University Knowledge Digital Repository UPLB (University of the Philippines Los Baños)
University Knowledge Digital Repository UPLB (University of the Philippines Los Baños)Not a member yet
25810 research outputs found
Sort by
Analysis of the Export Competitiveness of Fresh and Frozen Tuna in the Philippines, 1997-2021
No full textThe Philippines is a large fishing nation because of its diverse maritime environment. In 2016, tuna is the fifth-largest agricultural export from the nation at the time, worth USD 277.5 million while in 2018, tuna was the biggest export product with fish and fishery goods exports totaling USD 492 million. Of the 21 species of tuna present in the Philippines waters, 6 species are caught commercially: yellowfin, skipjack, eastern little tuna, Frigate, big eye, and bullet with yellowfin, skipjack, and bigeye as the country\u27s most exported tuna species. The General Santos Fish Port Complex (GSFPC), which is accredited bu the European Union (EU), Japan, and the United States, is the largest and most active tuna landing port in the Philippines with 189,944.2 mt of fresh and frozen tuna landings in 2017.
In the Philippines, there is declining tuna supply since fewer tuna are present in the permitted fishing grounds due to territorial restrictions, climate change, and overfishing- which has resulted in the fall in the quality and size of hand-line fish as well. Although the Philippines is actively exporting fresh and frozen tuna, the competitiveness of the industry is still not yet guaranteed especially in comparison to its competing countries - Thailand and Indonesia which is the top exporter and top producer respectively. By closing the information gap, both producers and consumers will be well-informed and help determine a competitive price for the tuna produce. It will assist in addressing potential issues with tuna handling, preservation, subsidies, and legislation implementation in the production and export business for fresh and frozen tuna. This study aimed to: (1) Describe the trends or patterns in tuna production and trade, (2) Identify the factors affecting the Philippine tuna production and export, (3) Analyze the price and quality competitiveness of the Philippine fresh and frozen tuna exports, and (4) Identify policy implications and provide recommendations to improve the competitiveness of the Philippine fresh and frozen tuna exports.
The study found that : (1) The volume of tuna production is highly dependent on the tuna stocks present in the waters, (2) GDP and the tuna export prices of Philippine, Thailand, and Indonesia greatly affect importing behavior of tuna importing countries, (3) Price competitiveness of Philippine tuna is evident given its positive RCA growth rate as compared to its top competitors, Indonesia, and Thailand, and (4) The Philippines is at par with standards set by importing countries
Assessment of Credit Needs of Maliputo (Caranx Ignobilis) Farmer-Operators in Taal and Lemery, Batangas, 2023
No full textFishing is one of the main sources of livelihood for the residents of Taal and Lemery, Baangas. Among the aquaculture product in the area, maliputo cage production stands out. However, no studies have been conducted to assess the credit needs of maliputo farmer-operators in the region. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the credit requirements of maliputo farmer-operators, focusing on five specific goals: (1) describe the socio-economic and credit-specific characteristics of these operators, (2) determine the capital requirements for maliputo production, (3) analyze the cash flow of maliputo farmer-operators, (4) examine the factors influencing their credit needs, and (5) identify the current challenges faced by farmer-operators in maliputo production and credit availment.
The study was conducted in five barangay in Lemery and one barangay in Taal. Interviews were conducted with 60 maliputo farmer-operators using a pre-tested questionnaire. Descriptive analysis, capital requirements, cash flow analysis, and multiple regression analysis were employed as analytical tools.
The capital requirements for maliputo production were determine by estimating the operating and investment costs involved in the production. Operating costs for a 6-month production period totaled to Php 101,425, with the assumptions that the maliputo farmer-operators do not skip feeding. Investment costs which include the items for cage construction that will fit the standard cage dimension of 4m x 4m x 3m amounted to Php 42,950. Cash flow analysis was used to assess the credit needs, considering various maliputo production, non-maliputo production and financing activities of the operators. Fourteen different categories were identified as the respondents did not have a similar production cycle. The credit needs varied across different categories, ranging from Php 21,550 to Php 240,514. This implies the high needs for credit of maliputo farmer-operators for their succeeding production cycles. Results from the multiple linear regression showed that household size, culture period, and number of cages positively affect the credit needs while income from other sources negatively affect credit needs.
The study also identified challenges faced by maliputo farmer-operators, including the lack of capital, high feed and fingerling prices, and shortages of wild-caught fingerlings. Prices of inputs were increasing, making it difficult for them to generate profits without adjusting selling prices.
In conclusion, financial constraints resulting from high input costs and household expenditures were found to be key factors driving the credit needs of maliputo farmer-operators. Insufficient household income and negative perceptions of borrowing from credit sources contributed to these constraints. Addressing these challenges by providing suitable credit options and promoting and improving financial literacy will support the productivity and sustainability of maliputo farming in the region, as well as uplift their economic well-being
Alternative Profit Models: The Case of Greenbounty Farm
No full textRice is one of the main staple food in the Philippines. It is also the most consumed food product among Filipinos. Also, most of the farms in the Philippines are being planted with rice and raising livestock such as pigs, chickens, cows, and goats, among others. There are many farmers where farming is their source of income. And in the Philippines, there are a lot of small-scale or backyard farmers.
GreenBounty Farm is a farm located in Brgy. Maalas-As, Rosario, Batangas. It was established in 2018 and plants rice as its only crop. Eventually, due to the low profitability of rice farming, they envisioned integrated farming production. Thus, they engaged in different types of livestock production, such as goats and cows, to be able to increase the farm’s profitability. The farm only sold milled rice at their retail store and slaughtered cows and goats. And it was seen that only goats had a good indicator of profitability. As such, tapping into different industries such as pigs, chicken, fish etc. would be able to help the farm. Thus, this study was conducted to develop and recommend different alternative profit models with different combinations of Cash-Generating Units to utilize the land of GreenBounty Farm.
The specific objectives of the study were: a) Present the business profile and historical background of the farm; b) Define the external environment of the farm; c) Assess the existing business segment and sales mix of the farm; d) Explore the different options on alternative profit models; e) Recommend a profit model on the functional areas of GreenBounty Farm. With this, data were collected through interviews with the owner, Mr Zosi Noriega and the manager, Ms. Ody Noriega. Also, financial statements were provided by the farm. Other data was collected through various sources on the internet. With this, the collected information was analyzed through external analysis and PESTLE analysis. Also, the financial statements or profit model of GreenBounty farms was analyzed through segment reporting and break-even points in sales.
With the analysis of the internal and external environment, there was a lack of planning in which Cash-Generating Units were profitable enough and lack of human personnel for production and marketing aspects, and the chosen commodities had high maintenance costs in terms of technologies, inputs, and labor. And, also, rice and cow commodities had a slow profit generation where only one cow was slaughtered per year and a low profitability for rice which led the farm to have a major problem in profitability. Thus, retaining or omitting Cash-Generating Units was the deciding factor for the farm.
Through the analysis, it was found that all the Cash-Generating Units (rice, goat, and cows) had a positive segment margin, therefore all must be retained as the Cash- Generating Units. But, to solve the profitability problem of GreenBounty Farm, additional commodities were added such as mungbean (crop rotation), cowpea (crop rotation), pig, fish, chicken, and duck. With this, 39 alternative profit models were proposed with different combinations of all of the Cash-Generating Units. The APMs were assessed through its sales, net profit, percentage increase in net profit, break-even analysis, and additional costs such as marketing and production labor. There were issues presented in the top 5 APM based on net profit. However, the Rice (1x) - Cowpea (2x) - Cow - Goat - Pig – Combination (APM 33) was chosen as the alternative profit model because of its high net profit, high percentage increase in net profit compared to the current model, and less additional Cash-Generating Units
Marketing and Distribution Practices and Arrangements of Squash in Cabuyao City
No full textSquash, or Kalabasa, is one of the Philippines\u27 high-value vegetable crops named by the Department of Agriculture for its high-yielding nature (DA, 2022). Squash is also one of the top vegetable commodities produced by Cabuyao City farmers and is preferred given it is low maintenance during production compared to other crops (CMAO, 2022). The Cabuyao City squash industry mainly focuses on the farm and retail levels. However, overlooking the marketing and distribution portions limits the industry problems being addressed and hinders maximizing productivity and higher profitability. Through understanding the marketing and distribution practices and arrangements, the study could provide supply chain efficiency, optimize prices, identify value addition, and increase market access to market players.
Understanding the marketing distribution practices and arrangements of squash in Cabuyao City can be achieved by: presenting the market players of the Cabuyao City squash industry; identifying the product flow, marketing channel system and its marketing functions; assessing the bargaining power among the squash industry players; determining the marketing margin of each market player; establishing the supply chain map of the squash industry; examining the challenges and issues; and formulating strategies based on the results of the study. These objectives were achieved by incorporating a descriptive quantitative approach. Before the research proper, the study conducted a pre-test among squash industry players. In gathering respondents, the research incorporated two methods, simple-random sampling for the squash farmers and snowball sampling for the assemblers, wholesalers, and retailers. A simple-random sampling was used among squash farmers since the population is definite, and it is a straightforward probability sampling method where each individual in the population has an equal chance of being chosen as a respondent.
Moreover, non-probability snowball sampling was utilized for the intermediaries given their indefinite population and was chosen through a referral system. The study utilized both physical and phone interviews with close-ended questionnaires. Through the referral system, the researcher identified all the players involved in the Cabuyao City squash industry: the input suppliers, squash farmers, brokers, assembler-wholesalers, wholesaler-retailers, and retailers.
In the Cabuyao City squash industry, there were three major commercial input suppliers that farmers bought seeds, fertilizers, and agrochemicals such as insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides; aside from buying input, the farmers also received subsidized seeds and sometimes fertilizers from the Municipal Agricultural Office. The squash farmers were dispersed into ten barangays: San Isidro, Gulod, Bigaa, Sala, Marinig, Banay-banay, Niugan, Butong, Mamatid, and Baclaran; the majority of the farmers only conducted pre-production and production practices as they relied on most of the post- harvesting practices to the assembler-wholesalers. However, farmers that sold squash to nearby retailers in Cabuyao/Calamba/Sta. Rosa conducted the hauling, packing, and transporting. Most assembler-wholesalers were from Tanauan; some were also from Balintawak and Quezon Province. Assemblers were primarily responsible for hauling, packing, and transporting. The assemblers then sold squash to wholesalers or retailers; the post-harvest practice conducted by wholesaler-retailers and retailers mainly involves sorting and transporting. The majority of the wholesaler-retailers and retailers involved were in central trading posts such as the Tanauan City Trading Post and the Balintawak Market. The brokers were only involved in the negotiation; 79.70% of farmers and assemblers relied on them in buying and selling squash; in return, the brokers received commissions from Assembler-wholesalers. As we now identified the players through the referral system, the study identified the relationship and channels among the respondents. Among the industry players involved in the buying and selling of squash, wholesaler-retailers earned the most with 33.33% earning PhP 30,000-PhP 39,999 and another 33.33% earning PhP 10,000-PhP 19,999; it was then followed by the assembler- wholesalers with 40.00% earning PhP 20,000-PhP 29,999. Retailers were earning a monthly income of less than PhP 10,000; 93.80% of farmers did not have monthly income as they only received profit during harvest season.
Based on the responses, there were six marketing channels identified: first was Cabuyao City squash farmers to Tanauan assembler-wholesalers to Tanauan wholesaler- retailers to Calamba wholesaler-retailer to Cabuyao retailers to Consumers; second was Cabuyao squash farmers to Tanauan assembler-wholesalers to Tanauan wholesaler- retailers to Cabuyao retailers to Consumers; third was Cabuyao squash farmers to Balintawak assembler-wholesalers to Balintawak retailers to Consumers; fourth was Cabuyao squash farmers to Cabuyao retailers to Consumers; fifth was Cabuyao squash farmers to Tanauan assembler-wholesalers to Tanauan wholesaler-retailers to Calamba wholesaler-retailer to Consumers; and sixth was Cabuyao squash farmers to Tanauan/Balintawak assembler-wholesalers to Tanauan/Balintawak wholesaler- retailers to Consumers.
Each player conducted marketing functions, including exchange, physical, and facilitating functions. The exchange function involved was the buying and selling of squash, that created a flow and transfer of ownership. Physical functions only involved transportation since the Cabuyao City squash industry did not store or process its commodities. The absence of other value-adding practices, such as processing, does not maximize the operations, implying that there is room for more innovation in the Cabuyao City squash industry to improve productivity and profitability. Moreover, the squash industry players also conducted indirect marketing functions, specifically facilitating functions to which they conducted standardizing, financing, risk-bearing, and market information.
In terms of their relations and bargaining power with one another, input suppliers had a strong bargaining power over squash farmers and so as their buyers, which majority were assembler-wholesalers, retailers, and sometimes wholesaler-retailers. In terms of threats, new entrants have a low possibility of emerging due to high barriers to entry and scarce resources needed for farming such as land. Furthermore, there are high threats in substitution due to a high number of squash farmers in neighboring cities which increases competition. The level of substitution and competition in the industry dictated their bargaining power. When there are more businesses, it widens the alternatives of buyers, thus weakening their bargaining power. Nevertheless, when there are limited options, it strengthens their market position, thus increasing their bargaining power in the industry.
Understanding their dynamics allows the study to have a background on how these players set their prices, to which we identify the marketing margins, which provides an understanding of the gap between the farmgate and retail prices. As price varies per market segment, so do the marketing margins. The channel which had the highest total marketing margin was also the channel with the most players involved which was the
Cabuyao squash farmers to Tanauan assembler-wholesalers to Tanauan wholesaler- retailers to Calamba wholesaler-retailer to Cabuyao retailers to Consumers with an
average marketing margin of PhP 37.30; in contrast, the marketing channel with the fewest players involved had the second highest margin: Cabuyao squash farmers to Cabuyao retailers to Consumers, this channel ranked third with an average of PhP 27.93 to which retailers had the highest contribution; among all the channels which had retailers, they were the industry players who contributed the highest markup in the marketing margins. The marketing channel with the lowest average marketing margin did not involve retailers: the Cabuyao squash farmers to Tanauan assembler-wholesalers to Tanauan wholesaler-retailers to Consumers, with an average marketing margin of only PhP 7.94. As we correlated the socio-demographic with their margins, despite high retail prices, retailers have lower monthly income than assemblers and wholesalers as they purchased less volume of squash than the two players; raising retail prices is necessary for them to cover costs, but at the same time, prices at retail level also affect end-consumers with its high prices.
Compared to when consumers directly buy from wholesaler-retailers where the price is lower. Assemblers and wholesalers did not put higher markups than retailers, as they purchased a higher volume of squash. Their high volume sales are enough to cover their costs and receive profits without doubling their selling price. Buying from wholesaler-retailers is better for end-consumers as it is relatively cheaper.
As we now understand the dynamics within each market segment, a supply chain map summarizes the gathered data into one chain system. Among the ten barangays in Cabuyao City, eight mainly bought their inputs from commercial input supplier 1. Still, the other two barangays had the most respondents and bought mainly from commercial input supplier 2. The majority of the farmers also received subsidies from the Municipal Agricultural Office. At the production level, most farmers were from Barangay San Isidro, with 48 farmers. The farmgate price ranged from PhP 20-PhP 30 with an average of PhP 26.20 across the ten barangays. Most farmers sold squash to viajeros in Tanauan; the average selling price in the trading level of Tanauan was PhP 28.30; the selling price in Balintawak was slightly higher at PhP 29.15. Some farmers also sold squash in Quezon Province and also to retailers in nearby cities such as Cabuyao/Calamba/Sta. Rosa with an average selling price of PhP 57.75. After trading in Tanauan, they sold squash to wholesalers and retailers from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, and Southern parts of NCR, such as Alabang and Parañaque, with an average price of PhP 43.03. Moreover, traders in Balintawak then sold squash to supermarkets such as pure gold Balintawak and other retailers in NCR, Rizal, Bulacan, and Pampanga with an average selling price of PhP 43.10.
Understanding the marketing and distribution allowed the study to determine the issues involved in the Cabuyao City squash industry. Farmers experienced problems with limited capital, high input prices, the aftermath of calamities, irrigation, and oversupply; Assembler-wholesalers with issues with capital investment, pricing, and profitability dependent on high volume; similarly, the wholesaler-retailers experienced issues with pricing, and profitability dependent on high volume; while retailers experienced constraints on high retail prices but low returns. Generally, the Cabuyao City squash industry experienced problems with both productivity and profitability as the current industry functions need to be maximized. In analyzing the whole industry, the absence of processing functions limits the maximization of the industry. Through processing, it could address the Cabuyao City squash industry issues. However, before adaptation, training is recommended for the Cabuyao City squash industry. In collaboration with DOST and the Municipal Agricultural Office, they could provide training for industry players on creating the squash food technologies of DOST at either the small-scale level: rice-squash curls and fishball with squash; or household level: squash catsup, squash flour, squash halaya, squash kutsinta, kalcosuman, squash gulaman, jeweled squash rounds, squash maja, squash macaroon, squash flour supplemented pan de sal, and sweet rolls with squash flour (DOST-FNRI, 2016). DOST has multiple beneficiaries provided with training, assessments, and equipment. DOST also helps other localities develop their squash products derived from local delicacies. This could also be applied in the training of the Cabuyao City squash industry players to boost their competitive edge and also even local tourism. Creating opportunities that would allow the Cabuyao City squash industry to become a beneficiary in receiving training, assessments, and equipment could become a strategy for improving the industry\u27s productivity and profitability
Factors Affecting the Biosecurity Practices Against the Tilapia Lake Virus Among the Tilapia Hatchery Farmers of Sto. Domingo, Bay, Laguna
No full textAmong the most farmed fishes in the Philippines, tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) ranks second and thus is a highly prioritized fish in aquaculture production. It was even recognized as one of the top aquaculture commodities that can greatly contribute to the aquaculture sector in the Philippines, given the high demand and many farmers that venture into tilapia farming (BFAR, 2022). More specifically, tilapia fingerlings are now in demand for farmers, and thus this reflects the importance of the sector in the livelihoods and food security of Filipinos. However, the occurrences of diseases and their spread, like the Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV), has been considered as one of the hindrances in aquaculture production.
One of the driving factors of the emergence of aquatic diseases is the poor implementation of biosecurity measures. (FAO, 2021). Other factors include unfamiliarity with known and emergent aquatic diseases, poor management practices, and insufficient financial resources. Given that TiLV affects even the early stages of tilapia (O. niloticus), such as the fingerlings, utilizing vaccines may not be effective. Thus, the implementation of biosecurity measures is the only solution to prevent and control the introduction of viral diseases, such as TiLV (Dong et al., 2017). Recently, the tilapia hatcheries in one of the barangays in Bay, Laguna, which is Brgy. Sto. Domingo experienced a TiLV outbreak which caused a decline in overall production and affected the livelihoods of the farmers (Angeles, 2022).
With this, the study determined the level of biosecurity measures adopted by the tilapia hatchery farmers in Brgy. Sto. Domingo, Bay, Laguna. Specifically, this study aimed to (a) present the profile of the tilapia hatchery farmers and their hatcheries; (b) identify the biosecurity practices implemented by the tilapia hatchery farmers; (c) discuss the level of adoption of biosecurity practices by the tilapia hatchery farmers; (d) analyze the factors affecting the level of adoption of biosecurity practices by the tilapia hatchery farmers; and (e) formulate recommendations to improve the level of biosecurity measures implemented by the tilapia hatchery farmers.
The respondents of the study were composed of 15 small-scale, 13 medium-scale, and 4 large-scale tilapia hatchery farmers obtained through the simple random sampling design wherein a randomly selected population of tilapia hatchery farmers was selected with a 95% confidence interval and a 5% margin of error. Through face-to-face interviews, a semi-structured survey questionnaire was used to answer the socio-demographic profile of the tilapia hatchery farmers, their accessibility to various agricultural extension tools, the characteristics of their hatchery, the status of their hatcheries during the outbreak, knowledge about tilapia diseases and the causes of the transmission of tilapia diseases, their applied biosecurity practices under the three components, namely isolation, traffic control, and sanitation, and their recommendations or suggestions of what kind of support from the government they wanted to receive. A key informant interview was also conducted that provided richer understanding for the additional information needed in the study, specifically the susceptible and resistant tilapia species encountered by the farmers during the outbreak. Statistical summary through descriptive statistics was used to analyze the socio-demographic profile of the tilapia hatchery farmers, hatchery profile, and applied biosecurity practices. As to the level of adoption of biosecurity practices, a linear scoring system was used to identify the adoption index. Lastly, for the factors influencing the implementation of biosecurity practices, binary logistic regression was used.
The tilapia hatchery farmers in Brgy. Sto. Domingo in Bay, Laguna, was dominated by young male farmers belonging to the millennial generation, with around half of them having aged less than or equal to 44 years old. More than half finished high school education, with almost the entirety of them considering tilapia hatchery farming as their main source of income. Thus, the TiLV outbreak made it even more difficult for the respondents, given that half of them were also below the poverty line and were earning less than or equal to 12,082 pesos monthly. Despite nearly three-fourths of them having a long experience in tilapia hatchery farming, with the longest being 43 years and being a member of a fish farming cooperative or organization, less than half were able to participate in seminars about fish management and seminars about fish disease management. This reflected the knowledge of the tilapia hatchery farmers about tilapia diseases and their causes of transmission, wherein they had poor knowledge of tilapia diseases but had a basic knowledge of the causes of transmission of tilapia diseases. In terms of the profile of their hatcheries, nearly all of the respondents use personal savings as source of capital, while less than one-fourth source theirs from loans and family members. More than half of them only rent the land where their hatcheries were established and around half of the respondents were working under small-scale operations.
The least adopted biosecurity practices under the isolation component were the establishment of fences, maintaining a greater than or equal to the 1-kilometer distance from other hatcheries and a greater than or equal to the 500-meter distance from the main road, ensuring the absence of other animals inside the hatchery, and the practice of pest control and rodent control, while the most adopted practices were the separation of newly acquired broodstock, an inspection of signs of diseases, and the practice of an all-in, all- out system. In terms of traffic control, none of the respondents put up restriction signs, while less than one-fourth restricted visitors from going inside the hatchery and near the ponds, maintained a visitor\u27s log, and required the visitors to have a separate set of clothes before entering the hatchery. Conversely, more than half established their packing areas near the entrance of the hatchery, while nearly all of them practiced limited movement of the fingerlings.
As to the sanitation component, none of the farmers had footbaths. Less than half established handwashing stations, reported diseases in the hatchery, monitored and recorded water quality, and showered upon entering the hatchery. On the other hand, more than half allotted separate working clothes, and all the respondents cleaned and drained the ponds, performed cadaver management, prohibited the selling of sick fingerlings, and had a water inlet and outlet. While medium-scale tilapia hatchery farmers were more compliant than the small-scale in general, the results also revealed that small- scale tilapia hatchery farmers were more compliant in certain biosecurity practices under isolation, traffic control, and sanitation. The most common factors that influenced these results are the socio-demographic profile of the tilapia hatchery farmers and the profile of their hatcheries.
The tilapia hatchery farmers in Brgy. Sto. Domingo, Bay, Laguna had a moderate level of adoption of biosecurity practices, with an adoption rate of 59.38%. With respect to the components, traffic control was the least adopted component, with an adoption rate of 31.70%, while the most adopted component was sanitation, with an adoption rate of 57.81%.
While specific factors could only be associated with specific biosecurity practices, the socio-demographic profile of the respondents, their accessibility to various agricultural extension tools, and profile of the hatchery all influenced the adoption of biosecurity practices. In terms of isolation practices, the level of educational attainment and monthly income, attendance to seminars on fish management, membership in a fish farming cooperative or organization, and amount of capital influenced the decision of the farmers to implement such practices. Meanwhile, farm area and scale of operation affected the decision to implement traffic control practices. As to sanitation, age, sex, and other sources of income were the main influences of the farmers in implementing sanitation practices. However, factors such as the attendance to seminars on fish management and educational attainment was revealed to be an indirect influence only and it was the level of monthly income that directly influenced the adoption of isolation practices.
Recommendations were also provided in the study for the tilapia hatchery farmers of Brgy. Sto. Domingo, Bay, Laguna, the local government of Bay, Laguna, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), and the future researchers. For the tilapia hatchery farmers, the biosecurity measures that were not well implemented have to be addressed. The utilization of cooperatives to form a strong network and communication and promote encouragement in terms of participation in seminars was also recommended. Moreover, another recommendation was the reporting of diseases and maintaining and monitoring of water quality through close cooperation with Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), respectively. In line with this, recommendations for the local government of Bay, Laguna consisted of the provision of equipment, providing regular visitations between local aquatic veterinarians and the tilapia hatchery farmers, and credit programs, as this could help capacitate the tilapia hatchery farmers in implementing biosecurity practices in their hatcheries.
For Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), it was recommended to conduct seminars on fish disease management, which include farmers regardless of their scale of operations. Aside from this, financial resources and incentives were also recommended to be given to the farmers, especially when reporting cases of diseases in their hatcheries. Given that resources are limited, it was also suggested that BFAR and the local government work together to focus on improving the biosecurity practices regarding traffic control, given that it was the least adopted biosecurity practice component of the tilapia hatchery farmers. Strict rules and regulations should also be imposed across the actors of the value chain of tilapia production along with the development of short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategies against the TiLV outbreak. Moreover, it was recommended for LLDA to assist in water quality testing services and collaborate with the local government and BFAR in the dissemination of water quality testing kits and regular visitations to the ponds.
Lastly, it was recommended to future researchers to include the study of the implemented biosecurity practices by the other actors in the value chain of tilapia production, which includes the trading, processors, and institutional buyers. In-depth studies can also be conducted about the factors that influence the higher compliance of small-scale tilapia hatchery farmers as compared to medium-scale hatcheries and the constraints faced by the tilapia hatchery farmers in adopting biosecurity practices
Assessment of solid waste management during Covid-19 pandemic in Imus City, Cavite
No full textThe global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant transformation in waste generation and composition, with far-reaching consequences for the environment and public health in the years to come. This study used a mixed-method approach in examining the solid waste management (SWM) practices in Imus City, Cavite, during the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed how the unforeseen crisis influenced the city\u27s SWM system. A total of 30 key informant interviews were conducted to gather data, in which 29 barangay informants were randomly selected from the 97 barangays of Imus City. The study revealed that COVID-19 influenced significant changes in the SWM of Imus City. Due to the pandemic, the city experienced challenges in policy and program implementation, improper waste disposal practices, an increase in solid waste generation, and an increase in plastic residuals, special wastes, and biodegradable wastes. The city strengthened its best solid waste management practices and utilized opportunities that arose during the pandemic to alleviate the impact of these identified challenges. The study proposed potential strategies, such as enhance capacity building and community engagement in Barangays, for improving SWM in Imus City in the post-pandemic period
Analyzing the current urban land use that perpetuates traffic congestion in San Bartoleme, Quezon City
No full textTraffic congestion in the Philippines is evidently a widespread issue that pervades into the cultural and behavioral urbanity. The study pursues understanding the connection between the traffic congestion and land use of Barangay San Bartolome, located in the heart of Quezon City. Moreover, the study surfaces how this relationship manifests in the economic and sociocultural dimension of its urban residence. The rationality of the study considers that traffic congestion is a by-product of a systemic issue, in which multiple sectors contribute to its continuity. Part of the study’s methods include understanding the population’s characteristics, identifying the major roads, identifying the types of transportation, and plotting the schedules of the residents. Upon analysis of varied sources from Barangay San Bartolome, it has been concluded that imbalances in land use demand, poor planning distribution of zones, unorganized motorist culture, and the locality’s concentrated population were major agents of traffic congestion. Long-term, inter administrative approaches from the local level up to the regional level must be employed to address the root causes of traffic congestion in Barangay San Bartolome
OE-NADA of the proposed ARCCESSsub-project: enhancement of agricultural productivity and marketing Dagupan, Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro (final report)
No full textThe New Dagupan Agrarian Reform Community is primarily an agricultural community in which rice is the major crop. This is followed by corn and vegetables. Palay is marketed to Occidental Mindoro (90%), Batangas (5%) and Bulacan (5%). Other sources of income are fishing and employment. Members of the Multipurpose Cooperative (NDARBsMPC) [New Dagupan Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative] are engaged mainly in rice farming. The farmers in the ARC are still participating the use of draft animals in tilling their lands. With an average palay yield of 5 mt per ha, farmers opt to further increase their productivity to augment their income. These are hoped to be achieved through efficient land preparation, improved farming technology, and collective marketing of produce. The NDARBsMPC has an OMA rating of 5 which indicates the strength of the Cooperative. The Cooperative has 123 members, consisting of 69 males and 54 females, as of December 2014 with an aggregate farm of 286.5 ha. The Cooperative was organized on September 22, 1992 with CDA Reg No. 9520-04012524 dated March 22, 2010. As a multi-purpose cooperative, the NDARBsMPC has a variety of agri-enterprises consisting of credit service, cooperative farm, warehouse renting, solar dryer renting, and hog dispersal. They also have good financial standing based on the report of an external auditor. Originally, the proposed CSFs consisted of mechanical transplanter, wheeled tractor, combined harvester-tresher, and flat-bed dryer. However, based on FGD with a number of BODs and members of the MPC, they prefer to have a combined harvester-tresher, wheeled tractor with complete farm implements and solar dryer, 1,000 m sup 2 instead because these are more appropriate and relevant to the needs of the members of the Cooperative and other farmers in their communities. The Cooperative members have high knowledge and skills on the use of equipment/machineries and hence, it is recommended that the preferred CSFS granted to the Cooperative. It is further recommended that the Cooperative, through the assistance and support of DARPO Occidental Mindoro, including the community-based enterprise organizers (CBEO), be coached on creating a business plan for the management and the CSFs and other trainings. On the other hand, since the Consolidated Marketing enterprise is new to the Cooperative, there is a need for them to undergo trainings, particularly on establishing market network. Though it plans to sell to NFA, it still needs to link with other prospective buyers, including institutional and bulk buyers. The Cooperative has to come up with appropriate control systems including its policies, systems, and procedures (PSPs) for the use, operation, maintenance, care, and management of the CSFs. The services of the AES and BDS are necessary to ensure that objectives of the Cooperative be achieved
Supporting technopreneurial start-ups of students and alumni under, the UPLB AFNR [University of the Philippines Los Baños-Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources] project: a complementary initiative to UPLB\u27s Technology Business Incubation Project
No full textThis project aimed to provide supplementary start-up funds to thirty start-ups of UPLB [University of the Philippines Los Baños] students and alumni under the UPLB-AFNR [University of the Philippines Los Baños-Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources]to ensure the start-up\u27s success. The research is basically an action research. Student-technopreneurs from the Department of Agribusiness Management (DAM), the Animal Science and the Food Science Clusters in UPLB were given supplementary operational fund grants for their functional fruit juice/puree, high end cheese and microbial rennet production start-ups. Throughout the duration of the project, the student-technopreneurs were also provided with technical and business assistance during their setting-up/organizing and starting up of the business. Thirty students were expected to implement their start-ups with PCIEERD [Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development] funding but 3 of them opted not to avail of PCIEERD funding. The average amount of cash disbursement of Php 7,908.51 was only 56% of the originally intended Php14,000 grant per start-up. The start-ups were able to run an average of 3 production batches. The cheese technopreneurs posted the highest average of production runs of 4. Majority (85%) of the start-ups continued producing and/or marketing until March 2011. The students reported that among the entrepreneurial/skills they developed were time and resource management, the acquisition of technological know-how, communication and interpersonal skills, persistence and quality consciousness/demand for quality. The targets satisfactorily met include the number of grantees, the number of production runs conducted by each participant, the number of sustained start-ups, and the geographic scope coverage of the products of the participants. The factors which turned out to be contributory to success of more viable technopreneurial ventures were as follows: 1)the conduct of product and marketing innovations (e.g., use of Internet); 2)networking done by students with marketing intermediaries (e.g., food stalls in university building, marketing contacts in other towns; etc.); and 3)family support in terms of financing, marketing, assistance and labor. It is recommended that there should be similar projects in the future utilizing other UPLB and SUC [State Universities and Colleges] technologies. Such projects should be longer as it takes time for technology-based start-up to take off. There should also be marketing support assistance provided to students and alumni by the technology developers
Isolation and screening of lipid-producing green algae and diatoms from selected lakes and rivers within Laguna, Philippines
No full textField sampling in selected lakes and rivers within Laguna [Philippines] area and laboratory experiments in UP Los Baños were conducted from April 2008 up to July 6, 2009 with the aim of isolating and screening green algae and diatoms with fast growth rate and high lipid content for future use in local microalgal biodiesel production. A collection of 30 isolates were successfully purified and grown. The isolates belong to the following species: Chlorella vulgaris (14), Chlorococcum humicola (9), Ankistrodesmus falcatus (1), Scenedesmus quadricauda (2), Nitzschia plaea (3) and Navicula minima (1). The fastest growth was observed in C. vulgaris Cv1 isolate at 2.3313 days doublings time (T2) for the 28 day indoor cultivation in a 6 L plastic vessel. The highest neutral lipid content was also observed in the same isolate with a value of 3.41% using n-hexane at 10 ml per gram of the dried biomass. To be comparable with the literature values of 10-30% total lipid for C. vulgaris, the researcher conducted a second lipid extraction procedures using 2:1 Chloroform-methanol solution at a solvent ratio of 20 mL per gram of dried biomass. The highest total lipid content after combining the yield in the 1st and 2nd extraction is still C. vulgaris Cv1 with a value of 23.78%. The top 10 isolates selected based on total lipid content and growth parameters were recommended for further studies. The Cv1 isolate was the one used by the researcher in the DOST-PCAMRD funded project entitled \u27Biodiesel feedstock production from freshwater micro-algae\u27 from July 2009-June 2011