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Tawi-Tawi Province, Philippines (view source)

Revision as of 16:11, 30 January 2012

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==[[Tawi-Tawi News]]==
==[[Tawi-Tawi News]]==
'''Tawi-Tawi Turtles Yield 1.4-M Eggs'''
'''Govt on track in zero-rice import goal'''
*Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/349562/tawitawi-turtles-yield-14m-eggs
*Source: http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/22627-govt-on-track-in-zero-rice-import-goal
*January 28, 2012, 7:07pm
*MONDAY, 30 JANUARY 2012 23:00
:by  ALI G. MACABALANG
:by  Cai U. Ordinario




BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines – Green turtles abounding in this southernmost province have laid more than 1.4-million eggs on Baguan Island last year, posting an all-time high national record of nesting since 1984, according to the Conservation International Philippines (CIP).
THE government remains on track on its  “zero rice importation” goal by 2013, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said on Monday.


The CIP said it has recorded a total of 14,220 green turtle nests on Baguan in 2011 with a total number of eggs surpassing 1,440,000.
In a radio interview, he said achieving rice self-sufficiency remained a top priority of the Aquino administration. To achieve this, he said his department was exerting efforts to not only increase palay production but also become self-sufficient in food staples.


The volume of “1.44-million Green turtle eggs in one year is an astounding number for a nesting beach that’s only a little over one kilometer in length. This definitely presents great hope for boosting green turtle populations,” said CIP Country Executive Director Romeo Trono.
These new staples include white corn and root crops such as cassava and kamote, which can be consumed together with rice. It is widely known that in the Visayas, locals consume rice with corn grits; in Mindanao, many consume rice with cassava.


Reports from the DENR show that since the previous high of 12,311 turtle nests recorded in 1995, nesting records in Baguan have been declining and dropped to as low as just over 4,000 nests in 2003.
“In order that we will no longer import rice from other countries in 2013, we have intensified our efforts to shift our focus on food staple sufficiency. This includes the promotion and use of the right volume of rice or palay together with other staples like root crops,” Alcala said in the vernacular.


Authorities attributed the decline to poaching by foreign fishermen, egg harvesting by local communities for food and trade, destruction or disturbance of habitats through illegal fishing methods, and law enforcement ineffectiveness.
Alcala noted that there are already 14 million Filipinos eating corn grits with their rice while residents of Zamboanga Peninsula, Jolo, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are used to consuming rice with cassava. In Batanes, the known regional food staple is kamote, he said.


“The increasing nest numbers show that when turtles are protected on their nesting beaches and in the water for long enough, they will recover,” said Dr. Bryan Wallace, director of science for Marine Flagship Species Program at CIP.
Alcala said that to encourage the consumption of these staples, the agency is pushing for the increase in the production of good varieties to be distributed to other places in the country where there is low production and encourage consumption of these staples and reduction of the demand for rice.


Meanwhile, the Philippine Turtle Islands’ enforcement team strengthened its marine management by giving training to park wardens, law enforcers, and community volunteers, and deploying officers and personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Marines to the area.
“We hope that after 2013 our rice importation will hit zero. We want to spend taxpayer’s money which used to buy farmer’s products from other countries for products produced by Filipino farmers,” Alcala said.
 
Efforts to attain the government’s rice self-sufficiency goal by 2013 include the restoration, rehabilitation and maintenance of irrigation systems; increasing farmers’ access to inbred and hybrid seeds; and reduction of postharvest losses through mechanization.
 
Alcala said the government is also looking at reducing rice wastage that was estimated three tablespoons or 14 grams in raw form per person. This would add up to at least 480,000 metric tons (MT) annually, the DA noted.
 
Assistant Agriculture Secretary and Bureau of Agriculture Statistics (BAS) Director Romeo Recide said the farm sector benefited from the good weather, particularly the first half of 2011. This was able to boost palay production to around 16.68MMT in 2011. --Cai U. Ordinario


==[[:Category:Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery|Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery]]==
==[[:Category:Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery|Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery]]==
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