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| ==[[Quirino News]]== | | ==[[Quirino News]]== |
| '''Quirino cassava cooperative sets 500-hectare expansion''' | | '''BFP Diffun conducts fire, earthquake drill''' |
| *Source: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/business/top-business-news/18819-quirino-cassava-cooperative-sets-500-hectare-expansion | | *Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R02&article=451331516932 |
| *Friday, March 09, 2012 | | *Monday 12th of March 2012 |
| :by Thelma C. Bicarme | | :by (TCB/PIA 2) |
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| The use of a flatbed drier (FBD) by a farmer’s cooperative planting cassava in Quirino province has resulted in a big increase of areas planted to the crop.
| | DIFFUN, Quirino, March 12 (PIA) -- The Bureau of Fire Protection here conducted Friday an earthquake and fire drill at the municipal hall. |
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| The Abrasa Multi-Purpose Cooperative (AMPC) in Diffun, Quirino has been into cassava planting to supply San Miguel Corp. for the company’s feed processing needs. It started farming cassava in 2008 with 20 hectares. But with the discovery that an FBD can be effectively used to dry cassava, especially during the rainy season, the cooperative expanded their lands planted to cassava to 200 hectares. They plan to add another 500 hectares this year to be also devoted to cassava.
| | It was participated by the Philippine National Police, Philippine Red Cross volunteers and municipal health personnel. |
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| The FBD used by the cooperative was provided by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech). PhilMech Executive Director Ricardo Cachuela said that the cooperative discovered in July 2010 that FBDs can be used to efficiently dry cassava, which prompted more farmers in Quirino to plant the perennial crop. The use of FBDs also allow cassava farmers to make harvests all year round. Likewise, since FBDs use biomass to generate heat, the cooperative need not purchase fuel to operate the dryers.
| | Inspector Donato Navan, municipal fire station chief said this is to prepare the employees, clients and even bystanders just in case a fire or earthquake hits the area. |
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| “When we don’t have yet the flatbed dryer, we prevent those who are scheduled to harvest, we reschedule them so that we have enough time to dry when the sun is up. But when we discovered the flatbed dryer, they can now harvest anytime. Shrinkage of cassava was also minimized,” said Jomar Corpuz, the operations manager of AMPC.
| | “It is one of our activities to ensure that everyone in our area of responsibility is prepared and knowledgeable of the protocol in case of fire or earthquake,” Navan said. |
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| Fresh or undried cassava are bought by the cooperative from its members. The cooperative will then cut the undried cassava using a palay thresher. The freshly-cut cassava will then be dried using an FBD to achieve the required 14-percent moisture content. Before discovering the use of the FBD to dry cassava, the cooperative simply relied on sun drying, which was tedious, time consuming and made the freshly cut cassava open to contamination from the air.
| | During the drill, firefighters showed off their skills in rope rescue operations in saving lives of the injured victims who were entrapped at the second floor of the municipal hall. |
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| With more efficient drying operations, the cooperative delivers 100 metric tons of dried cassava to the San Miguel Corp. plant in Echague, Isabela province.
| | Navan said the drill was successfully conducted and they had no problem in rescuing the injured victims with the help of the police, municipal health personnel and the volunteers . |
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| With the expansion of its plantations, the cooperative will increase its frequency of deliveries of dried cassava to every week.
| | “The fire exits are prominently displayed in the first and second floor of the building that is why the employees were able to vacate the building calmly leaving their valuables behind," Navan noted. |
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| While cassava is also a staple, it has many industrial uses and can be used to as feed for livestock. It is also a good source of bioethanol. The DA is pushing for the expansion of areas planted to cassava to supplement corn as an animal feed. The wonder of cassava is it can be planted in areas where there is a not much water and along hilly areas.
| | In the post drill conference, Mayor Marlo Guillermo thanked the BFP for ensuring the safety of the Diffunians against fire and he also lauded the quick response of the PNP Diffun, headed by Police Senior Inspector Jaime Lucas, who immediately provided security in the area and assistance in the rescue operations. |
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| DA-PhilMech is also cooperating with a local manufacturer of farm machinery, Agricomponent Machinery and Construction Corp., for the development of a drying system for granulated cassava, which is used as an animal feed ingredient. Agricomponent is based in Cauayan City, Isabela and is an accredited DA-PhilMech manufacturer of FBDs and multi-fuel biomass furnace.
| | Meanwhile, BFP also conducted a similar drill at Barangay Aklan, one of the most far-flung barangays of Diffun, to educate and prepare the residents for possible earthquakes or fires. |
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| ==Photo Gallery of Quirino, Philippines== | | ==Photo Gallery of Quirino, Philippines== |