Tag: agritech

ALFALFA GROWS, Major breakthrough!

Major breakthrough!

Alfalfa Grows @500-MASL

Alfalfa, the protein-rich bush-like forage crop ideal for livestock production, grows well in the small demo plot in Polomolok, South Cotabato.

At 58 days old, the Alfalfa planted at 500-meters-above-sea-level has reached a height of 12 to 18 inches.

While its maturity for harvest starts at 70 days, the Alfalfa has already started to flower, an indication that it could already be harvested.

The Alfalfa Demo Farm is one of the special projects of the Southseas Agri-Aqua Ventures, Inc., a small company which I, former Senator Panfilo Lacson, Fil-Am farmer-scientist Rocky French and four other friends formed recently.

This is a major breakthrough in Philippine Agriculture because it has long been believed that Alfalfa could not be grown locally.

Alfalfa is grown in the U.S. and Europe mainly for hay production for Cattle and small ruminants feeds and now sells for $250 per ton.

While the economic viability of growing Alfalfa in the Philippines is still subject to study and validation, the fact that it grows under local conditions is enough encouragement for us to conduct deeper research and establish demo farms in other locations.

KungGustoMaramingParaan!
farmisthebestlaboratory!

Submersible Fish CagesKey To Self-Sufficiency

Climate Adaptation!

Submersible Fish Cages
Key To Self-Sufficiency

A Japanese technology in fish cage farming introduced shortly after Super Typhoon Yolanda devastated the fish farming industry of the Visayas, could be the key to attaining Self-Sufficiency in the country.

While most of the floating fish cages, including the Norwegian model, could be destroyed by strong waves because of typhoons and storms, the Submersible Fish Cages could be pulled down to a depth of about 15 feet and then refloated after the storm.

This technology was introduced by Japanese fishcage farming experts through the help of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) during the Typhoon Yolanda rehabilitation phase.

This is now widely used by fish cage farmers in Leyte and Samar and a Cebu City-based Filipino corporation, INCA Mariculture Plastics, has perfected the design.

I will be partnering with INCA Mariculture Plastics in the introduction of this technology.

With the support of Fil-Am Farmer/Scientist Rocky French, we will establish the first submersible fish cage farm in Mindanao.

This venture will be supported by friends who are investing in the project.

I will set up the first model of a fishcage farming project with a complete value chain.

The operations will include a small multi-species hatchery, a village-level feed mill to produce Aqua feeds, actual fish cage farming, value adding and processing and market linkage to ensure the sustainability of the project.

I hope that this would serve as a model to be replicated in other areas to show that the country could adjust to the risks and hazards of Climate Change.

We only need to establish 5,000 fish cages and the country could be fish self-sufficient.

Read More: https://mannypinol.com/environment/climate-adaptation-submersible-fish-cages-key-to-self-sufficiency/

KungGustoMaramingParaan!

(Photos of the submersible fish cages estabished in San Juanico Strait in between Samar and Leyte were provided by INCA Mariculture Plastics. The last photo shows a prototype of the submersible fish cage for Grouper or Lapulapu.)

Juanico Strait in between Samar and Leyte were provided by INCA Mariculture Plastics. The last photo shows a prototype of the submersible fish cage for Grouper or Lapulapu.)

Munggo, Kadyos OptionsFor Local Feed Materials

Backyard Crops Shine!

Munggo, Kadyos Options
For Local Feed Materials

The local feed milling industry’s dependence on imported feed materials, especially Soybean Meal whose price had skyrocketed lately, may soon come to an end, thanks to the efforts of a Filipino-American farmer/scientist who is advocating the use of local beans.

Munggo or Mungbeans and Kadyos (sn. Cajanus cajan) are among the high-protein leguminous plants which Rocky says should be grown extensively to replace Soybean Meal which is imported from either the U.S. or South America.

The irony of it all is that while Munggo could be easily grown in the Philippines and could actually be a second crop for rain-fed rice farms, the country is also importing it.

Kadyos, on the other hand, is largely grown in the backyard with no efforts to intensify its planting.

Munggo has a crude protein of 24 while Kadyos has 22, lower than Soybean Meal but if planted locally could be less expensive and easily accessible.

“The reason why our farmers don’t produce much of these materials is the lack of market. Who’s going to buy tons and tons of Munggo and Kadyos?,” Rocky asked.

Using these beans as primary substitute to the expensive Soybean Meal could increase the interest of farmers to plant both Munggo and Kadyos.

In my farm now, I am sowing 15 kilos of Kadyos seeds which I hope could serve as the source of additional planting materials.

After the harvest season for rice in Cotabato this year, I will convince farmers to sow Munggo seeds in the rice paddies to serve as their second crop and also to reinvigorate the soil.

With these two protein-rich beans, along with other locally available feed raw materials like ricebran, corn meal, copra meal, fish meal and coconut or palm oil, the cost of feeds for Aqua, Poultry and Livestock could dramatically drop making fish, poultry and hog production more profitable.

FarmIsTheBestClassroom!

KungGustoMaramingParaan!

(Photos and graphs were downloaded from public websites.)