Int'l research center pushes agribiz to remedy food shortage
03/08/2011 |
GMATv.net
To counter the effects of climate change and stave off a possible global food shortage, the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) wants agri-business incubation programs created in vulnerable countries like the Philippines.
On tuesday, ICRISTAT Director-General and former Philippine Agriculture Secretary William Dar said that the Philippines might be hard hit by the skyrocketing prices of food and fuel in coming months.
"Since the Philippines is already vulnerable to the vagaries of extreme climate change, the increase in the food and fuel price will serve to exacerbate a situation that may culminate in a 'perfect storm', an economic upheaval that is rooted in the scarcity of good sources," Dar told reporters at the first Global Agri-business Incubation Conference in Patancheru, Hyderabad.
The conference presented agri-business incubation as an alternative to the ever rising demand for food in developing as well as developed nations.
The businesses tabled for incubation included dryland crop propagation, mostly of legumes such as pigeon peas, peanuts, sorghum, pearl millet, and chickpeas.
The incubation program focused on the agriculture, horticulture, veterinary, fisheries, dairy, agri-engineering and cotton and jute technology sectors.
In the Philippines, several pilots sites for field trials for suited-varieties of sorghum and improved hybrids of pigeon and chickpeas have been identified by the Bureau of Agricultural Research of the government's Agriculture Department.
Local farmers who are already cultivating chickpeas may benefit from the value-added potential of chickpeas under the incubation program.
India has already expressed interest in the potential chickpea surplus if the Philippines starts producing the crop in 2011.
A massive propagation of chickpeas in the Philippines —the culmination of a three-year research project by the Institute— may be initially tapped to serve the domestic market but later surplus may be exported to countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
At present, the Philippines' supply of chickpeas is outsourced as there is no active propagation of the crop locally. Institute data shows that as much as 745,000 metric tons of chickpeas were mported over the last decade with an annual estimated value of almost $500,000.
The Philippines is also looking into developing sweet sorghum as a possible food and fuel alternative.
Research conducted at the Mariano Marcos State University in conjunction with the Institute showed that sweet sorghum is a potential source of bio-ethanol, a fuel alternative. The grains, on the other hand, can be made into cereals.
Dar said that the Philippine government should shift its emphasis away from rice and corn as the country's food staples.
"It maybe of sound judgement if the Philippines should also cultivate dryland crops like chickpea, pigeon pea and sorghum for these are not just protein-rich, climate-ready ready crops, they are also excellent high value export crops. These crops can feed the country and earn revenue at the same time," Dar said. — TJD, GMA News
On tuesday, ICRISTAT Director-General and former Philippine Agriculture Secretary William Dar said that the Philippines might be hard hit by the skyrocketing prices of food and fuel in coming months.
"Since the Philippines is already vulnerable to the vagaries of extreme climate change, the increase in the food and fuel price will serve to exacerbate a situation that may culminate in a 'perfect storm', an economic upheaval that is rooted in the scarcity of good sources," Dar told reporters at the first Global Agri-business Incubation Conference in Patancheru, Hyderabad.
The conference presented agri-business incubation as an alternative to the ever rising demand for food in developing as well as developed nations.
The businesses tabled for incubation included dryland crop propagation, mostly of legumes such as pigeon peas, peanuts, sorghum, pearl millet, and chickpeas.
The incubation program focused on the agriculture, horticulture, veterinary, fisheries, dairy, agri-engineering and cotton and jute technology sectors.
In the Philippines, several pilots sites for field trials for suited-varieties of sorghum and improved hybrids of pigeon and chickpeas have been identified by the Bureau of Agricultural Research of the government's Agriculture Department.
Local farmers who are already cultivating chickpeas may benefit from the value-added potential of chickpeas under the incubation program.
India has already expressed interest in the potential chickpea surplus if the Philippines starts producing the crop in 2011.
A massive propagation of chickpeas in the Philippines —the culmination of a three-year research project by the Institute— may be initially tapped to serve the domestic market but later surplus may be exported to countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
At present, the Philippines' supply of chickpeas is outsourced as there is no active propagation of the crop locally. Institute data shows that as much as 745,000 metric tons of chickpeas were mported over the last decade with an annual estimated value of almost $500,000.
The Philippines is also looking into developing sweet sorghum as a possible food and fuel alternative.
Research conducted at the Mariano Marcos State University in conjunction with the Institute showed that sweet sorghum is a potential source of bio-ethanol, a fuel alternative. The grains, on the other hand, can be made into cereals.
Dar said that the Philippine government should shift its emphasis away from rice and corn as the country's food staples.
"It maybe of sound judgement if the Philippines should also cultivate dryland crops like chickpea, pigeon pea and sorghum for these are not just protein-rich, climate-ready ready crops, they are also excellent high value export crops. These crops can feed the country and earn revenue at the same time," Dar said. — TJD, GMA News
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