Monday, December 16, 2024

Tag: Coconut

Awareness seminar on food safety, regulations held

Posted on by cmn

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon — The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA-10), through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD), staged an awareness seminar on food safety and regulations on August 15 at the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex (NMACLRC), in this city

During this time, the agency apprised almost 50 local farmers and agri-enterprises from the provinces of Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, and Lanao del Norte on key concepts and relevant laws on food safety.

On behalf of DA-10 Regional Executive Director Jose Apollo Y. Pacamalan, AMAD Assistant Division Chief Ferdinand F. Caraballe emphasized its importance for local stakeholders engaged in producing agricultural commodities and food products.

“[The DA] conducts this seminar annually because we handle food, and therefore, it is our commitment to our consumers that what we deliver is safe and free from foodborne diseases,” Caraballe said.

Through Republic Act No. 10611, otherwise known as the ‘Food Safety Act of 2013’, the DA and its attached regulatory agencies, bureaus, and corporations are identified as food safety regulatory agencies (FSRAs) responsible for the implementation of laws, standards, and programs on food safety in the primary production and post-harvest stages of the food supply chain.

Said regulatory agencies include the Bureau of Animal Industry, National Meat Inspection Service, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bureau of Plant Industry, Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, Philippine Coconut Authority, Sugar Regulatory Administration, and the National Dairy Authority.

Underscoring the role of the local government in the implementation of food safety laws, Andrew M. Calimutan of the Office of the DA Assistant Secretary for Policy and Regulations said that the Department, through the aforementioned regulatory agencies, continues to engage and assist LGUs in the formulation of local ordinances on food safety.

Further, he said that the agency is presently revisiting its regulatory policies to ensure that they are retrofitted to current industry and trade standards and remain in service to consumer and food safety interests.

Under RA 10611, DA conducts training for local producers and food business operators on food safety to ensure their compliance with industry standards, including the Code of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Code of Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP).

Market Specialist IV Irish O. Ativo from the DA-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service said that these standards and compliance certifications provide a competitive advantage for food business operators, as they allow for market expansion and build consumer trust and confidence in their products.

During the session, the farmers were also kept abreast of practical food handling practices for agricultural produce, salient information on the Participatory Guarantee System, and a comprehensive review of the activities and services offered by the Food Safety Operations Unit of the BPI-Plant Product Safety Services Division.

They were also briefed on the strategies for marketing GAP-certified products through the Department’s KADIWA marketing program.

In closing, Caraballe urged the participants to apply what they had learned throughout the session to their respective enterprises and agricultural production, highlighting its implications in building public trust, consumer safety, and food quality and nutrition.

The said activity is in line with the Department’s refined thrusts toward a ‘Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas’ under the leadership of Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. and President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. (GDA)

MinDA, DTI-10 update stakeholders on EU GsP+, free trade agreements

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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–As part of the continuing efforts to better prepare and strengthen industries and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to thrive and compete internationally, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-10 conducted a forum on European Union’s (EU) Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) and other free trade agreements

DTI Misamis Oriental Provincial Director Almer Masillones said the forum aimed to bring together industries and MSMEs in Northern Mindanao to have an equal understanding of the export opportunities of the region’s products and the trading performance of Mindanao in the European market.

During the forum, the participants received updates on the Philippine Export Development Plan 2023-2028 and opportunities under free trade agreements (FTAs).

“Kani usab ang amoang way sa pag engage sa atoang private sector nga maka access pa sila ug wide incentives in their engagements sa ilang business outside,” said Director Olie Dagala of MinDA.

[This is also our way of engaging our private sector so they can access vast incentives in their business engagements outside.]

The highlight was the presentation on the status of the EU-GSP+, a special incentive arrangement that allows the country to export more than 6,200 products to any EU member country tariff-free.

The country’s exports grew from €5.7 billion in 2014 to €10.4 billion in 2022 through this preferential tariff scheme.

Among the country’s top GSP+ exports are crude coconut oil and skipjack tuna, while the top GSP+ export destinations were Germany, Netherlands, France, Italy, and Spain.

“Indeed, the GSP+ paved the way for the exporters to increase their market access and sales opportunities to the EU market, which is one of the largest markets in the world, improving their competitiveness and allowing them to sell more products and contribute to the Philippines’ economic growth leading to more jobs creation,” added Masillones.

However, this scheme is set to expire by the end of this year.

The DTI provincial director stated that the forum also serves as a platform for consulting with stakeholders to formulate the country’s position regarding the expiration of its GSP+ access and any proposed extension.

To date, MinDA and DTI have already conducted forums for other stakeholders in key cities of Mindanao island, particularly General Santos and Zamboanga.

Meanwhile, DTI, through its Export Management Bureau, continues to assist industries and MSMEs in their exporting needs.

“We have a frontline service, yung [the] Export Assistance and Business Matching Division. We guide yung mga [our] exporters natin ano yung mga [what are the] steps and ano yung mga [what are the] requirements needed for each of the markets. We have a lot of market officers who can provide market requirements that can guide our exporters. We also have product officers who can guide them from the domestic up to the export market. In terms sa mga [of the] certification, we have export enablers that we can refer to our exporters. We try to connect everyone para easy and okay yung exporting journey nila [so that their exporting journey is easy and okay],” said the bureau’s Chief Trade Industry Specialist, Rudolph Jay Velasco. (APB/PIA-10)

Aggie dept showcases promising corn cultivars in Dangcagan town

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BARONGCOT, DANGCAGAN, BUKIDNON – The agriculture department of Northern Mindanao (DA-10) helmed by Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado in partnership with private seed companies stages the first in the series of its Corn Derby Field Day for this year’s wet season, showcasing promising hybrid corn cultivars here on Friday, September 22

Seated at about a 1.9-hectare portion of DA-10’s Research Center for Upland Development (RCUD), 16 different corn varieties from seven companies were exhibited, to gauge their performance and adaptability in a low elevated area.

“Mapuslanon ni siya [technology showcasing] para sa atong mga mag-uuma,” Carlota S. Madriaga, DA-10 regional technical director for operations, in her message to about the 150 farmers and agricultural extensionists participating from the towns of Dangcagan, Damulog, Kibawe, Don Carlos, Kadingilan, Kitaotao, Maramag, and Kalilangan of Bukidnon province.

Yellow corn varieties along with their corresponding package of technologies include NK6410BGT, NK6130BGT and NK6505BGT from Syngenta Philippines, Inc.; DK8131S and DK8899S (Bayer Crop Science Philippines); H101G and B9909G (BioSeed Research Philippines, Inc.); and AH SUPREME 5150 RRYYG and J505 RRYG (Asian Hybrid Seed Technology Inc.).

Rounding up the list of yellow corn varieties exhibited are P3582YHR and P3530YHR (Corteva AgriScience); EVO 9815 (Evo Gene Seeds, Corp.); and MAIS SWERTE and MAIZE D30, and MAIS-TISA, a white corn variety from Vigour Seeds Development, Inc.

Importantly, the crop cut results were presented, factoring in agronomic and yield components such as number of plants, ears, and yield per plot; garb incidence; total cob and kernel weights; shelling recovery; field moisture content; yield and weight of grains; population density; ear length and diameter; number of kernel line and kernels per ear.

She likewise underscored the significance of conducting corn derbies over the years with the private seed companies.

“Labaw na sa amoa na kami [department] karon nga gi-manduan sa national government pinaagi sa atong President [Marcos] na mao atong [DA] secretary na tagaan og dakong pagtagad ang agrikultura,” RTD Madriaga remarked.

Generated results show that the corn varieties employed yielded the highest at 10.03 tons per hectare at 14% moisture content (MC) to the lowest at 5.69 tons/ha at 14% MC.

As the agency through the Corn Program will procure P281 million of hybrid corn seeds, comprising GM hybrid yellow corn seeds and hybrid white corn flint seeds next year, Dir. Madriaga highlighted that the corn derby results would form part of the basis of the department’s procurement of seeds.

Moreso, DA-10 is set to procure P19.7 million worth of GM hybrid yellow corn seeds and hybrid white corn seeds to serve as buffer stocks, in case of disasters and calamities.

As the techno demo displayed different corn varieties and planting protocols to augment farmers’ productivity and earnings, the DA-10 official also urged the farmers to form corn clusters to attain economies of scale.

This will enable them to greatly trim down their cost of operations, reap bountiful harvests, link to large-scale buyers, and earn bigger incomes.

“Dako kaayo akong pasalamat sa DA-10 sa ilang gipahigayon nga programa sa mga ka-mais, diin adunay bag-ong mga technology nga gi-showcase nga milangkob sa low ug high elevation nga corn cultivars ug magdepende sab ang performance sa klase sa yuta gikan sa mga nagkalain-laing kompanya sa mais,” conveyed Lilibeth P. Galandez, president of the Narukdukan Kisanday Banana, Cassava, Coconut, Corn Farmers’ Association (NAKBACCCOFA) of Maramag town.

Following said corn derby, DA-10 is slated to conduct the same activity at the Northern Mindanao Agricultural Crops and Livestock Research Complex in Dalwangan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, and Research Center for Hillyland Development in Lanise, Claveria, Misamis Oriental in early October, this year.

Also supporting the event were Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations Cora A. Dumayaca, Provincial Operations Center of Bukidnon chief Janet D. Lopez, DVM, RCUD chief Catalino S. Soriano, Jr. and other DA-10 staff. (DA RFO-10)