agriculture business : crops, aquaculture, livestock, poultry, entrepreneurs, and agrithing…
In a study titled Modified Atmosphere Packaging of Mangosteen by Dr. Miguella Anabesa of the Department of Agriculture-Southern Mindanao Integrated Research Center, it was found that by wrapping mangosteen fruits with ClingWrap and then placing these in either cartons or crates or bamboo baskets (kaings), its 3- to 5day shelf life would be prolonged to 14 days.
Lanzones farms in Mindanao are infested again by scale insects. With this, the Department of Agriculture-High Value Commercial Crops (DAHVCC) program in Davao Region intensifies its information campaign on practical measures in preventing, further infestation.
According to reports, scale insects, particularly muscle insect (Lepidospahes ulmi) are damaging lanzones farms in Southern and Central Mindanao. Last year, Lanzones farms in North Cotabato, mostly in Kidapawan City, Makilala, President Roxas and Magpet areas, and in Davao City, particularly in Calinan, Toril and Manambulan, had been damaged also by scale insects.
The Development Bank of the Philippines has recently extended an initial P5 million revolving credit line to Sitangkai-based exporter Sitexports to boost its working capital and increase trade with seaweed importers from France in behalf of the seaweed farmers of Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi.
Sitangkai is the single biggest source of seaweeds in the country, accounting for half of the country’s total production.
Sitexports is bullish on growth prospects of the industry considering the growing demand for seaweed in the world market.
Although weedy rice is reported to have as much as 34 percent incidence and 60 percent severity in Dingle, Iloilo, a farmer there has managed to harvest 120 cavans of inbred rice per hectare.
She is Milagros Gahuya, a retired teacher. She succeeded the two-hectare farm of her family when she retired in 1991; but like her neighbor farmers, she was also having hard time controlling weedy rice in her field.
Weedy rice is really rice but it does not add to the yield because it matures early and so its grains just shatter. It also competes with the main crop for nutrients, lowers seed purity, and appears red when milled. Its origin in Asia is still unclear, but it is believed to be natural hybrids of cultivated rice and wild rice species.
