In this issue

P500,000 grant and zero interest loans for young agripreneurs

Vanilla, vanilla, how pricey art thou?

Wasteland turned into a Flower Farm for agritourism

GRANT & ZERO INTEREST LOANS FOR YOUNG AGRIPRENEURS

IF YOU HAVE a viable idea that you can pursue, the Department of Agriculture will give you a grant of R500,000. Yes, that’s free! This one is for upstarts, one of three new financing programs that the DA launched in January 2020 to encourage young people to put up agricultural enterprises. Any determined aspiring farmer is eligible for the grant. No educational qualification is required. What is important is that he has the passion and focus to pursue his idea. He will be coached by a mentor to make sure he will succeed.

4 mins

HELP FOR UBI GROWERS AND PROCESSORS AVAILABLE AT DMMMSU

WHEN WE MENTIONED in a previous column that ubi production is a possible venture that may be considered for the R500,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture for upstarts, we got this good news.

2 mins

I WILL NOT GO INTO BIG TIME TURKEY PRODUCTION

IN A PREVIOUS ARTICLE, somebody asked me what project I would propose if I were given the grant of R500,000 for start-ups in agribusiness from the Department of Agriculture. My choice for a flagship project is sheep for a number of good reasons.

2 mins

Vanilla, Vanilla, How Pricey Art Thou?

If there is one plant I would recommend planting among hobbyists or even to serious gardeners, it would be vanilla orchid, which is the source of the very pricey vanilla. Would you believe that a grower here in the Philippines sells a kilo of these vanilla pods at R45,000 and R0.65 to a gram? Yes, you read that right!

7 mins

SYLVIA, A NEW GREEN LETTUCE VARIETY

DID YOU KNOW that the ancient Greeks believed that lettuce induced sleep, so they served it at the end of the meal? It is also known that eating lettuce for dinner can be calming and help reduce stress.

3 mins

ABALONE FARMING

THE ABALONE is a sea snail with a single shell that is in demand in seafood restaurants here and abroad. Its edible soft body is a highly-priced delicacy, while its shell is made into jewelry. It is found attached to rocks in coastal areas. The Philippines exports dried and frozen abalone to Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, China and other countries.

2 mins

SECOND GENERATION FilAm FINDS HER ROOTS (AND MAKES MONEY) IN SUPPORTING PHILIPPINE SEA SALT

SALT is an important part of the dinner table. This condiment has become so common, it tends to get taken for granted. But what many people forget is that behind each salt grain lies not only a livelihood, but a culture.

10+ mins

A PIONEER IN THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INDUSTRIES ENGAGES IN OKRA PRODUCTION FOR EXPORT

OKRA (Abelmoschus esculentus), also known as “lady fingers” in English-speaking countries, is a herbaceous annual plant grown for its edible capsule-like seed pods with pointed tips that can grow up to 10 inches long.

4 mins

MEYER LEMON: VERY JUICY, BUT NO SEEDS!

IN EARLY JULY, 2019, an ambassador who is busy traveling to different places all the time felt it was better for him to leave his Meyer lemon under our care so it will not deteriorate. The plant was planted in a medium-sized rubberized container for about a year when it was delivered to us. Before leaving it with us, he scattered two handfuls of slow release fertilizer on the surface of the growing medium.

2 mins

WASTELAND TURNED INTO FLOWER FARM FOR AGRITOURISM

WHAT USED TO BE a wasteland where no crop would grow for many years is now a one-hectare flower farm that is attracting local and foreign visitors. This is the Girasoles Farm, put up in 2017 by Ma. Vivian Cornejo-Dean, 46, along the Diversion Road in Candelaria, Quezon.

3 mins

Read all stories from Agriculture

Agriculture Magazine Description:

Agriculture Magazine is the most widely circulated magazine of its kind in the country. Every month, it regularly features winning strategies of successful agri-people in various areas of farming, including sustainable technologies in the production of crops, livestock and poultry and fisheries. It also covers food processing, creative marketing, plant and animal nutrition, farm management, research results and many others.