Small farms in Davao upland district eyed for agri-tourism
DAVAO CITY -- The upland district of Marilog -- home to numerous small vegetable, fruit, and flower farms as well as a growing number of hillside resorts and restaurants -- is being groomed to become one of the city’s main agri-tourism site.
Healthy-snack venture hoping to cement place in GenSan food universe
BUSINESS PARTNERS Chad D. Dorego, Alex Emmanuelle G. Aponesto, and Kaye M. Peratero from General Santos (GenSan) City maintain their own day jobs for now, but they aim to eventually pursue their Good Chips venture into a full-time social enterprise.
Taiwan to buy $1.56 billion worth of Iowa, Minnesota soy
CHICAGO/BEIJING -- Taiwanese trade officials and business leaders signed a letter of intent on Thursday to purchase as much as 3.9 million metric tons of soybeans from farmers in Minnesota and Iowa over the next two years, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton said in a statement.
Seed program eyed for Tamayuan tree to supplement wood supply
THE GOVERNMENT hopes to offer seed for the Tamayuan tree (Strombosia philippinensis) to reduce slash-and-burn agriculture and to supply wood to the construction industry, the Ecosystems Research & Development Bureau (ERDB) said on Sunday.
Drought seen driving EU farmers to sow more wheat, less rapeseed
PARIS -- Parched soils have hampered late-summer rapeseed sowing in Europe, raising the prospect that farmers will shift toward attractively priced wheat for next year’s harvest, analysts said.
NFA says rice dealers do not want to sell lower-grade grains
THE National Food Authority (NFA) said the market is running short of regular-milled rice, which it says should force a rethink of the private-sector led-importation rules to increase the availability of the affordable type of the staple.
Irrigation firm from Israel targets Davao Region’s fruit, vegetable farms
DAVAO CITY -- Rivulis Irrigation, an Israeli company specializing in micro-irrigation solutions, is eyeing fruit and vegetable farms in the Davao Region, starting with banana plantations.
Caraga firms raise alarm on declining aquatic, forestry resources
DAVAO CITY -- The business sector in Caraga region has expressed alarm over the continued decline of the fish catch and the denudation of forests in the region, one of the richest in natural resources but with the second-lowest contribution to the country’s economy.
Bill proposes fee exemption for organic fertilizer users
SENATOR Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay has filed a bill seeking to exempt farmer cooperatives and associations dealing with organic fertilizers from paying registration, license fees, and other administrative fees imposed by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA).
Low-cost produce markets set to open in Manila, Quezon City, Taguig City
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is scheduled to open stores selling low-cost produce in some of Metro Manila’s poorer neighborhoods, including Payatas in Quezon City and Baseco in Manila, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said Sunday.
DTI seeking to cancel permits of traders found selling only premium rice
THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it will seek to revoke the business permits of rice retailers who do not offer more affordable types of rice.
Domestic chocolate processors propping up cacao industry
DAVAO CITY -- Domestic processors of cacao, some of which are operated by farmers themselves, have propped up bean prices, offering a safety net for growers at a time of fluctuating global prices for the commodity.