Agriculture Business Week

You probably don’t know that the bell pepper in each can of Century Tuna Mechado flavor was produced by former Moro National Liberation Front (MILL) combatants and their families to improve their living condition and send their children to school.

These 100 ex-rebels and their families, the members of the Sumbakil MultiPurpose Cooperative, have found hope and new life not in armed struggle, but in planting high-value vegetables like bell pepper.

Late last year, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program facilitated the forging of a marketing agreement between the Cooperative and General Tuna (GenTuna) Corporation, the maker of Century Tuna. Under the agreement, the Cooperative must supply GenTuna with 1 to 2 metric tons of quality bell pepper monthly.
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Posted on December 24th, 2008 under Aquaculture. Tags: Tuna. Comments: None

A scientist who developed the technology of transporting live fish to distant places is eyeing the possibility of tuna ranching, which could tremendously increase the value of the fish.

He is Dr. Bonifacio Comandante of Dumaguete City whose technology could put fish (such as lapu-lapu, seabass and also vannamei and tiger prawns) to sleep while in transit and then awakened upon reaching their destination.

His prize-winning technology adds tremendous value to the marine products because live fish and prawns command much higher prices than the dead ones. ‘ For instance, live vannamei will often retail at P600 per kilo while the dead counterpart may only fetch half the price. The same could be true with lapu-lapu and other species.

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Posted on November 20th, 2008 under Aquaculture. Tags: Fish, Tuna. Comments: None

We’re ranked as the fourth world’s largest tuna producers but we also have a lot of issues to contend with in order to keep the industry in top form.

Unknown to many Filipinos, the tuna industry in the Philippines has now globally become a major player. The Philippines ranks second to Taiwan among Asian countries, and fourth in the world in tuna production, according to Domingo Teng, president of the TSP Marine Industries.

In terms of canned tuna export in the world, the Philippines ranks second after Thailand. In 2006, the country’s tuna production amounted to 500,000 tons, about 10% of the world’s total production. The world catch was pegged at 4 million tons.

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Posted on September 1st, 2008 under Aquaculture. Tags: Fish, Tuna. Comments: None