Agriculture Business Week

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.

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Posted on March 20th, 2011 under Organic, Vegetables. Tags: Hybrid, Pangasinan, Squash, Taiwan, Veggies. Comments: 5

Another nutritious vegetable unfolds its versatility and multipurpose applications.

Squash is believed to have originated in South America, probably in Peru or Chile. It is a member of the cucurbit family, which includes pumpkins and gourds as well as cucumbers, muskmelons, and watermelons. However, the name squash is applied to certain varieties of the species Cucurbita maxima. Today, squashes are now grown in most parts.

Squash is loaded with vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It contains protein, carbohydrates, potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins A, B, and C. Squash contains high potassium, which reduces urinary calcium excretion; people who eat high amounts of dietary potassium appear to be at low risk of forming kidney stones.

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Posted on June 25th, 2010 under Vegetables. Tags: Squash, Veggies. Comments: None

Some people go for crops that are easy to grow, not requiring sophisticated facilities and expensive planting materials. And they have good reasons.

Just like the farmers of three barangays in Tanza, Cavite, for instance. At least 120 farmers are growing squash in barangays Calibuyo, Lambingan and Capipisa, according to Benito Cervania, the president of the farmers’ cooperative in that town. They are planting more than 100 hectares to this crop.

Squash has its own advantages as a money crop. For one, it can be grown in the open field without any trellis; the vines just crawl on the ground. The fruits have a long shelf life; they could be stored for weeks, unlike leafy and other fruit vegetables which deteriorate in just a few days. The plants are also productive with a relatively short gestation period. The vines will start fruiting in one-and-a-half months from planting and harvesting could be through in just three months from planting.

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Posted on May 10th, 2009 under Vegetables. Tags: Squash, Veggies. Comments: 3

When people mention yoghurt, what usually comes to mind is a sour-tasting milk drink that is said to be nutritious and good for a healthy stomach. This drink is classified as a probiotic food product as it contains live lactic acid bacteria that strengthen the digestive system.

However, yoghurt has a low acceptability, especially among people who are not used to the taste of fermented food products. Lately, yoghurt has been produced in different fruit flavors to make it more palatable.

A team of researchers from the Visayas State University in Tolosa, Leyte, has come up with a new way of producing yoghurt with the use of fish and squash. The study was one of the featured researches during the 76th general membership assembly of the National Research Council of the Philippines held recently at the Manila Hotel.

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Posted on April 17th, 2009 under Aquaculture, Vegetables. Tags: Fish, Squash, Veggies, Yoghurt. Comments: 1

Anao, Traloc used to be famous as a pioneer in ilang-ilang production and processing. Today the town is also becoming popular for its pandesal enriched with squash. The bakery of Tito Rey Quindara has been producing a best selling pandesal which consists of 70 percent wheat flour and 30 percent squash.

Toto Barcelona of Harbest Agribusiness tells us that it all started with the techno-demo and training farm project on high-value crops of the Department of Agriculture’s Region 3 headed by Fernando Lorenzo. Some 40 attendees were trained by technicians of Harbest on the basics of commercial production of high-value vegetables using simple and doable technology.

One of the trainees was Romeo Constante of Brgy. San Jose, a former overseas Filipino worker (OFW). With a small capital, Constante planted 2,000 square meters to the Phoenix solo squash, a variety from Taiwan that weighs two to three kilos per fruit. Its golden flesh is thick and with a superior flavor.

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Posted on January 28th, 2009 under Vegetables. Tags: Bread, Pan de Sal, Squash, Vegetables, Veggies. Comments: 2

Here are the ingredients you will be needing to make a delicious squash soup :

Ingredients:
Squash
Veggie ham, diced
Button mushroom
Soya bean paste

Seasoning :
Salt
Ground Pepper
Margarine

Procedures:
1. Slice squash thinly and steam, then add margarine.
2. Osterize steamed squash with blender.
3. Dice veggie ham and button mushroom.
4. Add 1 cup water into the wok. Add squash, veggie ham and button mushroom. Boil and thicken with starch. Season with salt.
5. Put ground pepper or oregano or basil powder before serving.

Posted on January 28th, 2009 under Income Booster, Vegetables. Tags: Recipes, Squash, Veggies. Comments: 1

On our way to users of Durabloom bio-organic fertilizer in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, we passed by several farmers loading large squash fruits in a cargo truck bound for Cagayan de Oro City.

The size of the fruits attracted us to take some photos and interview the farmers who said the variety they used could yield 13 to 30 tons a hectare. That’s great! Given the current farm gate price of P3.50 a kilo, the farmers get a gross income of P45,500 to P105,500 per hectare.

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Posted on September 27th, 2008 under Vegetables. Tags: Squash, Veggies. Comments: None

Northern Mindanao, particularly Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental, is where growing squash, particularly the Suprema variety, has developed into a year-round big business for farmers, traders and seed suppliers. Both small-scale and big growers are into growing this variety.

What could be the reason? Well, the farmers have discovered one variety that is preferred by consumers. This is the Suprema which was the first hybrid squash developed in the Philippines and released in 1987. Many other varieties have been introduced since then but it seems nothing can beat Suprema. It reigns supreme to this day.
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Posted on August 17th, 2008 under Vegetables. Tags: Mindanao, Squash, Veggies. Comments: 14

Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental might as well be called the country’s squash capital. From these two provinces, hundreds of tons of squash fruits, particularly the Suprema variety, are shipped to Metro Manila every week. Big quantities are likewise sent to Cebu City, Bacolod, Samar and even to other places in Mindanao.

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Posted on July 27th, 2008 under Vegetables. Tags: Squash. Comments: 38

She finished a chemistry course in college then taught in high school for two years. Since she was the eldest child in the family, she felt obliged to support her siblings’ studies so she decided to work as domestic helper in Hong Kong where she earned a hiher pay than from teaching. For six years she first served a Chinese family and then an Australian. These were the first two jobs of Rebecca Tubongbanua of San Isidro, Buenavista, Guimaras.

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Posted on July 2nd, 2008 under Entrepreneurs. Tags: Calamansi, Mango, Squash. Comments: 1