2012 Issue 19BAR hronicleC

BAR hronicleCBUREAU OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

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Editor/Layout:Consulting Editors:Writers:

Print Manager:ACD Head:Adviser:

Rita T. dela CruzJulia A. Lapitan and Joell H. Lales

Ricardo G. BernardoJulia A. LapitanDr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar,

Ma. Eloisa H. Aquino, Daryl Lou A. Battad,Anne Camille B. Brion, Rita T. dela Cruz,Diana Rose A. de Leon, Maria Anna M. Gumapac,Leila Denisse E. Padilla, Zuellen B. Reynoso

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ISSN 1655-3942

Copyright Bureau of Agricultural Research, Department of Agriculture 2012.

For subscription and inquiries please contact us: Tel. Nos: +63 (2) 928-8505, 928-8624, 920-0234local nos. 3011, 3012, 3328 Fax No. +63 (2) 927-5691 Email:Articles are also available online, visit our official website:

acd@bar.gov.ph.http://www.bar.gov.ph/barchronicle

BAR CHRONICLE is published monthly by the

Applied Communication Division of the Department

of Agriculture - Bureau of Agricultural Research,

RDMIC Building, Visayas Avenue, cor. Elliptical

Road, Diliman, Quezon City 1104 Philippines.

This publication provides regular updates on DA-

BAR’s activities as the country’s national coordinator

for agriculture and fisheries R&D. It also highlights

features and news articles concerning NaRDSAF-

member institutions.

PRODUCTION TEAM

FEATURE

BAR chairs..from page 2

PHOTO BY RDELACRUZ

INTERNATIONAL EVENT

May 2012 Issue

the program. In his remarks, heemphasized that part of ATWGARD'stask is the “development of policy inputsfor effective decision-making andframework for efficient prioritization inagricultural research and development”.He furthered that in order forATWGARD to effectively address foodscarcity and hunger in the regions, itshould exhaust the sector's collaborativeR&D undertakings and intensify itshuman resource development.

During the meeting, eachmember countries presented the updateson the progress of their agriculture-related activities and projects. They alsooffered recommendations and inputs onnew initiatives for ASEAN cooperationin agricultural R&D. The delegates alsoexchanged information regarding thestatus of research and development(R&D) in their respective countries.

Delegates from Indonesia,Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, andASEAN Secretariat attended themeeting. Among them were Dr. IdhaWidi Arsanti, head of program andevaluation of Indonesian Centre for

HorticulturalResearch andDevelopment, Ms.Erlita Adriani,assistant deputydirector for datamanagement ofIndonesian Agencyfor AgriculturalResearch andDevelopment, Dr.Faridah Salam,principal research

officer of the Malaysian AgriculturalResearch and Development Institute, Mr.Wanchai Thanomsub, senior expert incrop production management for CentralRegion of Thailand's Department ofAgriculture, Mrs. PissamaiChandhanamutta, director of researchsystem group of the Planning andTechnical Division of Thailand'sDepartment of Agriculture and ASEANSecretariat Pouchamarn Wongsanga.Also present were BAR's AssistantDirector Dr. Teodoro S. Solsoloy, Mr.

Joell H. Lales, head of Planning andProject Development Division (PPDD),Mr. Anthony B. Obligado, head ofTechnology CommercializationDivision (TCD), Ms. Digna L.Sandoval, head of InstitutionalDevelopment Division (IDD), Mr.Victoriano B. Guiam, assistant head ofIDD, and other BAR staff.

Assistant Secretary Recide, Dr.Eleazar, Dr. Solsoloy, and all of thedelegates received certificates andtokens of appreciation for their activeinvolvement and valuable contributionsduring the said activity. Dr. Eleazar andDr. Solsoloy thanked each and everyonefor their participation. The delegates, inturn, expressed their gratitude for thehospitality and the arrangements madeby the host country.

The 8 ATWGARD meeting istentatively scheduled to be held inSingapore in June 2013 whereSingapore will be the chair andThailand will serve as co-chair.

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(AnneCamille B. Brion)

between the rubber plants, four rows ofcoffee were planted at 3x3

meter distance. Coffee plantingmaterials came from the farmercooperators as part of the counterpartschemes, since coffee trees are alreadyestablished in the farming system.

To capacitate the farmercooperators on IFS and the technologycomponent of the project, CEMIARCconducted a series of trainings andcapacity building activities. Among thetopics were: technology options forrubber, peanuts and upland rice, andhands on training on culturalmanagement and propagation. Farmer-cooperators were also trained on howto enhance their skills and encouragethem to establish livelihood activitiesfor added income.

To sustain the project so thatother qualified farmers will also benefitfrom CPAR, a repayment scheme wasadopted. “Whatever number ofprovisions, the same will be paid,”explained Ernesto Casas, a farmercooperator and member of the Bugso-Kuden CPAR Farmers Association(BKCFA) that manages the collectionsof repayments.

During the start of the CPARproject, there were 20 farmercooperators, 10 each from Brgy. Bugsoand Brgy. Kuden. Majority of them

lives by farming as main

Robusta

(80percent)

encountered and the differentproducts developed by Adlaiproponents were among the topicsdiscussed. The Technical WorkingGroup (TWG) composed of Dr. TimAganon of Central Luzon StateUniversity (CLSU), Ms. Rose MaryAquino of Cagayan ValleyIntegrated Agricultural ResearchCenter (CVIARC) and Mr. ElmerEnicola of the University of thePhilippines Los Baños (UPLB)served as the evaluators. Theyprovided general observations andsuggestions on how to improve eachproject.

For the second session, theparticipants were divided into threegroups according to geographicallocation. The Northern Luzon clusterwas composed of CAR, Regions 1, 2and 3. Included in the SouthernLuzon cluster were Regions 4A, 4Band Bicol. Lastly, Regions 6, 7, 8, 9,10, 11, 12, 13, ARMM, includingMASIPAG made up the Visayas andMindanao cluster. Each cluster wastasked to provide inputs for the AdlaiRoadmap 2012-2016 which sets thedirection and identifies the targetsfor Adlai projects and activities forthe next four years. Each region alsodid the Work and Financial Plan for2012-2013. A representative fromeach cluster presented their group'soutputs which were critiqued andevaluated by the TWG afterwards.While the workshop was in progress,Adlai research proposals weresimultaneously reviewed by theTWG. Helping in the assessment ofthe proposals were BAR AssistantDirector Teodoro S. Solsoloy, Ms.Jallyn Remoquillo of HVCDP, andother BAR technical staff.

As part of the activity,participants were able to taste someof the developed products madefrom Adlai including and

. Engr. Samuel Barut, Jr. fromCVIARC also demonstrated how anAdlai micromill works. Dr. Solsoloyconcluded the event by thankingeveryone for their full cooperation inthe activity towards uplifting thestatus of Adlai. He furthered thateveryone should continue topersevere in promoting and makingAdlai well-known in the country.

sumanmaja

(Anne Camille B. Brion)

Promotion..from page 6

source of livelihood. “A total of 9200budded seedlings of rubber, 40 kg ofpeanut seeds, 18 heads of doe, 2 headsof buck (Anglo Nubian) weredistributed to the 20 farmer-cooperators,” reported Abrazado.

Farmers were given options toselect among the cash crops (rice,peanut, corn) that will be integrated intheir farms for the cropping season,although all of them were providedpeanut seeds as start up source of seedfor the adaptability trials.

Results of the first croppingseason showed that among the rubberclones planted by the farmercooperators, and are thetop performers in the area. ###

PB206 USM 1

----------This article was based on the study, “Community-based Participatory Action Research on UplandDiversified Farming Systems in Sultan Kudarat,Region XII” by Angelita F. Abrazado and Jocelyn F.Torres of the Department of Agriculture-CentralMindanao Integrated Agricultural Research andDevelopment Center (DA-CEMIARC), Amas,Kidapawan City. For more information, pleasecontact them at (064) 278-7036 or email:bbette_24@yahoo.com

References:1. Senator Ninoy Aquino – Sultan Kudarat.

Retrieved from:http://dilg12.net/v3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=149%3Asen-ninoy-aquino-sultan-kudarat-province&catid=11&Itemid=11

2. SNA. Retrieved from: http://www.philippine-islands.ph/en/sen_ninoy_aquino-sultan_kudarat-philippines-barangays.html

Dr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar (left), chair of the 7th ATWGARD Meeting. Sitting

next to him is co-chair, Dr. Teodoro S. Solsoloy. PHOTO BY ABRION

Participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Philippines

during one of the meeting sessions. PHOTO BY ABRION

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Integration of livestock (goat) component

Rubber-based farming system in Brgy. Bugso, SNA

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FEATURE

PHOTO: courtesy of DALVINDIA

May 2012 Issue May 2012 Issue

productivity and farm income notwithstanding the benefit ofenvironmental conservation,” explained Abrazado.

Following the IFS design for upland farming, theCPAR project has three components: rubber-based IFS, coffee-based IFS, and product processing and development. Theproject is being implemented in the two barangays of SNA,namely: Brgy. Bugso and Brgy. Kuden.

Rubber and coffee were chosen as the main crops forthe IFS design since they were found to be potential crops withpromising production performance suited to the agro-climaticcondition in Sultan Kudarat.

“Sultan Kudarat, being the lead producer of coffee inthe Philippines, contributing 22 percent to the country's coffeeproduction, this is also an important move to strengthen thecoffee industry in our area through this CPAR project.Moreover, since rubber and coffee are permanent crops,planting them promotes soil and water conservation system,”added Abrazado.

Integration of cash crops like rice and peanuts andlivestock like goats were also recommended as part of theinterventions in the CPAR to provide the farmer cooperatorswith income while waiting for the plantation crops (rubber andcoffee) to be productive and to sustain the operation of thefarm.

Another important component of the project is theproduct and processing development, which is crucial insustaining the project. “If the farmers have already establisheda sustainable production of their crops, through value-adding,farmers will have additional source of livelihood and income,”she said.

Considering that SNA is far from the provincialcapital, deprived from the major amenities of a developedmunicipality, assistance from the government, such as theCPAR, was able to reach them. Majority of the municipality'sinhabitants are settled within simple yet sturdy houses made ofwood, no electricity, and vast land area that they tediously tiltfor a living.

“This CPAR on upland diversified farming system is afirst of a kind in SNA,” revealed Abrazado. Adhering to theprinciple of CPAR, the project hopes to increase the income offarmers in SNA making their production not only profitable butsustainable. Through diversified farming system approach,farmers are expected to increase productivity and efficiencythereby improving their living conditions.

Through the project, CEMIARC provided the inputs tothe farmer-cooperators including the crops and livestockcomponents. “Farmer-cooperators were given 460 pieces ofbudded rubber seedlings ( and

), 2 kilogram peanut seeds, and goats.As a counterpart, the farmer cooperators provided the

labor inputs, construction of goats' sheds, upland rice seeds,and other related activities needed to establish the CPAR.

Meanwhile, the local government provided the otherinputs like 75 kg fertilizer as recommended based from the soilanalysis result, and extension support.

As part of the interventions and technology introducedfor the rubber-based IFS, the Alcala model (2x3x21 meterdistance) was introduced for establishing the model farms. In

PB260, PB330, USM, 1 PRIM600

CPAR interventions and beneficiaries

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PHOTOS BY ACONSTANTINO and RDELACRUZ

After the successful conduct ofsweet sorghum trials in NegrosOccidental, the commercial

production of sweet sorghum is nowreaping success and was able to producethe first ever anhydrous ethanol fromsweet sorghum in the Philippines.

A sugarcane-producing region,Negros Occidental opened its doors tocommercial scale production of sweetsorghum with a devoted area of 30hectares planted in Sagay City, NegrosOccidental.

In 2011, the Department ofAgriculture-Bureau of AgriculturalResearch (DA-BAR) funded the sweetsorghum trials in Negros Occidental andshowed promising result as a viable andcomplementary feedstock to sugarcaneand prompted the commercial scaleproduction of sweet sorghum in theregion. This serves as an offshootactivity for the “1 Sweet SorghumSummit and Plantation Showcase” inBacolod City, Negros Occidental in June2011.

These activities wereimplemented by the University of thePhilippines Los Baños Foundation,Incorporated (UPLBFI) to showcasesweet sorghum's complementary

st

Phl commercially produces first

anhydrous ethanolfrom sweet sorghum

potential compared to sugarcaneas bioethanol feedstock.

Since 2006, BAR has beenfunding and coordinating differentprojects on sweet sorghum. The bureaustarted supporting R&D activities forsweet sorghum from its initialproduction, its adaptability testings to itscommercialization. Sweet sorghum isdubbed “smart” and “wonder” crop andcan be utilized as food, feed, fuel, andfertilizer.

“This sets another milestone inR&D initiatives of BAR, strengthenedby our collaboration with R&D partner-institutions such as the state universitiesand colleges (SUCs) and otherstakeholders,” said BAR DirectorNicomedes P. Eleazar.

The project implemented aparallel-system with sugarcaneharvesting practices to easily introduce,hence, adopt sweet sorghum by thefarmers. Convinced with the promisingfuture of sweet sorghum, the localgovernment unit of Sagay and privatefarm land owners of sugarcane areastried planting sweet sorghum. “Thewhole production cycle entailed amanpower of 92 workers in a day forfour days during the harvest time that

provided incomeopportunities,” explainedProf. Rex Demafelis of theUPLB Alternative EnergyResearch, Development andExtension convenor andchair of the UPLB EnergySystems Committee.

“Other than the beneficial usesof sweet sorghum, the locals wereencouraged to plant the said crop since itrequires less input (fertilizer, water,etc.),” added Mr. Anthony B. Obligadohead of the TechnologyCommercialization Division (TCD) ofBAR. He mentioned that sweet sorghumprovides three cropping seasonscompared to the 11 months of sugarcaneresulting to a faster return of income.

After harvesting 480 tons ofsweet sorghum cane, OPTIONMuscovado Plant Cooperative (MPC)facilitated the milling to produce sweetsorghum syrup. The syrup was sent andprocessed in the San Carlos BioenergyInc. (SCBI) producing 15,231 liters ofbioethanol.

Funded by DA-BAR, theproduction of sweet sorghum syrup tobioethanol is a collaborative workbetween UPLBFI, SCBI, and OPTIONMPC. (Ma. Eloisa H. Aquino)

“

This sets another milestonein R&D initiatives of BAR,strengthened by our collaborationwith R&D partner-institutionssuch as the state universities andcolleges (SUCs) and otherstakeholders.” ~ Dr. Eleazar

PHOTO BY ACONSTANTINO

PHOTO BY JLAPITAN

CPAR..from page 17

The nature of land areas in SNA is composed of rolling hills.

Farmer cooperators in Brgy. Bugso

Coffee-based farming system in Brgy. Kuden

Project leader and DA-CEMIARC researcher, Angelita F. Abrazado,

briefing the farmer cooperators in the implementation of CPAR.

FEATURE

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INTERNATIONAL EVENT

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May 2012 Issue May 2012 Issue

Looking into the importance ofpromoting products generatedfrom research and development

(R&D), the Bureau of AgriculturalResearch (BAR) joined the Horti Asia2012, an international exhibition thatshowcases the latest and sophisticatedtechnologies and know-how's inhorticultural and floricultural productionand processing.

For this year, Thailand servedas the host country for the event whichwas participated in by 12 morecountries, namely: Australia, Israel,China, India, Germany, Malaysia, USA,Italy, France, The Netherlands, Taiwan,and Philippines.

BAR showcases R&D products

Horti Asia 2012in

One of the objectives of theexhibition was to provide a venue for theASEAN horticultural and floriculturaloperators and exporters to expand theirmarkets by finding new export marketsamong the ASEAN and internationalbuyers.

The three-day event wasattended by thousands of participantsfrom which various exhibitors from thesectors of plant breeding, cropprotection, disease control, seedimprovement, irrigation system, researchand development, postharvest amongothers were able to promote theirrespective products.

The Philippine delegation iscomposed of 20 companies from thepublic and private sector. The Philippinepavilion showcased the horticulturalproducts and services that the countrycan best offer. The exhibitors promotedtheir skills on landscaping concepts andtechniques; the other displayed theirhorticultural products such as coconut,banana, mangoes, and herbal productsamong others. As this is an opportunityto look for potentials clients, thedelegates exerted their effort to maketheir products stood above the rest.

Horti Asia 2012 is the firstinternational exhibition that the Bureau

Senator Ninoy Aquino (SNA) thepolitical figure may have easilyrang a bell. But SNA the place

might take a while before one figures outthat it's actually a municipality in theprovince of Sultan Kudarat in Region 12SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato,Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani andGeneral Santos).

Senator Ninoy Aquino (formerlyKulaman) was named as a municipalityon 11 July 1989 through Republic Act6712. The town is named in memory ofthe Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.who at that time became the modern heroof Filipinos and was instrumental for thedownfall of a dictatorial government.

With a population of around35,000 residents, SNA is about 42 kmsouth-west of Isulan or a five-hour drivefrom its provincial capital.

In a participatory rural appraisal(PRA) conducted by a group ofresearchers from the Department ofAgriculture-Central Mindanao IntegratedAgricultural Research Center (DA-CEMIARC) led by Angelita F. Abrazado,it was found that farming remains the

CPAR in Senator Ninoy Aquino:CPAR in Senator Ninoy Aquino:Providing better opportunities for upland farmers

BY RITA T. DELA CRUZ

main source of livelihood of the residentsin SNA.

“Majority of the farmers in SNAare growing coffee, upland rice, peanut,corn and are into monocropping system.This is quite alarming given that thenature of the land areas in SNA is rolling.The continuous monocropping practiceof the farmers greatly contributes to soilerosion and low soil fertility in the area,”explained Abrazado.

Given this, a Community-basedParticipatory Action Research (CPAR)was established in SNA following theIntegrated Farming System (IFS) designfor uplands. IFS is a system or techniquethat properly combines and integratespermanent tree crops, cash crops,livestock to maximize the use of land andoptimize farm productivity and incomesof the farmers.

Implemented by DA-CEMIARC, in close collaboration withthe Provincial Local Government Unit(PLGU) of Sultan Kudarat and theMunicipal Local Government Unit(MLGU) of Senator Ninoy Aquino, theproject titled, “CPAR on Upland

Diversified Farming Systems in SultanKudarat, Region 12” was established inSNA. The project is funded andsupported by the Bureau ofAgricultural Research (BAR).

In implementing the CPAR inSNA, the group of Abrazado had toconvince the farmers to shift from theirold ways of monocropping system tocrop diversification. The researchersfrom CEMIARC conducted trainingson values re-orientation and instilled tothe farmers the disadvantages ofmonocropping and how it defiesenvironmental conservation initiativesto make the uplands sustainable.

“The DA has adopted cropdiversification as a strategy to promoteand hasten agricultural development.One aspect is planting a cash crop afterthe main crop and the other is plantingintercrops (permanent or cash crops)in-between the main crop, usually apermanent crop. We teach our farmersthis strategy to attain increased

From monocroping to diversifiedfarming

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of Agricultural Research (BAR)participated in. The BAR boothshowcased various products generatedfrom its R&D endeavors. Theseincluded: oregano products (soap andtea), ginger tea, and guavasoap, sapinit products (jam and juice),makapuno strains, and mango products(dried and pickled).

The oregano products, gingertea, soap and guava soap areresults of the R&D projects of SouthernTagalog Integrated Agricultural ResearchCenter (STIARC), Department ofAgriculture-Regional Field Unit (DA-RFU) IVA. The products and

strains are from DA-QuezonAgricultural and Experiment Station(QAES), STIARC while mango productsare from Mr. Lito Arenas of LATradings. All of these products arefunded under the banner program ofBAR, the National TechnologyCommercialization Program (NTCP).

In the NTCP, R&Dbreakthroughs and mature technologiesgenerated by various institutions arepackaged into enterprise developmentand agribusiness ventures. Given the factthat these products are still new in themarket, the opportunity to promote themin the international market has been agood opportunity that the bureaugrabbed. Assisting small and mediumenterprise (SME) in exploring andexpanding market potentials for theirproducts is part of the mandates of theprogram.

Participating in the exhibit wasthe Labo Progressive Multi-purposeCooperative (LPMPC) which is famousfor their Queen Pineapple products. Theproducts showcased in the exhibitincluded pineapple juice, processedbottled pineapples (rum pineapple, salsapineapple, pickled pineapple, and syruppineapple), and pineapple fabric.LPMCP is an institution which focusedon livelihood creations throughpineapple production and processing.The BAR and LPMCP have been longknown for their partnership in furtherdeveloping and enhancing the queenpineapple industry. To promote theproducts, BAR held a free sample tastingof pickled and dried mangoes.

The event is highlighted by theHorti Asia 2012 opening ceremony.Delivering her welcome remarks wasMs. Ladda Mongkolchaivivat, generalmanager of VNU Exhibitions Organizer

kalamansi

kalamansi

sapinitmakapuno

Asia Pacific Co. Ltd. Delivering theirmessages of support were: Mr.Thingchai Sridama, Board of Directoracting president of ThailandConvention and Exhibition Bureau; andMs. Daphne Dernison, agriculturalcounsellor of the Embassy of theKingdom of the Netherlands. Thehighlight of the ceremony was thespeech of Mr. Nattawut Saikuar, deputyminister of Agriculture andCooperatives of Thailand.

The Philippine pavilion wasgraced by Philippine Ambassador toThailand Linglingay F. Lacanlale andPhilippine Embassy AgriculturalAttaché, Ms. Ana Abejuela.Ambassador Lacanlale visited the BARbooth and gave some pointers on howto promote the Philippine products inThailand particularly on the importanceof product packaging. She said that thepackaging is important as it is what thepeople first see. It is thereforeimportant to focus on this aspect.

Thailand’s Agriculture andCooperatives Deputy MinisterNattawut Saikuar was able to see theproducts promoted by BAR. Ms. DignaSandoval, OIC of InstitutionalDevelopment Division of BAR,discussed briefly the productsexhibited.

As the host country of the

event, Thailand pavilion emanated itshigh regards on food safety. Being thecountry-hub of horticulturalcommodities, the country is veryparticular in terms of ensuring thequality and safeness of their foodproducts. This is highly visible withtheir systematized accreditation andcertification in food safety. They arehighly compliant to Good AgriculturalPractices (GAP), Good ManufacturingPractices (GMP), and Hazard Analysisand Critical Control Points (HACCP).

In the exhibition, it is notableto look at the highly attractivepackaging materials of the productsdisplayed. Every booth has its uniqueway of making the product marketableto the consumers' eyes. Almost everybooth had the same horticulturalproducts, the difference lies on thepresentation of these products.

Due to trade liberalization andthe still increasing world population,markets both in horticultural andfloricultural products will not cease toexist. The exhibition only shows onhow broad the opportunities that thePhilippine exporters/operators cancapitalize on. However, it is alsoserved as a caution that without acompetitive product, there are a lot ofcompetitors which can grab theseopportunities. (Diana Rose A. de Leon)

ointment proves to be a necessity inyour everyday first aid kit (based onpersonal experience). And to lower uricacid and for liver detox, turmeric couldalso be your cup of tea.

With promising product linesfrom basic herbs and spices, everyone isgiven the opportunity to make alivelihood from your own backyard.Simple though as it may be, R&Dinitiatives on identification and testinghad to be initially performed to ensurethat these plants will be beneficial forour health. Support from the localgovernment, and cooperation within andamong regional offices guarantee thatwe are able to attain not only foodsecurity but also able to live healthy,disease-free lifestyles.----References:

1. Indianetzone. N.d. History of Spices. RetrievedMay 29, 2012, fromhttp://indianfood.indianetzone.com/spices/1/history_spices.htm

2. Farm Tour to Visit Organic Oregano ProductsProducer. Retrieved May 29, 2012, fromhttp://www.agrizaccess.com/2012/05/farm-tour-to-organic-oregano-products.html

PHOTOS BY DDELEON

Ms. Digna Sandoval (right) of BAR discussing briefly the products exhibited to Thailand’s Agriculture

and Cooperatives Deputy Minister Nattawut Saikuar (2nd from left).

PHOTO BY ZREYNOSO

Philippine Coconut Authority(PCA) Administrator EuclidesG. Forbes has announced that

volume of this year's first quarter cocowater export increased by 300 percentwith 4,498,158.00 liters compared withlast year's figures of 1,125,451.00liters.

The Administrator added thatthe value likewise increased by 260.56percent with this quarter's earnings of$4,783,443.00 compared with 2011figures of $1,326,672.00.

Coco water export to theUnited States this quarter registered thehighest increase of 426.75 percent invalue with $3,940,487.00 comparedwith last year's first quarter figures of$748,076.00. The export volumelikewise registered a 367.37 percent forthis quarter with 3,724,428.00 liters asagainst last year's figures of 796,887.00liters.

Export increases to otherdestinations for first quarter this yearcompared with last year's figure

First quarter coco water export up by 300 percent

include: Netherlands – from 32,000.00liters to 189,800.00 liters – an increase of493.13 percent with earnings from$28,000.00 to $208,602.00 a good 645.01percent increase. Australia registeredvolume increase from 362.55 liters to65,219.00 liters which is 362.55 increasewith value from $16,350.00 to$80,430.00 which is a 391.93 percentincrease.

Administrator Forbes isconfident that this year's coco waterexport figures will even exceed that oftotal 2011 figures which registered16,685,350 liters in volume and$15,113,152.00 in value considering thatinternational demand for coco watercontinue to rise as more people turnhealth conscious.

The Administrator added that itis beneficial to drink coconut waterwhich is a natural beverage that is rich inpotassium and magnesium. He added thatcoco water contains a considerableamount of vitamin B such as thiaminewhich aids in strengthening the muscles,

delaying fatigue and maintainingnormal heart function. It is regardedas a good source of electrolytes andglucose and have been foundsuitable for intravenous rehydration.

Administrator Forbesreiterates the need to plant morecoconut trees to meet the growingdemand for many coconut productsand by-products and not onlycoconut water. He reaffirmedcommitment in the aggressiveimplementation of various PCAprograms involving planting,replanting and fertilization ofcoconut farms which will increasecoconut productivity. The programshave the farmers as activeparticipants and partners in thedevelopment process.

The Administrator isconfident that this will generate newjob opportunities for millions offarmers dependent on the coconutindustry for their livelihood.(Coconut Media Service)

Turmeric..from page 15

PHOTOS from www.heavenly-products.com and www.ediblyasian-info.com

6 BAR hronicleCBAR hronicleC 15

R&D RESULT FEATURE

May 2012 Issue May 2012 Issue

Commonly known in the countryas (yellow ginger),turmeric ( ) is more

than just a food coloring ingredient.Widely popular in India as a spice formaking curry, turmeric is graduallymaking its name as a natural healeraround the world.

In a globalizing society wherediseases are borderless and breakthroughmedicine seem to scratch only at thesurface, we return to the basics ofMother Nature and begin to reconsiderorganic herbs for possible treatment.

Largely used as a culinary herb(mainly as a food colorant in thePhilippines), turmeric comes from theginger family thriving in tropicalcountries such as those in South Asia.This herbaceous perennial plant isboiled, dried, and then ground to itspopular orange-yellow powdered formthat is slightly bitter and slightly pepperyhot to taste. The turmeric plant, alsocalled “Spice of Life” in India isconsidered sacred in the country andbelongs to the major spices categorytogether with cardamom, ginger, pepper,etc.

luyang dilawCurcuma spp.

BY ZUELLEN B. REYNOSO

Bringing more colorto healthier living

Turmeric:Turmeric:

At the forefront of the organicmovement, research and development(R&D) initiatives around the worlddedicated to discovering more aboutturmeric and its possible medicinalqualities have brought this simple cropinto its own spotlight. Research hasshown the potency of turmeric toprevent dementia and Alzheimer'sdisease. It is also a natural antibacterialand antiseptic agent for burns, cuts andother skin illnesses; could help preventcertain cancers; could serve as a naturalpain killer, and may even help in weightmanagement.

Under the Research andDevelopment Extension Agenda andProgram (RDEAP) 2011–2016 of theBureau of Agricultural Research(BAR), product development forturmeric is supported as a medicinaland indigenous plant. R&D initiativesto test and identify pharmacologicaleffects of turmeric will increase itsmarketability and provide for thedemands of a more health-consciouscountry, while supporting our local

BAR supports turmeric

communities.BAR collaborates with senior

researcher, Dr. Estela C. Taño of theDepartment of Agriculture- QuezonAgricultural Experiment Station (DA-QAES), to promote the utilization ofindigenous plants for culinary andmedicinal values through its bannerprogram, the National TechnologyCommercialization Project (NTCP).

Arising from the initial productdevelopment of oregano into wine andsoap, turmeric has also been developed.A special cream and tea made ofturmeric has also been manufacturedand enhanced for the market. With thehelp of the Green Rescue OrganicAssociation, Inc. in Tiaong, Quezoncreated to provide sustainablelivelihood programs for local farmers,15 g pots of Turmeric Natural HealingCream are now available fordistribution.

The Turmeric natural healingcream is a yellowish balm inside agreen plastic container that providesrelief from insect bites, pimples,wounds, and other skin impurities. Withbarely the odor of ginger, this all around

PHOTOS FROM BLISSTREE.COM and AIDANBROOKSPICES.BLOGSPOT.COM

PHOTO BY ZREYNOSOThe Philippine Food StaplesSelf-Sufficiency Roadmap(FSSR) 2011-2016 of the

Department of Agriculture (DA)serves as a guide for the agriculturesector to address hunger incidence inthe country. As stated in this roadmap,the country must be able to managerice consumption to be food self-sufficient. This could be done bydiversifying staples through anincrease in the production of non-ricestaples such as Adlai.

With the implementation ofthe Adlai R&D Program coordinatedby the Bureau of AgriculturalResearch (BAR), various research anddevelopment (R&D) projects havebeen undertaken to discover thepotentials of the said crop. Hence, toassess its accomplishments needed forfuture collaborative activities, BARorganized the National Adlai Reviewand Planning Workshop held on 29-31May 2012 at Hotel Vida, Clark,Pampanga.

Participants present duringthe event included the RegionalTechnical Directors (RTDs), RegionalIntegrated Agricultural ResearchCenter (RIARC) managers, HighValue Crops Development Program(HVCDP) regional coordinators, Adlaifocal persons and proponents,agriculturists, researchers, and BARstaff.

Dr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar,director of BAR, opened the program.

highlighted in the Adlai Nat'l ReviewPromotion of non-rice staples

message and noted that the partnershipbetween BAR and HVCDP has resultedin good coordination on theimplementation for high value crops.She also emphasized the essence of theworkshop which is to answer thequestion “ ?” (Whereare we now?) in terms of what Adlaiprojects have accomplished so far whichwould be the basis for future activities.

The first session of theworkshop entailed the presentation ofeach region regarding the results of theirrespective Adlai RDE for the year 2011-2012. Positive outcomes, problems

Nasaan na ba tayo

In his message, he recalled the momentwhen DA Secretary Proceso Alcala toldhim “

” (Nick, can you research on Adlai)which marked the beginning of researchand project undertakings on Adlai. Hestressed the importance of the crop as apotential food source and as analternative for rice and corn. “Adlai canbe one of the answers towardsaddressing the issue on food security andattaining the goal of being food self-sufficient”, he said.

Ms. Jennifer Remoquillo, OIC-Director of HVCDP, also gave a

Nick, paki-research mo nga yungAdlai

Dr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar opening the program.

PHOTO BY ABRION

PHOTO BY ABRIONEngr. Samuel Barut, Jr. of CVIARC showing the participants how to operate the Adlai micromill. next page

FEATURE LOCAL EVENT

14 BAR hronicleCBAR hronicleC 7

PHOTO BY RDELACRUZ

BAR officials and staff, namely: (clockwise) IDD OIC Digna Sandoval, IDD Asst. Head Victoriano Guiam, ACD Head Julia Lapitan,

PMED Technical Staff Rodolfo Fernandez meet Ms. Michelle DeFreese, (right) communication assistant to the director general

of CIMMYT. Assisting her is Dr. Artemio Salazar, (2nd from right) deputy director of the IPB-UPLB. PHOTO BY LPADILLA

PH

OT

OB

YR

DE

LAC

RU

ZMay 2012 Issue May 2012 Issue

Acommunication specialist fromCIMMYT (Centro Internacionalde Mejoramiento de Maiz y

Trigo) or the International Maize andWheat Improvement Center visited theBureau of Agricultural Research (BAR)for an orientation of its National CornProgram and research and development(R&D) initiatives on 29 May 2012.

Ms. Michelle DeFreese,communication assistant to the directorgeneral of CIMMYT visited the bureauin view of developing audio-visualmedia materials that are linked to howCIMMYT will be able to assist the localmaize industry through technologydevelopment and researchcollaborations. This is also in view ofstrengthening linkage and collaborationparticularly on intensifying R&D onmaize.

Assisting Ms. DeFreese was Dr.Artemio Salazar, deputy director of theInstitute of Plant Breeding-University ofthe Philippines (IPB-UPLB).

The Institutional DevelopmentDivision (IDD) of BAR, led by its OIC,Ms. Digna L. Sandoval and assistanthead, Mr. Victoriano B. Guiam. Alsojoining in the meeting were Ms. Julia A.Lapitan, OIC-head of the AppliedCommunication Division (ACD) and;Mr. Tito Z. Arevaloand Engr. Rodolfo Fernandez both fromthe Project Monitoring and EvaluationDivision (PMED).

During the meeting, Ms.DeFreese talked about some of the newtechnology developments on maize thatCIMMYT is currently implementing.According to her, “The Seeds of

(not in the photo)

CIMMYT comm specialist visits BAR

Discovery” is focused on enhancing thegene bank of maize while the “Take ItTo The Farmer” is a project that bringsinformation technology and other formsof technology closer to the farmers. Ms.DeFreese also mentioned thatCIMMYT has great interest in Asia,wherein maize or corn is one of thepopular food staples.

Putting emphasis onstrengthening partnership, Dr. Salazarpointed out the great potential ofexploring areas of collaboration withCIMMYT, particularly on maize R&D.“Nutrition, climate change, and foodsecurity are among the most importantresearch areas that we can exploretogether,” he said.

In support to CIMMYT'sinterest in creating informationmaterials on how they have helped the

local maize industry, Ms. Lapitan talksabout the communication anddevelopment function of ACD whereinvarious forms of information, education,and communication (IEC) materials onagriculture and fisheries R&D are beingproduced and disseminated tostakeholders. “The increasing number oftechnology adaptors is a good indicatorof how important and successfulknowledge management and informationdissemination is,” she noted.

CIMMYT, which is based inMexico, is a non-profit research andtraining institution specializing on cornand wheat which is affiliated with theConsultative Group on InternationalAgricultural Research (CGIAR). Itsheadquarters are based in Mexico and ithas 13 regional offices all over the world.(Leila Denisse E. Padilla)

Ms. Michelle DeFreese,

communication assistant to the

director general of CIMMYT

PHOTO BY LPADILLA

“Thesis!” In most cases, a thesis is a student's key to graduation.His thesis, entitled “Farmers' Participation in Integrated PestManagement (IPM) under the Palayamanan Program in CamarinesSur”, determined the levels of farmers' participation in IPM. Hisstudy recommends encouraging more farmers to practice IPM andfurther increasing their trainings, technical and financial assistanceunder the said program.

But there is more to it than his diploma. Peter is also arecipient of the “Outstanding Service Award”, an award given to aperson who is actively involved and has given valuablecontributions to the Graduate School Student Association. Peteronce served as a representative to the Graduate School StudentCouncil in 2009-2010. He also became both Vice President andPresident of the Internal House Residents' Association in 2009-2011.

With all the experiences he had, “More than theknowledge I have acquired, I think it is when I learned to besimple and humble -- that is what made me become a betterperson,” he says. According to him, he cannot attribute his successto himself alone. That is why he has his understanding bosses,academic advisers, DA-RFU 5, DA-BAR, friends, family, andmost especially God, to thank for all the support andencouragement that they have given him. He advices those whowant to pursue their studies to never give up in following theirdreams. Just like what he did, he persisted and persevered. He alsoplans to continue his PhD as soon as paper works have beenfinalized and approved. As of now, persistent Peter still enjoys thefruits of his labor. ###

PhilRice...from page 9

farming family, and 3) vision for the farm. This means that the youthcares about the farming status and communities of our country.

“To many [of the participants], farming has alreadydeveloped a symbolic value. So symbolic that they cannot detachthemselves away from it. They want to be involved [in farming] –directly or indirectly,” Mr. Manalo expounded.

Deduced from the perceptions of the participants, theresearch proposed to encourage indirect involvement of the youth inrice farming since direct involvement is much difficult to empowerand less attractive to the youth. According to the discussion, indirectinvolvement has two forms: short-term and long-term.

In light of the long-term involvement, the educated youthshould be seen as and empowered to be future rice farming investorswho can further advance the progress of Philippine rice farming. Onthe other hand, the short-term involvement promotes the idea ofmobilizing the youth as infomedaries or the people who accessinformation and communications technologies (ICTs) for those whocannot access them. Through this proposed role, the educated youthcan greatly help their parents as well as the farming community theybelong to, in learning about new ways to improve crop yield and tocut farming costs.

In summary, Mr. Manalo ended with a statement, “The fearthat the youth might abandon farming one day might easily happen ifwe will not involve them. The proposal to mobilize the youth asinfomediaries, which was drawn from the findings of this study, can,if proven effective, serve as a new strategy in extension.” (LeilaDenisse E. Padilla)

A proud, Pedro F. Oliver of DA-RFU 5, receiving his

MS Community Development diploma during the

40th UPLB Commencement Exercises.

PHOTO BY JMANALO/PHILRICE

CIMMYT comm specialist visits BARPersistent..from page 13

CAPACITY BUILDING

8 BAR hronicleCBAR hronicleC 13

next page

FEATURE

May 2012 Issue May 2012 Issue

Milkfish, locally known as

, is one of the mostcommercially viable marine

species in the Philippines especially inBalingasag, Misamis, Oriental which isconsidered the capital ofNorthern Mindanao.

Balingasag is home to a 195-hectare Mariculture Park which covered5 coastal barangays. Launched in 2007,the park serves as the center of fishery-related activities such as aquaculturing,mangroves growing, sea ranching, andsea sanctuary. It now has 243 cages inwhich majority is occupied for milkfishcultivation. In 2010, the volume ofmilkfish production reached more than900 metric tons.

In a recent visit of AgricultureSecretary Proceso J. Alcala inBalingasag Mariculture Park, one of theproblems raised by the fisherfolk andthe women association was the lack oftrainings on postharvest processing of

. The municipality housed aprocessing plant in which the localgovernment unit (LGU) wanted it to beutilized for processing.

With this, the Department of

bangus

bangus

bangus

bangus

Education is an importantaspect in a life of a person. Itenables him to adapt to his

environment and be prepared on whatthe world has to offer. However, aspoverty continues to exist, there arestill who lack the resources to beeducated. One must not stop, however,in pursuing their dreams.

even if obstacles areon the way.

On 28 April 2012, theUniversity of the Philippines LosBaños (UPLB) grounds was filled withover a thousand of Bachelor of Science(BS), Master of Science (MS), andDoctor of Philosophy (PhD) graduates.It is perhaps the day that many of themwill never forget as it marks the end ofall the struggles and hardships theyexperienced as a student. The feelingthat you get upon walking on the stageand receiving your hard-earneddiploma is simply hard to explain.

Persistence, along withperseverance, best describes how PedroF. Oliver, one of the graduates,achieved his diploma with flyingcolors.

Peter, as what his friends andcolleagues call him, is already anachiever at an early age. He graduatedas Fourth Honorable Mention bothduring his elementary and high schooldays. In college, he decided to take

If there's awill, there's a way,

benefits from postharvest capability trainingbangus

Balingasag women's association

Agriculture (DA) collaborated with theBureau of Agricultural Research (BAR)and the Bureau of Fisheries and AquaticResources (BFAR) to conduct acapability-training on milkfish value-adding for the identified members ofBalingasag Federated Women'sAssociation.

The main objective of thetraining was to empower and capacitatethe members of the women's associationof Balingasag in milkfish postharvesttechnologies, specifically on processing,value-adding, food safety, andpackaging techniques in a fishprocessing plant set-up.

Gracing the event wasBalingasag Mayor Alexis S. Quina,Vice-mayor Marietta Abogado,Regional Fisheries Research andDevelopment Center (RFRDC) 10Manager Gigi C. Albor, MisamisOriental Provincial Fisheries OfficerBebot Cabio, Regional FisherfolkDirector Gregorio Pablito and BFAR 10Asst. Regional Director Asuncion J.Maputol. Representing BAR weretechnical staff members, namely: Ms.Ma. Elena M. Garces of the Technology

Commercialization Division (TCD), Ms.Marinelle S. Espino of the Planning andProject Development Division (PPDD),Ms. Marnelli A. Gadong of the ProjectMonitoring and Evaluation Division(PMED), and Ms. Diana A. de Leon ofthe Applied Communication Division(ACD).

The five-day training wasattended by 34 members of the women'sassociation. The training was dividedinto two parts. The first half wasallocated to lectures in which topicssuch as basic plant processing,sanitation codes, national standards formilkfish, good manufacturing practices,product packaging and labeling, amongothers were discussed. The other half ofthe training focused on the hands-onpractice of making relleno,

smoking, deboning, and bottling( sardines).

Highlight of the training wasthe turn-over of training kit to thewomen's association. The training kitwas composed of chopping boards,knives, boots, gloves, mask, dressinggowns, hair nets, trays, and deboningscissors. After the capability building,

bangusbangusbangus

A BAR scholarPersistent Peter:

BY ANNE CAMILLE B. BRION

Agriculture and majored in CropProtection for he wanted to helphis fellow Bicolano farmers andof course his family. He alsoreceived a Science Excellence

Award which is given to graduateswho did exemplary achievements inresearch and development. Aftergraduation, he started his work at theDepartment of Agriculture - RegionalField Unit 5 where he assumed the postof a research assistant. He is currentlyemployed in this office, now as aresearcher, project leader and extensionworker.

The Department of Agriculture- Bureau of Agricultural Research(DA-BAR) is providing scholarshipgrants and assistance to qualified anddeserving people from the

.The Degree Scholarship

Program is for R&D employees whowant to pursue MS and PhD studies.Meanwhile, the Non-DegreeScholarship Program supports theconduct of thesis/dissertation studieswhich will aid in addressing issues onagriculture and fisheries. The programalso helps researchers and scientists torepresent the country on trainings,presentations and other R&Dundertakings held locally and abroad,as well as short-term basic researchthrough postdoctoral or fellowshipawards. These BAR scholarship

Peter's journey

NationalResearch and Development Systemsfor Agriculture and Fishery(NaRDSAF)-member institutions

programs realize the importance ofhuman resources in organizations andaim to strengthen their capacities to behighly competent employees as they playa major role in enhancing the agricultureand fisheries sectors.

Peter is one of BAR's scholars.It all started when Ms. DoloresRicafranca, superintendent of ResearchOutreach Station (ROS) for Upland PlanDevelopment Zone in Region V,introduced Peter to Dr. Nicomedes P.Eleazar, BAR's director. Ms. Ricafrancaasked Dr. Eleazar if BAR could helpPeter with pursuing his studies. Uponapproval and accomplishing a series ofrequirements, Peter was awarded thescholarship and took up MS CommunityDevelopment minor in Plant Pathologyat UPLB.

His first semester as a studentwas a struggle. Aside from being an“alien” to the UPLB environment, it alsotook him18 years before finally takinghis MS. With this very long gap, itbecame difficult for him to memorize theconcepts and principles during lectures.He also had a hard time following theusual study habits that a studentnormally does. These, however, did notstop him from achieving his goals.Instead, he worked hard and provedhimself that he can successfullycomplete his studies. After a period ofadjustments, he became accustomed toUPLB's environment and the rest, theysay, is history.

When asked what the mostdifficult part of being an MS studentwas, he immediately answered,

One must not stop in pursuing theirdreams. If there's a will, there's a way,

even if obstacles are on the way.

PHOTO BY DDELEON

next page

BAR SEMINAR SERIES

12 BAR hronicleCBAR hronicleC 9

turn to page 14

LOCAL EVENT

May 2012 Issue May 2012 Issue

Strengthening partnerships is oneof the many tools to ensure thatgoals are attained. In full

commitment to pursuing research anddevelopment (R&D) excellence andachieving food security andsustainability in the country, theDepartment of Agriculture-Bureau ofAgricultural Research (DA-BAR),through its Project Monitoring andEvaluation Division (PMED), incooperation with the International CropsResearch Institute for the Semi-AridTropics (ICRISAT) and DA-RegionalField Units (RFUs) discussed andplanned the conclusion of phase 2 andthe establishment of phase 3,respectively, of the DA-BAR andICRISAT project on the field testing oflegumes.

The “Terminal Review of FieldTesting of ICRISAT Legume Varietiesand Technologies in Selected Regions ofthe Philippines Phase II and PlanningMeeting for Phase III” was held on 2-3May 2012 at the 2/F BAR Office,Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City.

In attendance were Dr. WilliamD. Dar director general of ICRISAT; Dr.CL Laxmipathi Gowda, researchprogram director for grain legumes ofICRISAT; RIARC representatives andproject proponents from all over thecountry.

ICRISAT is a non-profitorganization based in India, whichpromotes and supports agriculture R&Dinitiatives in Asia and Africa. Years ofpartnership with BAR have resulted tonumerous projects from rainfedagriculture to the development ofdifferent varieties of legumes

these training kits will beadded to the processing plant.

“

” one of theparticipants said. (We arethankful for this kind of

training. It is good for us women because we can now work. It will be a bighelp for our family.)

After the training, RFRDC 10 Manager Albor said that they willconduct a small-group meeting with the Department of Trade and Industry(DTI) and LGU to discuss on how to improve the packaging of the processedbangus products and the marketing of these products. Ms. Albor added thatonce the Balingasag products pass their inspection, it will be includedin the National Technology Forum and Exhibition, which is annually beingorganized by BAR everyAugust. (

Kami aynagpapasalamat dahil maymga ganitong pa-training. Itoay mabuti para sa aming mgakababaihan na ngayon aynakakapagtrabaho. Ito aymalaking tulong sa amingpamilya

bangus

Diana Rose A. de Leon)

Balingasag...from page 8

Scholars believe that there is nowa massive exodus of youth fromthe rice farm. This is partly

validated by the evident decrease inenrollment in agriculture courses. Thisbelief has resulted in at least twoconsequences: fear that we might have ascarcity of future food producers, andthe minimal to zero efforts to engagethe youth in agriculture.”

This was articulated by Mr.Jaime A. Manalo, IV, science researchspecialist at the DevelopmentCommunication Division of thePhilippine Rice Research Institute(PhilRice), in a seminar seriesorganized by the Bureau of AgriculturalResearch (BAR) held on 17 May 2012at the 4/F BAR Conference Hall,Visayas, Ave, Diliman. Quezon City.

The presentation, “Really, theyhate farming?: Challenging dominantorthodoxies on Filipino youth'sperceptions on rice farming”, is aresearch conducted by Mr. Manalo withDr. Eslke van de Fliert, principalresearch fellow in and co-director at theCentre for Communication and SocialChange and associate professor at theUniversity of Queensland in Australia.

Concerned stakeholders fromstate universities and colleges (SUCs),Department of Agriculture (DA)

PhilRice shows 'sinvolvement in rice farming

Pinoyouth

attached bureaus and partneragencies, local governmentunits (LGUs), and otherinstitutions attended theseminar to know more aboutFilipino youth's outlooktowards rice farming.

The research featuredin the seminar, which wonthe Best Papers during the42 Crop Science Society ofthe Philippines (CSSP)Scientific Conference held inPalawan earlier this year,aimed to investigate and digmore on the query: Is it acase that they do not want to

farm, or do they just want todo farming differently?

In the pursuit of findinganswers, the research applied thequalitative approach (i.e., primary datasources are people and their

nd

To farm or not to farm

perceptions, meanings, understandings,and interpretations) making use ofparticipatory methodologies like timetransect, mobility map, photo voice, andgroup discussion.

A total of 68 participantsresiding in Aurora and Albay took part inthe study. The research sought assistancefrom the PhilRice-led Open Academy forPhilippine Agriculture (OpAPA) inAurora and the Children International inAlbay.

After analyzing the gathereddata, Mr. Manalo found two importantpoints. “The first one is on rethinkingyouth's perceptions. The second one isabout the infomediary proposal, which isan offshoot of the analysis on the firstsection,” he said.

In rethinking youth's perception,it was found that the participants have: 1)some time on the farm, 2) heart for the

The key: Youth involvement andmobilization

Legumes project progresses to Phase 3

throughout the Philippines. Successfuland ongoing collaborative projectsbetween the two institutions includecommercialization of peanut, pigeonpea,and sweet sorghum, among others.

Dr. Gowda stressed theimportance of these initiatives in legumeproduction development. As foodinsufficiency contributes to themalnutrition problems in the country,“legumes can compensate for the lack ofnourishment in people, and at the sametime, promote sustainable agriculture”.

During the meeting,representatives from projects on peanut(Regions 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10),chickpea (Regions 1, 9, and 10), andpigeonpea (Regions 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10)presented their respective reports andupdates on the on-going legume projects.

Although issues and

developments vary from one region toanother, recommendations from expertscentered on the appropriate use oflegume variety in their area to improveproductivity. In Region 5 for instance, itwas recommended that proponentsselect the top two varieties of peanutsthat will be used in the next phase of theproject. Yield performance is the mainpriority of development in theselegumes under field testing.

From phase 2 where numerousvarieties of pigeonpea, chickpea, andpeanut were used during field testing,Dr. Gowda urged proponents to selectonly two varieties for the phase 3 oftheir projects and focus on “large scaleseed production”. And as majority of thelegumes showed good adaptationresults, selecting the top two performersin their respective projects will allow formore development of the variety, and inturn provide a better yielding crop.

Dr. Dar also shared a few wordsduring the meeting where heemphasized the marketing side ofproduct development. He explained thatwhile initiatives such as field trials thatpursue seed development are already ahuge effort, it would be pointless if theproducts remain unknown to mostpeople. Collective action to promoteseed production and productdevelopment should be shared to thebigger market, to create a biggerdemand for the utilization of legumesand support the industry. (Zuellen B.Reynoso)

Mr. Jaime A. Manalo IV of PhilRICEPHOTO BY ACONSTANTINO

PHOTOS BY DDELEON

PHOTO BY DBATTAD

Dr. William D. Dar and Dr. CL Laxmipathi Gowda during terminal review of the legumes project.

PHOTO BY DBATTAD

“

LOCAL EVENT LOCAL EVENT

10 BAR hronicleCBAR hronicleC 11May 2012 Issue

Region 2 hosts 1 National Staples Festivalst

May 2012 Issue

Whether it's grownin the field or if it isfreshly harvested),

(milled and polished), or(cooked) — rice remains to be aconstant among Filipinos. But asidefrom rice, the country also rearswithin its vast agricultural landsother staples that could provideFilipinos with sufficient vigor andenergy that they need every day.

To recognize these otherstaple crops, a first-ever “NationalAlternative Staple Foods GrandFestival” was held on 2-3 May 2012in Ilagan, Isabela to promote otherstaple crops in the Philippines asidefrom rice. With the theme, “

” the festival wasorganized by the Department ofAgriculture-Cagayan ValleyIntegrated Agricultural ResearchCenter (DA-CVIARC).

Among the other staplespromoted in the festival were: adlai,white corn, banana, sweet potato,peanut, soybean, and cassava. These

palay (

bigaskanin

Wasto atLigtas na Produksyon ngAlternatibong Pagkain saPagbabago ng Klima, Tungkulin ngBawat Isa

crops are promoted by DA in line withits goal to achieve food self-sufficiencyand –security in 2013.

The activity was held insupport of and in collaboration with theDepartment of Agriculture (DA),Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR),Ilagan Municipal and Isabela ProvincialGovernment, Cagayan Valley RegionalField Office (RFO 2), RegionalAgricultural and Fishery Council(RAFC 2), Isabela State University(ISU), MGSK Health Food Products,selected Rural Improvement Clubs(RICS), and other concerned agenciesand institutions.

The festival was open to thepublic and was attended by variousstakeholders including policymakers,farmers, agriculturists, researchers,extension workers, students, and privateindividuals.

“We envision helping thefarmers as well as various stakeholdersby educating them on the proper andsafe production of alternative staplecrops,” explained Engr. Virgilio E.Adriatico, CVIARC manager, who wasvital in the conceptualization of thegrand festival.

Keynote speaker, Hon.Edilberto M. de Luna, DA AssistantSecretary for Field Operations andNational Program Coordinator forCorn, emphasized on the importanceof the event. “This staple foodsfestival is important as we havealready crafted the Food StaplesSufficiency Plan wherein an overallstrategic plan has been developed toensure that Filipinos will havesufficient food supply beginning2013. This festival is a way to informand educate people about the FoodStaples Self-Sufficiency Program(FSSP) and food staples,” explainedAsst. Sec. de Luna.

In support to DA's goal touphold the alternative staples, BARDirector Dr. Nicomedes P. Eleazar inhis message underscored the variousR&D initiatives of the bureauparticularly in strengthening andintensifying the production ofalternative staple crops. “We giveutmost priority in widening anddeveloping our technologicalcapabilities in order to adapt with theeffects of climate change in ourcountry. Through R&D, climate

change resilient varieties of thesestaples can be discovered and farmingpractices can be improved so thatevery Filipino farmer will always beprepared to combat the impacts ofclimate change,” cited Dr. Eleazar asread by Ms. Ligaya C. Santos,assistant head of the BAR ProjectMonitoring and Evaluation Division(PMED), who represented the bureauchief in the event.

The staple crops were alsofeatured during the fielddemonstration led by Engr. Adriatico.The field demo was conducted withinthe crop fields of DA-CVIARC. Everydemo station had a technical staffmember who was in charge ofdiscussing about the crop featured andof answering the queries of theparticipants.

The festival held threestakeholders forums, the Luzon-wideSoybean Forum, the Alternative StapleCrops Forum, and the OrganicVegetables Production Forum.

The Luzon-wide SoybeanForum was participated in byrepresentatives from the NationalSoybean Technical Working Group

(TWG), DA-High Value CropsDevelopment Program (HVCDP),BAR, University of the Philippines LosBanos (UPLB), Philippine Center forPostharvest Development andMechanization (PhilMech), MGSKHealth Food Products, Organico,Cooperative for Rural Development(CORDEV), and Esperanza MPC.Individuals from the public and privatesectors attended the forum to learnmore about the roadmap of thePhilippine soybean industry.

BAR was invited to present on“The Soybean Development ProgramTargets and Interventions in Luzon”,which was discussed by Ms. Ma. ElenaM. Garces of the BAR-TechnologyCommercialization Division (TCD).

The Organic VegetablesProduction Forum, which focused onthe organic vegetables industryprospect and marketing was heldconcurrently with the AlternativeStaple Crops Forum. (Leila Denisse E.Padilla)

Hon. Edilberto M. de Luna (right) visits the field sites with Engr. Adriatico (middle) and Dr.

Orlando J. Lorenzana, regional technical director (RTD) for research and regulatory of DA-RFO 02.

PHOTOS BY LPADILLA

Field demonstration and plot visitation of various staple foods.

Ms. Ligaya C. Santos, assistant head of PMED (right), Ms. Ma. Elena

M. Garces of TCD (2nd from right), and Ms. Jennilyn Castañeto of

TCD (3rd from right) during the festival.