Agriculture Business Week

When Edwin Jimenez, 61, of Mabilo, New Washington, Aklan, decided to stop using chemical pesticides, he did not only get higher yield and a premium price for his produce. He was able to cut production costs while continuously innovating and creating ways that would also benefit his fellow farmers and the environment.

Edwin has been into farming for the last nine years, taking charge of the 1.6-hectare family-owned farm which was initially planted to fruit trees and vegetables. Two years ago, he went into rice farming. In between farm works, he devotes part of his time to the family’s refrigeration and air-conditioning business in Kalibo, which is a few kilometers away from his farm.

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Posted on March 1st, 2012 under Farming. Tags: Aklan, Farming, Yields. Comments: 3

Numancia, Aklan – The Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC), is one of the 14 regional consortia of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) opened its 39th Farmers’ Information and Technology Service (FITS) or Techno Pinoy center on December to, 2009 at the Numancia Town Hall in Poblacion in this town.

Leading the launch of the center were Numancia Mayor Elverita Templonuevo, and Dr. Alicia Lustica of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Templonuevo expressed gratitude to WESVARRDEC and its partner member institutions for the opportunities given to them. “Indeed, dreams do come true. After six years, the dream of the Municipality of Numancia to have a FITS center became a beautiful reality,” Templonuevo said.

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Posted on June 19th, 2010 under Special Report. Tags: Aklan, Techno Pinoy. Comments: 1

Isn’t it more enjoyable to eat rambutan fruits when these are seedless? Yes, just like grapes, rambutan fruits can also be produced sans the seeds, a technology which is now being pioneered by the Aklan State University (ASU) in Banga, Aklan.

Dr. Marilyn Romaquin, dean of ASU College of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Sciences, accidentally came up with “seedless” rambutan that is sweet and has thicker aril or flesh by spraying them with gibberellic acid (GA3), a plant growth regulator or hormone.

“My discovery occurred in September 2003 while evaluating the effect of gibberellic acid on the yield and quality of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum Linn.) fruits at harvest for my dissertation,” says Romaquin. That time, she was about to finish a doctorate degree in crop science, major in horticulture, from Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

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Posted on March 16th, 2010 under Fruits. Tags: Aklan, Gibberellic, Rambutan. Comments: 7

Aklan State University College of Fisheries and Marine Sciences’ (ASU-CFMS) Isla Kapispisan Mangrove Reforestation and Eco-Tourism Project has bagged the top prize in this year’s Best Public Sector Projects Awards(BPSPA) in the State Universities and Colleges category in Western Visayas under the auspices of the Regional Development Council Region VI.

Dr. Benny A. Palma, ASU president, together with Dr. Danilo Abayon, CFMS executive director, and Jonathan than Ruiz, president of Isla Kapispisan Fisherfolk Association received the cash prize of P70,000 and a presidential trophy from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during the awarding ceremony held recently at the New Government Center in Bacolod City.

BPSPA recognizes and emulates good public sector projects, excellence in governance, and effective program and, project implementation initiated by regional line agencies, SUCs, and local government units to uplift and improve the lives of the people.

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Posted on July 27th, 2009 under SPOTlight. Tags: Aklan, ASU, Eco-Tourism, Reforestation. Comments: None

Used animal fats and vegetable oils from meat processing plants and food servers can be converted into biodiesel, which may be used in a standard combustion engine without modifications and may be blended with petroleum diesel to improve its quality.

Based on a study conducted by researchers from the Aklan State University (ASU), these wastes produce a clear liquid without unpleasant smell with the same properties as mineral fossil diesel oil.

ASU researchers said that an engine fueled by a mixture of 80% petroleum diesel and 20% biodiesel had lesser smoke emissions and lower engine noise compared to that fueled by pure petroleum diesel.

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Posted on April 26th, 2009 under Going Green, Livestock, Vegetables. Tags: Aklan, Animal Fats, Biodiesel, Vegetable Oil. Comments: None

A biodiesel project which utilizes waste fats and oils will soon be implemented in Aklan after the Department of Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund Executive Committee (ACEF-EXECOM) has approved a grant worth P14.93 million for the establishment of a 200-liter a day capacity biodiesel production facility at the AkIan State University (ASU) in Banga, Aklan.

The project which is the first of its kind in Western Visayas and the first biodiesel project by a state university in the country to receive an ACEF grant, is seen to reduce oil-containing wastes from a growing number of meat processors and food establishments in Aklan.

These oil-containing wastes, which are either dumped in the ground or sold to other food processors for recycling, can be converted into coco-methyl ester (CME), according to a research tem from ASU composed of Dr. Mary Eden Teruel, Engr. Tomas Ortega and Prof. Arlene de la Cruz.

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Posted on March 5th, 2009 under Going Green, Livestock. Tags: Aklan, Biodiesel, Fats, Oils, Wastes. Comments: 2

Local market flooded with rambutan fruits is not an unusual situation in Aklan, especially during harvest season. This is also the time when most planters hardly make a profit because the price would drop to as low as P5 per kilo or even given away for free in rambutan-producing towns.

Since rambutan fruits deteriorate fast once harvested, food experts have been processing the excess fruits into various forms to maximize utilization and at the same time add value.

Among the products that have been developed from rambutan include marmalade, spread, jelly, specialty vinegar, and wine which are widely accepted by consumers and are now being produced commercially by some local food processors.

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Posted on March 3rd, 2009 under Fruits. Tags: Aklan, Prunes, Rambutan. Comments: None