Category: AGRICULTURE

How to plant guapple

Guapple is a non-seasonal or everbearing variety with an extra large size fruit which attracts some people from Negros province. It weighs an average of 400 to 1000 grams per fruit. It produces thich and white fleshed fruit but with bland taste. However, this variety is crispy in flesh texture

 

The tree excels most other fruit trees in productivity, hardness and adaptability. Its tree type is relatively spreading in growth habit with four-angled branches, leaves are opposite, oblong to elliptical in shape with pointed apex and base which are usually rounded and light green in color. This variety was collected from Thailand.

Continue reading “How to plant guapple”

Propagating cacao by nodal grafting

Cacao is a crop of great commercial value and has competitive advantage both in the domestic and international markets. Cacao processed beans are used mainly by manufacturers of chocolates, cocoa powder, soaps, cosmetics, shampoo and other pharmaceutical products.
Despite the bright future of this crop, the domestic production level of cacao has been decreasing, from 7.945 metric tons in 1994 to 7000 metric tons in 1999. This can be attributed to some long standing problems such as lack of superior varieties and inadequacy of technologies on pest management and postharvest handling and processing and the poor farming systems. Continue reading “Propagating cacao by nodal grafting”

Prospects in Cocoa

The Philippines is not one of the main cocoa producers in the world but we have families that derive income from cocoa farming and manufacturers that process the raw cocoa beans for use in other industries. Although cocoa in the past experienced a slowdown in the global market, the industry is starting to pick up again, as there is an increase in demand for cocoa. A revitalized cocoa industry would mean grabbing this opportunity. We maybe a small player in the global market for cocoa but we can optimize what our cocoa industry could offer. Cocoa in the Philippines is grown in less than three hectares of land by small holder farmers. Aside from a source of additional income for farmers as this cna be planted along with other crops, cocoa farming also provide employment in the rural areas. Cocoa beans, once fermented and dried , can be stored for several months. Thus, storage is not a problem.
 
Continue reading “Prospects in Cocoa”

Livestock and Poultry

Compared to other chicken breeds , native chickens are second rate in terms of egg and meat production. On the average, a native chicken produces 40-60 eggs in a year, while White Leg horn produces more than 200 eggs. In terms of meat, a six month old vantress weighs 2.23 kg while a native chicken weighs 1.16 kg only.

With the hope of improving the traits of native chickens for egg and meat production, researchers from Western Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESVIARC) packaged a technology to upgrade the native chickens. This project was funded by the Department of Agriculture (DA) through the Bureau of Agricultural Research.
Continue reading “Livestock and Poultry”