Amid the prevalence of African Swine Fever (ASF), state-run lender Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has doubled its credit commitment to the local swine industry from P15 billion to P30 billion. This, according to the bank, will help local pork producers and feed millers to repopulate and...
About 10 million hectares of forest are lost every year. Many reforestation efforts can go to waste if diversity is not involved in the process. Integrating genetic biodiversity in trees is a vital component that plays a huge role in the success of forest restoration. Trees with the same...
Aside from battling the existing health crisis, millions of Filipinos continue to suffer from hunger and food insecurity caused by increasing food prices and unemployment rates. Despite all the hardships brought about by the pandemic, Filipinos do not forget to spread acts of kindness. The latest...
Meat prices continued to rise despite the recent 150 percent surge in pork import volume, casting doubt on the government’s recent move to bring down tariffs on imported pork. A customer pays for pork at a roadside market stall in Mandaluyong City, Manila, the Philippines. (Bloomberg file) “The...
As told to Ellaine Kryss Hubilla Permaculture is a design system that works with nature by observing how the environment works and interacting with it through responses that are in accordance with the law of nature. It is considered an important method to achieve a sustainable way of farming....
Farming is a precarious venture, as it is (mostly) subject to the elements, not to mention market forces. The seaweed farmers of Caramoan, Camarines Sur are no exception to this. Caramoan island is known as a beach destination, it and its surrounding islands hosting various nature-themed tourist...
From shoe soles, refrigerators, to clothes, car tires, and medical supplies, natural rubber is a common denominator that keeps the quality of these products at their best. Rubber is a raw material that plays a critical role in our daily lives. However, climate change, capitalism, and diseases pose...
“If you want to be happy for a lifetime, be a gardener,” says Kenneth Joy Fuentes Gonzales, 43, an employee at the Municipal Planning and Development Office (MPDO) of Norala, South Cotabato. Aside from being employed, part of Gonzales’s daily routine is tending to her garden. ...
While deemed as one of the Philippines’ economic drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the agriculture sector is also at risk of having its national budget allocation reduced due to fiscal adjustments post COVID. Ibit Integrated Farm is a five-hectare land in San Fernando, La Union that has been...
As the pandemic forces many businesses to shift online, many consumers also resort to buying their essentials digitally. The web serves as an open area that many enterprises can use and benefit from. Online freedom also allows the public to easily express their opinions, reviews, and support...
It may have taken some time since the alleged kickback scheme in pork importation was exposed, but Agriculture Secretary William Dar is more certain now that the Department of Agriculture (DA) has nothing to do with this so-called tongpats scandal. During a recent senate hearing, Dar denied any...
Constancio E. Estuye Jr., 60, a chief marine engineer in a foreign vessel, also grows grapes and strawberries in the city. His 162 sqm garden in Antipolo, Rizal is home to several varieties of grapes, strawberries, and other fruit-bearing trees and crops. He also has a separate 885 sqm...
