Agriculture

BEYOND ELLIPTICALBy Rose Marie de la Cruz MANY of us, especially those in the path of floodwaters that destroyed homes, crops and caused deaths and missing persons, have been cursing the nearly two months of heavy rainfall that also brought mudslides and landslides. Many streets in Metro Manila went under and the floods merely exposed even more the substandard roads, …

RAW sugar output for crop year 2026-2027 will plunge to 1.662 million metric tons, its lowest level in over 20 years. The Sugar Regulatory Administration made this forecast because of plant disease infection called red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI) on sugarcane fields, which is also its “early estimate” for the crop by its research department. SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona …

DAIRY farmers of Ragay, Camarines Sur are being helped by the Departments of Agrarian Reform and Science and Technology to get better value from their dairy products besides fresh milk, by producing sweets like mazapan and toasted pastillas to expand their markets. Mazapan is a dense, sweet confection made from milk and ground nuts or starch, traditionally shaped into small …

By Edg Adrian A. Eva A GROUP of scientists from the University of the Philippines (UP) has found a greener alternative method for producing silver nanoparticles–  a material known for its antimicrobial properties–  by using gamma radiation and a substance derived from seaweed. Silver nanoparticles are extremely tiny particles of silver and are widely known for their antimicrobial properties, having been used …

EXPANDING local ethanol production from sugarcane is the best way for the government to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. And the Departments of Agriculture and Energy are looking alternative feedstock to reach its goal of expanding ethanol output. DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and DoE Secretary Sharon Garin sat down to explore ways to bring down feedstock costs …

BEYOND ELLIPTICALBy Rose Marie de la Cruz AN ARTICLE of Daniel Moran in Space Daily wrote about urban planners in Singapore suggesting shading roads with trees to reduce street level temperatures by up to 2.6 degrees Celsius. He said standing on an unshaded stretch of Singapore pavement at 2 p.m. would make one feel the heat coming from three directions …

By Rose de la Cruz AS PALAY output for the third quarter is expected to drop by 13.3 percent (year on year) to 3.25 million metric tons with the decline in harvest area of by 15.2 percent, the Department of Agriculture sees no need to ban rice imports to ensure adequate stocks in the country. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel …

LOCAL ONION farmers are protected from imported onions from now until March 2027. The  Department of Agriculture assured that no imports of red onions would be allowed as domestic production is  more than adequate to meet demand. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the country has an adequate supply of onions nationwide. “With the current supply in stock, we don’t have …

THE pungent smell but sweet taste of Davao durian is hard to sell even for most Filipinos. But not the Omanis who took a liking for the fruit which is described as smelling like hell, tastes like heaven, and somehow transforms skeptics into loyal fans after a single bite. If it weren’t that good, why is it now being packaged …

BEYOND ELLIPTICALBy Rose Marie de la Cruz LAST June 16,  I read an article at the Khaleej Times of India that Indian farmers are embracing the use of biofertilizers in their farms as a result of the difficulty of obtaining chemical fertilizers because of the Middle East war.  Ironically, we have a commercial producer of biofertilizer in our country, but …