Agriculture Business Week

Among the pests attacking coconut palm, rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) remains one of the most destructive in the Philippines anti Southeast Asia.

Rhinoceros beetle feeds on the young unopened fronds in the central crown of the palm. An attack can cause serious damage, while repeated attacks can destroy the apical meristem resulting in the death of the palm. Young palms are particularly attacked. Although adult palms are rarely attacked, significant decrease in yield is observed.

At the farmers’ level, rhinoceros beetle can be controlled using the integrated control strategies that are developed by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). As one of the components in the adoption of good agricultural practice for coconut, integrated pest management strategies are applied in the control of pest and diseases.

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Posted on November 17th, 2008 under Other Crops. Tags: Coconut, Disease, Pests. Comments: None

The Coconut Industry has been battered by destructive typhoons in the last two years, resulting in drastic reduction in yields. In 2005, the country had a production of 2.6 million tons copra equivalent. In 2007, the production was just about 2.3 million tons, thanks to super Typhoon Milenyo in 2006.

Coconut is an important crop in the Philippines. It is a dollar earner and is also crucial in the production of biodiesel for blending with imported diesel as mandated by law. Some 100,000 metric tons copra equivalent is required to produce 70 million liters of biodiesel a year for blending.

To increase coconut production, the government, particularly the Philippine Coconut Authority, is coming up with practical schemes to enhance coconut production nationwide.

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Posted on November 17th, 2008 under Other Crops. Tags: Coconut. Comments: None

This modified manual briquetting machine has been creating ripples in Cavite.

The researchers of the Forestry Products Research and Development institute, based at UP Los Banos, Laguna, fabricated a modified manual briquetting machine using steel plates, angle bars and round bars. It was patterned after an existing manual briquetting machine weighing 55 kilograms (kg) and produces 12 kg of briquettes per hour. Each briquette measures 5.0 cm high and 2.5 cm in diameter.

The modified unit makes briquettes each measuring 3.8 cm high and 3.8 cm in diameter with 1.25 cm cavity diameter. It produces 15 kg of charcoal briquettes/hr. The unit weighs 75 kg, making it sturdier than the old unit.

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Posted on November 12th, 2008 under Other Crops. Tags: Charcoal, Coconut. Comments: None

San Pabloc City-based Rasza Agro Produce Corporation (RAPC), a manufacturer of coconut oil products in Laguna, has become the Department of Science and Technology’s first private sector technology licensee to commercially produce coco-methyl ester (CME), a diesel fuel additive from coconut. The non-exclusive licensing agreement was recently entered with the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI).

The licensing agreement allows RAPC to produce CME for five years starting November last year. It was signed by Dr. Nuna Almanzor, ITDI director and Romulo M. Awayan, RAPC president. Under the agreement, ITDI provides the technical assistance required for the establishment and operation of a CME plant in Laguna, while RAPC will provide the necessary investment for the land, building, equipment, and working capital for the operation of a CME facility. It will also handle the marketing of the products.

The CME biofuel produced by the technology developed by ITDI has zero sulfur content which reduces hydrocarbon, soot and particulate matters when used in engines. DOST says that it has lesser greenhouse gas emission and is biodegradable. It also has superior lubricity and detergency properties, safe on storage, and is non-toxic. It operates on conventional engines and can be used alone or blended with diesel.

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Posted on October 23rd, 2008 under Going Green, Other Crops. Tags: Biofuel, CME, Coconut. Comments: None

Sources at the PICA extol the commercial export potential of VCO in the cosmetics world.

A product that has tremendously grown in importance in the modern world is virgin coconut oil, widely known as VCO. A product of “The Tree of Life,” VCO is purported to play a significant role in the preservation of human health. In fact, some people consider this as a “miracle product.”

The Philippines has established a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) governmental standard but there is no governing body that stipulates a set of guidelines to classify coconut oil as “virgin.” The country’s Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has specific mandates relating to the regulation, development, and promotion of economic activities that utilize coconut in all its forms and presentations. There is a department in PCA specifically on production development and another named Market Development Department, that works in close coordination and collaboration with the coconut industry. Alicia Fontecha, manager of the PCA Market Development Department, said that there is now an association of VCO producers and that the VCO business in the country is already an industry by itself. The Virgin Coconut Oil Producers and Traders Association of the Philippines has listed over 70 members in its website. Being at this level of development gives the business a forum for planning and strategizing and adds fuel to boost its growth.

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Posted on September 23rd, 2008 under Other Crops. Tags: Coconut, VCO, Virgin Coconut Oil. Comments: None

Despite a failing coconut output, a costly fertilizer program and an invasive pest, PCA Administrator Oscar Garin is confident that people in the coconut industry can squarely hurdle all problems.

Things are far from rosy in the coconut industry this year. Recent newspaper reports describe the sector as imperiled, tense and troubled. This heebie-jeebies state has recently been confirmed by administrator Oscar Garin of the Philippine Coconut Authority in a recent press conference attended by agri-journalists. In the said meeting, Garin reveals that the country’s coconut output is seen to fall by 12%. Last year’s coconut output was recorded at 2.47 MT, while this year’s output is projected at 2.17 MT.

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Posted on August 31st, 2008 under Other Crops. Tags: Coconut. Comments: None

Dr. Evelina Tablan, naturepath doctor from San Francisco, California who promotes the use of coconut sugar among other organic foods shared in a press conference the benefits of coco sugar.

Dr. Tablan mentioned the three cases of patients with prostate problems. For two weeks, the patients took 1 tbsp of coco sugar three times a day. Later tests revealed that the reading went down from 14 to 2. She also said the coco sugar will soon be used as substitute for Viagra becaus of the high glutamic acid content.

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Posted on August 25th, 2008 under Other Crops. Tags: Coconut, Sugar. Comments: None

The following is part of the PCA Memorandum Circular No. 07 addressed to all Deputy Administrators, Regional/Center managers, Provincial Coconut Development Managers, Coconut Officers and all concerned on the implementing guidelines on the treatment of Brontispa-infested coconut trees :

1. Trunk injection of systemic insecticide
1.1 Harvest all nuts including buko leaving only fist-sized nuts ad below in the coconut tree. No coconut tree shall be treated unless this first step is done.
1.2 Mix one(1) sachet of Actara 25 WG(10g) in a gallon of water; (more…)

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Posted on August 7th, 2008 under Other Crops. Tags: Coconut, Disease. Comments: None

An update and primer on the invasive coconut leaf beetle.

In response to Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap’s call for containment and eradication of the coconut pest Brontispa longgissma, Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Administrator Oscar G. Garin bared the massive nationwide action of field personnel in the immediate treatment of all infested coconut trees in their areas of responsibility.

Reports indicate that the degree of infestation of the coconut leaf beetle has reached an alarming stage such that immediate mitigation measures were undertaken in order to contain the spread of the new malady. This destructive pest has infested close to 100,000 coconut trees in 23 out of 79 provinces of the country. Its spread is threatening the productivity of the coconut industry in the country. (more…)

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Posted on August 7th, 2008 under Other Crops. Tags: Coconut, Disease. Comments: None