DA: Ani sa humay ug mais, record breaking

TAGBILARAN CITY, Aug. 11 (PIA) – GIPASIGARBO sa Department of Agriculture (DA) nga record breaking ang ani sa humay ug mais sa unang unom ka buwan ning tuig 2011.  Matud pa ni Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, miabot hangtud 7.57 million metric tons ang gi- aning humay nga mas taas og 14.4 percent sa susamang mga buwan niadtong tuig 2010.

Mas taas og 37 percent ang ani sa mais nga niitala sa 3.3 million metric tons karong tuig kun itandi sa 2.4 million metric tons niadtong milabay’ng tuig.  Sigun pa kang Alcala, ang pagsaka sa ani tungod sa paglapad sa yutang gitikad gikan 1.8 milyong ektarya niadtong tuig 2010 nga nahimong halos duha ka milyong ektarya nga gitamnan og humay sa nasud karong tuiga.

Kini usab tungod sa mas daghang umahan nga gitikad nga giabot sa irigasyon.  Giingong nakatabang usab ang maayong pagkalendaryo sa pagtanum tungod kay naka-ani na ang kadaghanan sa mga mag-uuma sa wala pa niabot ang mga bagyo.

Maayo usab ang presyuhan sa mga produktong agrikultura tungod sa mas gihingusgan’g kampanya batok sa smuggling. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)

PH rice importation for 2012 down to 500,000 tons

THE Philippines will be importing a maximum of 500,000 tons of rice next year, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said,
down from this year’s import volume of 860,000 tons. “We will not be importing more than 500,000 tons,” he continued,
adding that the country may import even less in 2012 depending on the wet season harvest.

Alcala says next year’s import volume is in keeping with the Aquino administration’s goal of achieving rice
self-sufficiency by 2013.  As this developed, Alcala mentions that the country’s agricultural output in the second
quarter is looking "very good." Farm output grew 4.1 percent from January to March, the fastest first quarter growth in seven
years. (DA)

DBM releases P3.4 B for National Rice Program

IN line with President Benigno S. Aquino III’s social contract commitment to reduce poverty and ensure rapid, inclusive and sustained economic growth, especially for those living in the countryside, the Department of Budget and Management announced recently that it has released P3.430-billion for the National Rice Program of the Department of Agriculture.

In a statement, DBM Secretary Florencio Abad said the release would help farmers increase their harvest yields towards achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2013.  “The DA’s National Rice Program highlights the Aquino Administration’s commitment to rice
self sufficiency by 2013. Through this program, the government makes sure that facilities,  technologies and other interventions are in place to help us achieve this target,” he said.

Under the National Rice Program, farmers are provided with quality seeds, irrigation, credit  and marketing assistance to improve farm productivity and profitability. The total budget for  the National Rice Program for 2011 is P5.217 billion.

Moving a step closer to rice self sufficiency, the DA expects to produce 17.45 million metric  tons (MT) of palay this year; and plans to increase that by 10 percent to 19.2 million MT in  2012; and by another 10 percent to 21.11 million MT in 2013 to achieve rice self sufficiency.

In a technical budget hearing conducted by the DBM, Alcala said that DA aims for 91.9  percent rice self-sufficiency by 2012 from 84.4 percent this year, and to attain this, proposed  increases in its 2012 budget for its banner program for rice.

Abad meanwhile emphasized the need for DA to strengthen its capability and refocus its
investments towards achieving its Philippine Food Staple Self-Sufficiency Roadmap in line
with achieving 100-percent rice self-sufficiency. (PCOO)

Mga mangingisda ug mag-uuma, Gipangitaan og paagi sa gobyerno nga maayudahan

POSIBLENG mahatagan usab sama sa pantawid-pasada program sa gobyerno alang sa
mga drayber sa jeep ug tricycle ang mga mangingisda ug mga mag-uuma nga naggamit og
gasolina sa ilang panginabuhian.

Matud pa ni Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras sa pakighinabi sa radyo, nga naghimo
na ang Department of Agriculture (DA) og listahan sa mga mangingisdang tiggamitan og
pump boat.

Samtang gikumpleto na usab sa DA ang datos alang usab sa mga mag-uuma nga tiggamitan
og krudo, sama sa irrigation pump.

Sa higayong mahuman na ang datos, tukion usab sa gabinete kun unsaon sila pagtabang.

Gibutyag usab ni Almendras nga nangita na sila og paagi aron dili na gastuhan sa gobyerno
ang pagpahimo og mga smart cards sama sa pagbutang og ads aron dili na kuhaon pa sa
pondo gikan sa maong programa. (ecbPIA-Bohol)

Six mariculture parks Up for Bohol in 2011

BOHOL would establish at least five mariculture parks within the first quarter of 2011, said the
Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) head here.

Another mariculture park would be due in the succeeding quarter, according to BFAR Cresencio
Pahamutang.

The parks would be a venue for new hatcheries of abalone, lapu-lapu, sea bass, snappers, groupers,
pompano and kitong, fish that are in high demand for tourists and locals who have not been so used
to feasting on fresh water fish.

This way, we could help stabilize the supply of fish especially during the colder months when pelagic
Fishes would be migrating to warmer and thus deeper seas, he said as he explained the noted lower
fish catch during the monsoon (habagat) season and the succeeding colder months of the year.

Sharing the seasonal tendency of fisheries, he said that off season would mean lower catch, doubly
complicated by the fact that the season also coincides with the heightened buying capacity of people
with the holiday season’s fat bonuses.

These factors help build up and push the prices up as the demand is high and the supply is miserably
low.

To help stabilize local supplies during the colder months, the government through the Department
of Agriculture-BFAR has pushed for the establishment of the mariculture parks where first class fish
could be bred and harvested as easily.

He revealed that the beginning month would also witness the launching of high-value fingerlings for
lapu-lapu, sea-bass, snappers, grouper and kitong at Sinandigan Island in Ubay town.

Eyed as locations for the mariculture parts are Panggangan Island, in Calape, islets in Ubay, Talibon
and Candijay, separate sources said. This has yet to be confirmed by BFAR however.

Capitol’s Liza Quirog also said that apart from the establishment of mari-culture parks, the
government is also into urging people to start backyard fisheries at fresh water impounding systems,
farms and ponds to increase the production and fill in the gap left by reduced commercial fishers.
(racPIABOhol)