Mad Cow Disease: Know the Risks

Mad Cow Disease: Know the Risks

Years after it was supposedly vanquished, the brain-eating disease that kills cows and some people who eat them is on a comeback. Today, the mad cow disease or bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is again breaking headlines and is stirring a lot of havoc and public fear all around the globe. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers regarding BSE.

Q. What exactly is BSE?
A. BSE or mad cow disease is one of the several fatal brain diseases called transmisshible sponfigorm encephalopathies (TSEs). BSE is a progressive lethal central nervous system disease of cattle. The brain looks like a sponge hence the term spongiform because the brain contains vacuoles. In 1982, Stanley Prusiner, a biochemist at the University of California suggested a radical idea- that various encephalopathies were caused by a rouge protein- a prion.

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LDPs of the DA: An Analysis

LDPs of the DA: An Analysis

The Livestock Dispersal Program (LDP) is one of the most expensive initiative of the Department ofAgriculture (DA). An assessment study on LDPs showed an even increasing budget allocation over the last 11 years.

The BAR-funded study, titled Assessment of the Livestock Dispersal Program of the DA was the second component of the Imperatives for Trade Competitiveness and Technology Assessment of the Livestock Sector. The study focused on three LDPs of the most expensive commodity: cattle. It aimed to harmonize the result of the three LDPs taken into consideration, thus providing basis for assessing its impact.

Profile of LDPs

Forty-five years ago, President Magsaysay’s administration started implementing the LDPs. Until today, it has been one of the government’s initiatives to provide additional income to farmers. The study looked into the practices of three flagship LDPs: Multi-livestock Development and Loan Program (MLDLP)

MLDLP started in 1989 from the initiatives of the National Agriculture and Fisheries Council. The program provides financial assistance to its beneficiaries through conduit banks that have satisfied the guidelines set by the program. The beneficiaries of the program must either be organized cooperatives or members of any farmer’s associations or cooperatives. Livestock markets, local ranchers and DA stock farms serve as sources of animals to be loaned to beneficiaries. The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) implements this program .

Barangay Livestock Breeding Loan Program (BLBLP)

BLBLP started in 1996 during the term of then DA Secreatary Salvador Escudero III. The program aimed to cater to the livestock needs of rural poor not included in the MLDLP, specifically to the 21 poorest provinces in the country. The program likewise cover Muslim regions and other coconut-growing provinces that are most often hit by typhoons. BAI likewise implements this program

Dairy Cattle Dispersal (DCD)

DCD, implemented by the National Dairy Authority (NDA) aims at empowering dairy cooperatives; thus creating a more competitive dairy industry. NDA initially identifies new dairy sites in specific key areas. Coooperatives are then chosen and given assistance in the form of dairy animal loans and technical assistance. When these cooperatives are equipped with the necessary skills to undertake dairy operations, institutionalization phase then follows when dairy cooperatives are left on their own.

Target and accomplishments

The study indicated that except for MLDLP, BLBLP and DCD had no clear target number of beneficiaries and animals to be dispersed annually since 1994. Data analysed on program accomplishment were limited in years when BAI and NDA made targets for BLBLP and DCDE, respectively. However,  explained that in the case of BLBLP these numbers were dependent on the number of request received from regional , provincial, barangay officials and other local government units.

Data gathere receealed that MLDLP had a 102% average accomplishment in number of benifaciaries in 1994-1998. Accomplishment rates in animals dispersed during the same time period reaches 15%. BLBLP in the other hand, rated only 33% in both average animals dispersed and number of beneficiaries in 1997-1998. Moreover DCD likewise recorded a low average, 43% in animals dispersed in 1996-1997.

Recommendations

To complement the initiatives of the different LDPs the study recommended that all LP providers should come up with a set of unified implementation guidelines. Among the recommendations included for the enhancement of the guidelines were:
Financing scheme that may allow the government a return of investment of about 10%-15%

LDP succees /failure medium term Milestones hinged on economic and social well-being of beneficiaries.

LDP programs that enhances empowerment for rural poor and discourages dependency to government support

Sustainable government livelihood or economic assistance to the poor.
Another unified effort from the LDPs this time in adopting an integrated set of socioeconomic indicators as basis for assessing all its initiatives was likewise recommended by the study. A management information system could also be established to improve the LDP’s monitoring and evaluation mechanism. Moreover, the study recommended a review on the LDP objectives to integrate a mechanism for improving the genetic makeup of animals dispersed. A mapping activity which would give a clear profile of the LDPs’ beneficiaries and their specific locations was likewise proposed. Capability-building training programs, designed to equip the LDP providers with the necessary skills, could also be implemented.

Source: BAR Today January March 2001 issue, Laarni C Anenias

It’s time you put some spice into your life

It’s time you put some spice into your life

This could well be the slogan for encouraging farmers to grow spices and consumers to promote the use of spices in their cooking . Local market base is needed to enable our spice industry to gain a share of the world market for spices. By increasing our spice production, we can also lessen the amount of spices that we import.

Spices are any vegetable product or mixture, in whole or ground form whose significant function is to flavour, season and preserve or impart color and aroma to foods. The Philippines is a net importer of spices. From 1991 -1996 , the country imported an annual average of 1,400 tons of spices reaching almost 2000 tons in 1996 and valued at 3.4 million dollar while exports had an annual average of 150 tons at 0.2 million dollar. The bulk of these exports are pepper. The feasibility of producing locally some of the imported spices such as sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) have not been looked into.

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Growing vegetables without soil

Growing vegetables without soil

Ever tried growing your own vegetable without soil.. in a snap?
This is the enticing poser of the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB), the country’s national breeding center for all crops (except rice).
Yes, you can grow vegetables without soil.

What is SNAP hydroponics?

The idea of growing plants without soil is no longer new. Many small or big time farmers in Europe and the United states or even in our country are already practicing it.

Hydroponics per see is the science of growing plants without soil while SNAP hydroponics is a low-cost simple system developed primarily for household and vegetable growers. Researchers from IPB said that this technology is suited mainly for urban setting but it can be expanded to commercial scale for high-value and traditionally grown vegetable crops.

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