AVANT GARDENER Yvette Tan In early 2020, I interviewed Raymund Aaron of Villa Socorro Agri Eco-Village in Pagsanjan, Laguna. Aaron, whose business card says he is the resort’s Banana Chief, doesn’t just manage his family’s farm and resort. He also developed the resort’s most famous product,...
Climate change continues to be a pressing issue due to several reasons like deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and industrial farming practices among others. The agriculture industry suffers the most from climate change which is why technological advancements were made to make farming more...
Running a farm isn’t always as easy as it seems. While others will get the hang of it through experience, some require a little guidance from experienced farmers. Jet Serrano, the managing partner at Serrano Agri-Ventures Farm, has some of that experience that makes him a credible source on...
When the pandemic struck last year, people had to face new challenges such as COVID-19 restrictions hampering their access to fresh food. Farmers and agripreneurs took this opportunity to establish businesses or start initiatives that provide consumers with the fresh, healthy...
What are the Department of Agriculture’s plans for coffee cultivation and production in the Philippines in 2022? This was the question answered by Usec Evelyn G. Laviña, the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Undersecretary for High Value Crops and Rural Credit in a recent Pan de Sal forum, a...
Clark Development Corporation (CDC), a member of Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Group, has trained cacao farmers from communities near the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone as part of the agency's continuous corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. In a statement,...
State-run Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) is at risk of suffering heavy losses once major catastrophic events occur, which would eventually be shouldered by the taxpayers, an in-depth analysis by the Insurance Commission (IC) revealed. According to the IC analysis released by the Department...
Bryan John Dizon, 38, worked for various companies in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and banking industries prior to his involvement in poultry farming. Dizon was first exposed to chickens when his family members used to raise them for cockfighting. As a result of this exposure, he...
BY PATRICIA BIANCA S. TACULAO Many people believe that farming is a laborious job that requires proper knowledge, a green thumb, and numerous hours under the sun. But that’s not the case. Farming, for some, can be fun, productive, and rewarding. Liezl Alegre, a Filipina residing in Canada,...
Jade C. Calingasan, 33, and her husband Ruel B. Calingasan, 34, are the partners behind Woody Bags Mushroom Farm in Cuenca, Batangas. The couple was able to make a business out of a 40 square meters space by turning it into a mushroom growing house that can accommodate up to 6,000 mushroom fruiting...
Developing a farm from the ground up involves challenges and opportunities. One thing that many often see as a disadvantage or hindrance in farming is a small land size. But a Bicolano family did not let their land size keep them from running a productive farm. Rather, they used two...
When people hear the word ‘livestock,’ most immediately think of common farm animals like cows, pigs, and chickens. What not a lot of people know is that insects can be considered livestock as well, as long as they are farmed. Countries like Thailand, Cambodia, and South Korea count...
