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Maggi noodles tested positive for salmonella

Roy — Sat, 07 May 2011 04:21:47 +0000

Nestlé Philippines has voluntarily recalled a number its Maggi instant noodles after some of the tested were tested for possible salmonella contamination. The company said it found traces of salmonella in two batches of the noodle product’s beef variant. “The product recall is a precautionary measure… to ensure the safety and quality of our products,” Nestlé said.

The multinational food manufacturer advised consumers who may have bought Maggi Rich Mami Noodles to contact their hotline at 898-0061 for Metro Manila and 1-800-100-637853 (toll-free) for provincial areas.

Nestlé however said that its products are safe to eat if the cooking instructions properly followed. The batches that were tested positive for salmonella have lot codes 11020598A2 and 11030598A1. The lot code numbers are found at the back of the product pack, between the “Best Before” date and the ingredients list.

Salmonella infections typically affect the intestines, causing vomiting, high fever and abdominal pains. The bacteria can be transmitted from water, soil, animal feces, raw eggs, and raw meat.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) director Suzette Lazo said their office has already been informed regarding the recall. The FDA also posted an advisory on its websites to consumers who may have bought the product with the specified lot codes to return them to the Nestlé office at Nestlé Center, 31 Plaza Drive, Rockwell Center in Makati, or to its licensed distributors.

Lazo said, “According to law, they have to do this (product recall), when they discover that there is something that would be harmful to consumers. They complied with that law and this is a very responsible thing they did.”

She also said their department has made an extensive investigation to determine the cause of the contamination. “Even if it is a voluntary recall, we have to do our own test and get a report from them every day,” Lazo added.

Based on initial findings, the flavor enhancer that comes with the instant noodles in sachet may have caused the salmonella contamination. Said flavor enhancer has also been recalled in the US.

Pending completion of the investigation, Nestlé has temporarily stopped production of all Maggi noodle products.

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Philippine tuna company acquires US salmon company

Roy — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:51:25 +0000

Philippine company Alliance Select Food International Inc. sealed a deal to acquire 100 percent of US company Spence & Co. Ltd., a Massachusetts-based salmon smoking and curing company who specializes in the production of smoked salmon and seafood, prepared in the Scottish tradition of its founder Alan Spence. The company caters to the high-end market in the USA and Europe.

The Alliance, in its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), said it had signed an agreement to acquired the US fish company lock, stock and barrel through subsidiary ASFI Choice Foods Inc. for $8.5 million.

Alliance spokesperson Rajat Balain said, “An investment in Spence is another step towards Alliance’s goal of diversifying its product line to enhance shareholder value and ensure future profitability. This will be Alliance’s third smoked salmon venture, making it the largest salmon processor in the region, and will help it establish a beachhead in the lucrative seafood market in the US.”

To partly finance the acquisition of Spence, Alliance will be conducting a stock rights offering. The company already gave the approval for the said offering. The PSE suspended trading of Alliance starting 9 a.m. Tuesday pending the submission of additional disclosure pertinent details on the transaction.

Alliance started commercial operations in General Santos City in Mindanao in 2004, it was formerly known as Alliance Tuna International and engages in tuna processing, canning and export of canned tuna products. It exports to Europe, North America, Asia, Africa and South America as a “private label manufacture,” which means it processes and cans tuna using its customer’s brands.

Part of its overseas expansion in recent years is the company’s aspirations to become a regional food company with a “decidedly Filipino DNA.” Alliance is always on the lookout for opportunities in regional seafood companies with high margins and high-value products.

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Philippines bans chocolate milk from Japan

Roy — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 02:22:58 +0000

The country temporarily bans chocolate milk products from Japan after the March 11 earthquake, although it was just a verbal order issued by Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Director Efren Nuestro. Philippines joins other countries like Russia, Canada, Australia and Singapore, among the list of countries which banned Japanese food imports as radioactive steam wafted anew from the Fukushima Dai-chi Nuclear Power Station.

Nuestro said that a formal order is already being drafted canceling a previous clearance for the import of Japanese chocolate milk products. “We will recall the veterinary quarantine clearance for chocolate milk products that were shipped into the Philippines after March 11.”

Together with the BAI, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), would screen animal-based products from Japan for abnormal radiation levels and recommend the suspension of the importation of suspect items. The two agencies are both under the Department of Agriculture.

A random sampling of mackerel from Japan would be conducted to determine if they have a high radioactivity level, said BFAR Director Malcom Sarmiento. According to him, the country imported 4,000 tons of mackerel from Japan last year for food processing.

Quarantine officer Rico Capulong said that the Philippine custom authorities are also keeping a close watch on any imports from areas of Japan that were close to the stricken nuclear plants. “Not all parts of Japan were affected. There are certain areas that we are concentrating on,” he said.

Meanwhile, three United Nations agencies issued a joint statement in Geneva, pledging their commitment to “mobilizing their and expertise” to help Japan, noting that “food safety issues are an additional dimension of the emergency.”

The three agencies, International Atomic Energy Agency, World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization, said Japan was taking the right action. “Food monitoring is being implemented, measurements of radioactivity in food are taking place and the results are being communicated publicly,” the three agencies added.

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La Filipina beats SMC in aquiring Bataan grains terminal

Roy — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 00:26:57 +0000

La Filipina Uy Gongco Corp., a relatively unknown local company owned by businessman Alfonso Uy, seems to be just a short step away from clinching the deal to acquire the Mariveles Grains Terminal of Asian Terminal Inc. (ATI). La Filipina has beaten conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) in its bid for the purchase of ATI’s wholly-owned unit Mariveles Grain Corp. (MGC).

ATI holds a 20-year contract to manage and develop the MGC. It will end on 2013, and renewable for another 20 years. MGC offers unloading, conveying, storage, outloading, weighing, bagging, and sampling services, and also handles bulk cargo like wheat, soya bean meal, corn and soybeans.

Although, quite unknown, La Filipina isn’t really new. Four years ago, it acquired the port facilities of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) in Guimaras Island. Aside from grains trading, it is also into corn milling, and animal feeds production, among others.

La Filipina also owns 15-percent stake in Steag State Power Inc., which is the owner of the 232-megawatt coal power plant located at Phividec Industrial Estate in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. The company also has 1.17-percent stake in Aboitiz Equity Ventures.

SMC, for its part, was surprised when ATI announced that it was selling the Bataan grains facility to an undisclosed buyer. The company has been in negotiations with ATI since 2008 for the purchase of the said grains facility. It was confident that it would clinch the deal with ATI.

Earlier, ATI revealed that its shareholders have already approved the sale of the grains terminals to SMC, until a subsequent announcement that it was being sold to the undisclosed buyer. The proposed sale to a “third party buyer” was approved by the ATI board and will be presented to the shareholders for approval on July 30.

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Seaweed-durian cupcake, a healthy ‘baon’ for school

Roy — Sat, 29 May 2010 16:40:22 +0000

A healthier cupcake makes for a great alternative ‘baon’ is the product of the research project by a group of people from the Southern Philippines Agribusiness and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) in Digos City, Davao del Norte.

The cupcake made from seaweed and durian, which is just in time for the school opening, was made through the collaborative efforts of Arlyn Omboy, Graciela Caballero, Milagros Subaldo, Dr. Nila Nanette Revilla and Dr. Delia Grace Bacaltos, all from the SPAMAST. The seaweed-durian cupcake was their entry to the 2010 Aquatic Technology Competition and Marketplace (ATCOM), wherein there were one of the finalists.

The contest (ATCOM) was sponsored by the Los Baños-based Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (DOST-PCAMRD).

The researchers said that the making of seaweed-durian cupcake follows the usual baking process for bread and pastries. The cupcake, which has a shelf life of five days, is a bakery product made from seaweed powder with processed durian jam, uses as raw material locally available Eucheuma spinosum and durian, an exotic fruit which is described as “smells like hell but tastes like heaven.”

During the research process, the team of researchers conducted a consumers’ feedback evaluation to get the reaction of the market on the seaweed-durian cupcake. Most of the respondents which were from Digos City and neighboring towns rated the cupcake as “most acceptable.”

The seaweed-durian cupcake technology was further improved, and was even extended to various seaweed-growing communities in the Island Garden City of Samal and Puntao Biao, Cogon, Digos City. Thanks to the support of the Davao Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project (DICCEP) sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Region 11. Arrangements with the DTI and Department of Education (DepEd) are now being made to make the healthy cupcake available in the different ‘Pasalubong’ centers and school canteens.

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Effects of El Niño reaching almost P10 billion in losses

Roy — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:51:31 +0000

The losses in the agricultural sector brought about by the El Niño have already reached P9.58 billion as of the end of March. Report shows 12 regions are experiencing dry spell conditions which affect production of rice, corn, fruits, flowers, high-value commercial crops and livestock.

But in spite of this, the government continues to downplay the effects of El Niño on the Philippine economic growth this year. It said it could shave 0.57 percent point off this year’s gross domestic product growth target of 2.6-3.6 percent. Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary August B. Santos said during a recent Cabinet meeting, “Agriculture makes up only 18 percent of the gross domestic product.”

He added that economic outputs in Mindanao only account to 18 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, referring to the effect of the power shortage in Mindanao on the country’s economic growth.

He noted a report from the National Disaster Coordinating Council which said that about 753,606 hectares of land had been affected with an equivalent total production loss of 685,485 metric tons.

National Economic and Development Authority director for national policy and planning Dennis M. Arroyo, said growth this year could dip to 3 percent from the high end of the target. He added that government was confident of hitting the upper end of the goal unless Greece’s debt crisis explodes and causes another global crisis.

Meanwhile, the NEDA director also reported that the construction industry is also threatened by rising iron ore prices after the 40-year old pricing arrangement of annual negotiations was replaced by quarterly pricing. “A 100-percent increase in iron ore prices will lead to a 30-percent increase in steel prices. That will affect both public and private construction and therefore, the real estate industry,” he pointed out.

Santos said that this change was led by giant iron ore producers Vale of Brazil and Anglo-Australian BHP-Billion. He noted that the shorter the pricing period, the more leeway for market speculation and volatility. Eurofer, which represents European steelmakers, has warned of illicit price manipulation by the biggest iron ore producers.

Santos added that it might turn out that the US steel might be the cheapest alternative since US steel inputs are largely isolated from the global market. America is a net exporter of the chief ingredients of steel: iron ore, coking coal and scrap.

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The expansion of Bibingkinitan

Roy — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:21:51 +0000

Bibingkinitan! has embarked on an aggressive campaign to expand its number of outlets this year. The fast-rising Filipino food chain is aiming to open up about 100 new outlets all over the country, to bring its total number of stores to at least 250 by the end of 2010.

Richard V. Sanz, president and chief executive officer of FoodAsia Corp., the mother company of Bibingkinitan!, said that the 50 percent of the new stores that will be put up would be owned by the company, while the other 50 percent would be franchised.

The company’s focus, according to Sanz, is towards establishing more stores in smaller-sized malls and roadside locations in provincial cities and capital towns. “Last year we already saturated the big malls so our direction now is to go on smaller malls and provincial cities and towns,” he said.

Sans also added that the product line of Bibingkinitan! has also expanded. They now also serve other foods like “pancit in bilaos” and “Bar-B-Q” for take-out. The company’s target is to position Bibingkinitan! as the preferred brand for parties, gatherings and “pasalubong” (take-home) food packages.

He was also proud to announce that the name Bibingkinitan! is now a recognized and an established brand. The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is even offering a collateral-free loan to its prospective franchisees. “The fact that a bank in the stature of BPI is willing to offer collateral-free loan for our franchisees shows that Bibingkinitan! is already a trusted brand and a highly feasible investment opportunity,” Sanz said.

He is also happy to announced that they have developed a very affordable franchise package they called the “Franchise Lite.” Under the said package, franchisees can pay the franchise cost in six months at zero interest and without any down payment.

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RD Corp. to expand tuna cannery business

Roy — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:25:25 +0000

The RD Corporation, a Filipino owned company, is planning to expand its investment in the tuna cannery business and is earmarking about $15 million for its prospect. This was disclosed by RD Group chairman Rodrigo Rivera, who said that they will be starting the new cannery by the first quarter of 2010 and will be based in General Santos City. The group has already existing 6 canneries in the city.

With the planned cannery plant, the company hopes to increase their output of 140 tons per day to 200 tons daily. What more, the new plant will also create about 1,200 to 1,500 new jobs in the area. According to Rivera, tuna cannery is a very labor intensive business.

The company has 11,000 employees at present, of which 7,000 are in General City. Rivera said that 90% of their workforce is women.

Aside from the Philippine operations, RD Corp also has cannery plants in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The Indonesia plant produces 80 metric tons, while the Papua New Guinea plant produces 200 metric tons.

In the Philippines, they are the biggest exporter of canned tuna, with about 380 million metric tons of exports per year. RD Corp. exports 14 containers every day, and one container costs $40,000, said Rivera. Their exports comprised 30% of their canned tuna production. Aside from exporting canned tunas, they also sell scrap of fish overseas.

The RD Group is composed of four fishing companies. These are RD Fishing Industry Inc., RD Tuna Ventures Inc., South Sea Fishing Ventures Philippines Inc. and Asia Pacific Allied Fishing Ventures Corp.

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Nestle conducted coffee farming seminar

Roy — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:59:45 +0000

Last September 28 and 29, Nestlé Philippines conducted a seminar at the Nestlé Experimental and Demonstration Farm (NEDF) in Tagum, Davao del Sur. Nestlé, who is the manufacturer of the coffee branch Nescafé, held the seminar as a part of the ongoing memorandum of agreement between the company and the Department of Agriculture (DA) which stipulates that there would be an exchange of expertise between the two parties. The two-day seminar was participated by officials of the DA from Bicol, Iloilo, Bohol, Mindoro and Cavite.

The DA regional officials are excited that the once they bring the new learnings they receive from the NEDF to their respective areas, it would arouse interest among coffee farmers. The training provided for a venue for educating farmers on the sustainable coffee growing and production and for distribution of good coffee planting materials sold at cost.

Ailyn Rafer, project proponent of Community-Based Participatory Action Research on Coffee and Cacao of Region 5, Camarines Norte, said “The coffee farmers back at our home are looking forward to learn about the new coffee methods that we learned here in the NEDF.” She said they would being training 40 coffee farmers using the new knowledge they gained from the seminar, with the aim of training more farmers in the future.

Eda Dimapilis, Agricultural Program Coordinating Officer of Cavite, believes that the NEDF’s training will help rejuvenate the coffee farms in her area. “One of our goals in Cavite is to establish a demo coffee farm similar to the one in Davao. That way, our coffee farmers can have a clear picture of what they can accomplish in their farms using the new planting methods we learned here in the NEDF,” she said.

Topics discussed in the seminar included new coffee production technologies, coffee propagation, coffee economics, plantation establishment, harvesting and post-harvesting and quality control, among others.

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Sucess from a secret halo-halo recipe

Roy — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:29:45 +0000

His halo-halo business literally brings him called “cold cash.”

Xavier Mercado, a 28-year old entrepreneur from Iloilo, built his restaurant on a secret Ilokano recipe for halo-halo. “I love halo-halo, I consider it as one of the best desserts ever,” Mercado said.

His love story with halo-halo, a favorite summer concoction of Filipinos, started when he was just 10 years old. At the tender young age, he is already selling the dessert and snack treat in front of their house in San Fernando City.

In 2004, he opened his restaurant, “Halo-Halo de Iloko,” embarking into the entrepreneurial world with nothing but his passion for his favorite childhood treat, together with the support of his friends.

Mercado said, “We started from scratch. I borrowed the freezer and refrigerator from my parents. My partner, whose family is in the food catering business, borrowed her mom’s kitchen utensils. Sometimes, our friends would come by to help us serve our customers.”

Soon, through patience and consistent quality of product and service, their halo-halo eventually attracted people, gathering customers even during the rainy season. And all through this continuing success, Mercado’s secret remains to be a secret.

“I cook the ingredients at home. Then these are delivered to the store. I’m the only one who knows the recipe. Not even the restaurant’s personnel know what ingredients go in the halo-halo,” he said. Although he said that the main ingredients were sourced from other La Union towns.

But aside from the halo-halo, Mercado’s restaurant also offers other delectable snacks. He made sure that their menu would carry affordable Ilocano dishes, like emparedados, a native hamburger made from homemade longganisa and garlic bread; pinakbet with bagnet; pinapaitan and okoy.

Mercado said that the restaurant’s name was derived from the Museo de Iloko in Agoo town. He claimed it to be unique and inviting when you hear the word ‘de Iloko’ especially to those who come from other places.

“Halo-Halo de Iloko is my inspiration. It’s a product of my passion for cooking, of being creative to come up with authentic food,” Mercado said.

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Woman Entrepreneur for 2009 – Corazon Dayro Ong

Roy — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:07:44 +0000

Corazon Dayro Ong was awarded the recognition as this year’s Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. She was known to be the brain behind the highly successful and innovative food product, San Marino Corned Tuna. The honor was awarded to Ong during the recently concluded Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 awarding ceremonies which was held at the Makati Shangri La Hotel on October 15.

In an interview during the event, Ong expressed her gratitude for the Filipino consumers for their high level of acceptance for her latest innovation.

Mrs. Ong is the founder and vice chairman of food manufacturing firm CDO-Foodsphere inc. She was awarded Woman Entrepreneur for 2009 by Ernst and Young for her exemplary skills in entrepreneurship, leadership and community development, traits that make her a trailblazer in the Philippine business.

She is nutritionist and dietician by profession. She started a small meat processing venture 34 years ago, and through her excellence as a woman entrepreneur, she steered the small business venture until it becomes one of the pillars of the food manufacturing sector in the country today.

“The key to the overall success of the company is the passion for continuous product innovation,” says Mrs. Ong.

The CDO-Foodsphere was able to earn the trust and confidence of the Filipino consumer through its consistent product innovation. It also employs strategic distribution and a well-synchronized advertising promotion to push its cost-competitive products.

Under Ong’s efficient leadership, the company has developed into a modern and leading food company known for its product innovation that provides the best quality and affordable food products, earning the trust of the Filipino people.

Her latest product, the San Marino Corned Tuna which was launched last July 30, 2009, manifests Mrs. Ong’s latest innovation in the food industry.

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Philippines to import rice early next year

Roy — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:18:44 +0000

To cover the shortage of rice which was caused by the recent string of typhoons that hit the country, the Philippine government has decided to import rice. Two companies, Daewoo International Corp. of South Korea, and Vietnam Southern Food Corp. (Vinafood) of Vietnam, have offered the lowest bids for 275,500 tons (250,000 metric tons) to the National Food Authority (NFA), according to spokesperson Rex Estoperes.

The Philippines is one of the world’s biggest rice importer. Last year, the government bought a record 2.54 million tons (2.3 million metric tons) of rice to plug a 10% domestic production gap.

In the last two months unfortunately, typhoons that hit country has caused the lost of at least 1.3 million tons of rice.

In their proposals, Daewoo will provide the country 110,200 tons (100,000 metric tons) at $468.50 metric ton (1.1 tons), while the remaining 165,300 tons (150,000 metric tons) will be supplied by Vinafoods at $480 per metric ton. Daewoo will make its deliveries from January to April, with the first 20% by January 25, Vinafood on the other hand, will complete its shipments in January.

The two have been awarded by the NFA the right to supply the total 250,000 metric tons of rice to the Philippines. Vinafood will source its rice from Vietnam, while Daewoo will get its supply from Vietnam and Thailand.

According to NFA Administrator Jessup P. Navarro, the agency needs to import rice in order to improve their rice stock position at the beginning of the year, that is why they are making placing an early importation. “We have to take a proactive stance to maintain the supply and price stability of the basic staple,” Navarro said.

The bidding for the importation of rice was held last November 4 and was participated by a total of 14 international rice suppliers.

These rice imports will serve as the government’s additional food security buffer to maintain a very safe inventory level.

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San Miguel eyes Shell’s Select

Roy — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:25:45 +0000

Food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. is eyeing the potential acquisition of the convenience store chain â€œSelectâ€ of Pilipinas Shell to expand its retailing business.Â San Miguel said it was not interested in buying Pilipinas Shell itself, but it has been keen on Shellâ€™s convenience store chain Select.

â€œWe advise that the company may have an interest in the Select Shops of Pilipinas Shell if the same are offered for sale,â€ it said in its disclosure statement.

San Miguel has an option to take over a controlling stake in the countryâ€™s largest oil refiner Petrol Corp.

The operations of a 24-hour convenience store in the Philippines was pioneered by Shell via its Select stores. It opened its first Select outlet at the North Luzon Tollway Shell service station. Said station has since become a famous stop-over for travelers driving through the North Luzon expressway. Shell opened its first Select CafÃ© in August of 1998 at the Shell Magallanes station.

The pioneering Select store chain offers a wide range of snacks, refreshments, groceries and travel items. It also offers phone cards, newspapers and magazines as well as hot meals and beverages.Â Â â€“ which really complement San Miguelâ€™s already vast distribution channels for consumer goods.

The San Miguel group, has through the years, taken an interest in the retailing business, which has become an alternative promotion and distribution channels for its wide array of products. Part of the companyâ€™s strategy is to put of food shops that will carry its major brands in high-traffic areas.A

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Government keep watch on overpricing of basic commodities

Roy — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:58:31 +0000

The government on Thursday warned traders who will take advantage of recent calamity that struck our countrymen and raise the prices of basic commodities. The Department of Agriculture said that those who will be caught overpricing will have their business closed and will be filed with criminal charges.

DA Undersecretary Bernie Fondevilla said they have monitoring teams who are checking price movements of all agriculture and fishery products around Metro Manila market. He said the government would be cracking down hard on violators of the Republic Act No. 7581 or the Automatic Price Control Act.

RA 7581 is being implemented by the DA, the Department of Trade and Industry, as well as the other government agencies in the aftermath of tropical storm Ondoy.

The DA undersecretary said they have received reports of overpricing of pork, chicken, vegetables and other goods in places like Farmersâ€™ Market and Murphy Market in Cubao, Quezon City; Kalentong Market in Mandaluyong City; Cogeo Market and Masinag Market in Antipolo City; Susano Market in Novaliches, Roxas Public Market and Commonwealth Market, all in Quezon City; as well as in talipapa or makeshift outlets in many parts of the metropolis.

â€œThese complaints will be verified and these markets will be monitored for compliance with the DA-DTI Automatic Price Control,â€ Fondevilla said, and added that, â€œappropriate action will be taken against the profiteers after inspection and validation.â€

Fondevilla said that most of the complaints received said that the per-kilo commodity prices exceeded government-set price ceilings by as much as P10 per kilo. These complaints were already referred to concerned government agencies like the DTI for price increases in canned goods, and the National Meat Inspection Services for the sale of expired frozen meat in areas like the Obrero Market in Blumentritt. He issued an advice that consumers should not buy frozen meat in Obrero Market in Blumentritt.

For complaints, Fondevilla said consumers can report to the DA through telephone numbers 920-2216 and 926-8203.

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Coco sugar, other organic products, tops national trade fair sales

Roy — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:19:01 +0000

The 2009 National Livelihood Trade Fair was recently held at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City under the auspices of the Philippine Chamber of Handicrafts, Inc. and the Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc.

During the said trade fair, coco sugar and other organic products from Lanao del Norte sold like the proverbial hotcake. The organic products from Lanao del Norte, aside from coco sugar, included honeymansi with pineapple, honeymansi concentrate plain, pineapple marmalade, bangus in corn oil packed in glass container, coco honey and coconut vinegar which are all manufactured without any preservatives.

The coco sugar was a big hit in spite of its high price compared to the regular sugar. Coco sugar is in the form of fructose which is superior healthwise compared to the sucrose in the ordinary sugar from sugarcane.

The high price of the coco sugar, according to former Gov. Imelda Quibranza Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte, was due to the fact that it requires much more effort and hard work to produce. The sap of the unopened flowers (toddy) is extracted from the coconut tree which is cooked to make coco sugar.

Coco sugar is now also being exported to countries in Europe as well as Korea and Japan, truly this product is not only in demand here but in other countries as well. Aside from Lanao del Norte, coco sugar is also being produced in Misamis Oriental.

Meanwhile, Congressman Abdullah â€œBobbyâ€ Dimaporo of 2nd district, Lanao del Norte, has been supporting the agricultural production, both in the farm crops and in livestock. He has been responsible for putting up the biggest dairy cow operation in the Philippines. Lately, he imported more than 2,000 Savanna goats from Australia for commercial production by farmers in his province.

Lanao del Norte tops the list of growing economies with a gross domestic product growth of 5.3 percent in 2008. Itâ€™s the highest among the regions during the period.

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Mushroom production seminar

Roy — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:58:58 +0000

On Saturday, October 3, 2009, there would be a whole day seminar on mushroom production to be given by Teddy Laurie, an expert in producing spawns as well as growing the crop. He will conduct the seminar right at the AANI Urban Farm at Kingsville Court, Antipolo City where he has put a facility to produce planting materials, particularly fruiting bags of oyster mushroom.

Laurie said that the fruiting bags he produced can remain productive for as long as eight months. He said fruiting bags sourced from others usually remain productive only for a few weeks or months.

The beauty of mushroom growing is that it can be done by urban dwellers as well as those living in the countryside. It can be undertaken as a commercial venture, or even just as a hobby for producing oneâ€™s own home requirements.

Mushroom growing does not require a big space for one to be able to undertake the project, also its gestation period is very short. A mushroom grower who starts with purchased fruiting bags will be able to harvest his first mushroom after only several days. By staggering the schedule of planting, it could result into a daily schedule of harvesting, or some other frequency as desired by the grower or the demand of the market, and the most important thing is that mushroom growing requires only a minimal capital.

To those living in the urban area, growing mushroom is an advantage because there are already where the market for the product is. These markets include institutional buyers like restaurant, subdivision homeowners, weekend markets and the like.

And mushroom is so versatile, so much so that when there is an excess harvest and buyers could not absorb all of them, it can be made into powder or dried mushroom. Laurie will also be teaching this process during the one day seminar. For directions to the seminar site, interested parties can check www.aaniphil.net.

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Figaro pushes for the revival of coffee farming industry

Roy — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:04:35 +0000

Coffee farming industry in the Philippines is getting a big boost as Figaro Coffee Systems Inc., a Filipino-owned coffee chain, is encouraging the revival of coffee farming in the countryâ€™s mountain areas. Figaro Coffee said that more players in the coffee industry are now sourcing their coffee bean supply requirement from local coffee growers, many of which are located in the uplands.

Johanna Clavecilla, Figaroâ€™s Marketing Services Manager, said that all of the products being served in their 70 outlets nationwide, except for the decaffeinated drinks, are using coffee beans bought from local coffee growers.

Figaro Coffee Systems, through its corporate social responsibility arm Figaro Foundation, is also contemplating on the production of organic gourmet coffee in the Philippines. The company said it could only be realized if the countryâ€™ coffee farming business is revitalized.

Clavecilla revealed that their company is set to pioneer the selling of organic coffee products in the country. She said that their company-initiated study indicates that there is growing consumer demand for organic beverage products in the country as well as overseas. It may take a while though to make available the organic coffee products, but Clavecilla said Figaro is working closely on this with a German-based consultancy agency.

She also said that at present, there are only a few coffee farms in the country who are working on organically produced coffee beans, majority of which export their products.Â She added that they have been thinking about the concept of an organic coffee less than five years ago, however, they are still making studies if there is a market for such product.

She also mentioned about the process of getting international accreditation which means preparing for a mountain of documentary work and huge investment. She assured though that when organic coffee is made commercially available in the country, Figaro will the first coffee chain in the Philippines to offer such product.

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Agriculture department assures rice supply is sufficient

Roy — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:23:26 +0000

The government assured that there is enough supply of rice for the country, despite damages of crops brought about by tropical storm Ondoy. The Department of Agriculture (DA) said that the National Food Authority (NFA) has more than a monthâ€™s worth of inventory in stock. It also said that considering the current inventories carried by commercial establishments and households, the national supply is effectively good for more than two months.

According to agriculture secretary Arthur C. Yap, it is normal for the NFA to keep a 30-day inventory, however, at this time of the year, NFAâ€™s present stock was enough for 35 days. This confirms the announcement made by NFA last week that its rice inventory stood at 1.27 million metric tons (MT) as of the first week of September.

Serving the average daily requirement of more than 35,000 MT all over the country, the agencyâ€™s rice inventory is enough for 35 days. The minimum inventory required for the lean months, this is when rice farmers are in planting mode, is 30 days. The prescribed buffer for the harvest months is 15 days.

NFA Administrator Jessup Navarro said that their inventory will be further beefed up by the palay that will be bought from the main harvest.

NFA Spokesperson Rex Estoperez added, â€œOur rice inventory is more than enough considering that only Metro Manila was hard hit by Ondoy. And even if there were rice-producing areas damaged, we can still get from unaffected areas of Central Luzon and of Calabarzon, for example, Batangas.â€

The harvest for the main crop starts in mid-September. Navarro said the NFA was intensifying palay buying to meet their target of procuring domestically more than a million MT for the whole year. The agency aims to buy 778,885 MT of palay from this yearâ€™s main crop alone.

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Grand Barista Cup Finals at the AFEX 2009

Roy — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:58:04 +0000

This coming Saturday, September 26, top Filipino baristas will compete against each other and prove their espresso and lattÃ©-making skills at the much-anticipated Grand Barista Cup Finals. The completion will be held at the World Trade Center and it will be a part of the Asia Food Expo (AFEX) 2009, which kicked off on Friday, September 25.

This will be the third year that the competition of Filipino baristas will be held. This yearâ€™s Grand Barista Cup will put together regional champion baristas from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as two winners of the recent Philippine Barista Cup.

Winners will be receiving prize money, but more important than the pot, this yearâ€™s grand barista champion will be representing the country in the Asian Barista Cup to be held in Singapore on April 2010, and then on the World Barista Cup in June next year.

For the competition, the baristas will be required to prepare three kinds of coffee concoctions under the following categories: espresso, cappuccino and the baristaâ€™s signature concoction. They will have to strive to balance sweetness, bitterness, acidity and aromatics.

They will also be asked to explain to the judges why they chose their particular coffee, the basic roast profile, espresso blend structure, major taste elements, the ingredients as well as the philosophy behind the drinks served.

This year, there is an added feature to the competition, and that is the baristas will have to prepare a special concoction, in a special barista portion, where they will mix their coffee with Equal sweetener, one of the major sponsor of the event.

The entries will be judged according to taste, presentation, and the baristasâ€™ technical skills.

The Grand Barista Cup is organized by Allegro Beverage Corporation, the exclusive Philippine distributor of Expobar espresso machines, DaVinci Gourmet Syrups and Sauces, and Caffe Moak. Their main goals are to promote the profession and to develop world-class Filipino barista.

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Consider poultry contract breeding as a sound investment

Roy — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:06:54 +0000

One sound investment that entrepreneurs might want to look into these days is joining the San Miguel Food Inc.â€™s (SMFI) roster of Poultry Contract Breeders and Growers. Being in the company of an elite team delivering the Magnolia Fresh Chicken to Filipinos is definitely a good option.

Take Ofel Datorâ€™s word for it. Dator, owner of the Ofelâ€™s Poultry Farm and a contract grower for SMFI said, â€œIâ€™d definitely encourage any would-be investor to strongly consider becoming an SMFI Poultry breeder. It has turned out to be a very good venture for us.

Ofel began his business in 2005 with minimal capital outlay, together with her husband Serafin Dator. Four years later, Ofelâ€™s Poultry Farm is doing great business earning well over P2.5 million a year. They were recently adjudged Luzonâ€™s Top Contract Breeder for SMFI.

One of the main reasons why the couple chooses to be an SMFI poultry breeder is that it carries the brand Magnolia Fresh Chicken and therefore believed that it is a sure-fire investment. They also believe that in spite of the condition of the economy, food businesses will continue to stand firm. They are confident that there will be no end to the need for chicken meat products, and therefore, no end to the need for their products.

Another reason the couple choose to be an entrepreneur is that they see it as one way of helping their community by providing jobs. Their workers were mostly their neighbors and friends. Ofel said, â€œThese are the people who care for the farm. May malasakit because they are our friends, and because they see how much we care for them as well since we treat them as family members already.â€

Ofel also assured that being a contract breeder for SMFI is a sound investment because the company will take good care you â€“ from the layers to the feeds, to the purchasing of your products and the ready assistance given by their Broiler Production Representatives and their Breeder Technicians. â€œSMFI really takes care of their breeders and growers,â€ she said.

If you are looking for a sound investment for your hard-earned money, check out www.magnoliachicken.com and see the opportunities waiting for you as SMFIâ€™s contract breeder and grower.