Sultan Kudarat Province News December 2011

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Sultan Kudarat emerges as top coffee producer

by The Philippine Star


ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines — Few Filipino consumers are aware that the Mindanao region produces more than 70 percent of the country’s annual coffee output of approximately 98,000 metric tons.

Sultan Kudarat alone produced more than 19,000 metric tons (MT) last year, according to data compiled by the Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The island’s main coffee production areas are in Central Mindanao, Davao City and Compostela Valley, as well as in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Coffee is an important global commodity and the Philippines is a coffee-drinking nation, with local demand growing about three percent annually.

The industry has the potential for increasing livelihood opportunities for Mindanao’s farmers, including smallhold growers in conflict-affected areas.

To boost the competitiveness of Mindanao’s coffee industry and to strengthen alliances between producers, processors and institutional buyers, Sultan Kudarat hosted the 1st Region 12 Coffee Congress last November, at the provincial capitol in Isulan.

The event was a collaborative effort of the SK Coffee Industry Development Council, Sen. Ninoy Aquino Coffee Industry Development Council, provincial government of Sultan Kudarat, and Region 12 offices of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, and Technical Education Skills Development Authority, with support from USAID’s GEM Program.

USAID provides support to selected producer associations and other business support organizations in holding seminars, trade fairs, and other events that serve to strengthen Mindanao’s agricultural competitiveness and raise awareness of investment opportunities in the region.

According to industry analysts, Robusta remains the dominant coffee variety in the Philippine market, accounting for 75 percent of total output.

There is, however, an increasingly strong demand for Arabica, which serves as the base of specialty coffees for higher-end buyers, as well as a growing appreciation of other varieties such as Liberica and Excelsa.

The country’s coffee output, however, has declined in recent years, due to outdated production practices, diversification into other crops, as well as a lack of post-harvest production and processing facilities, among other factors.

Since 2006, the Philippines has had to import at least 20,000 metric tons of coffee beans annually, mainly from Vietnam and Indonesia.

Among the initiatives proposed at the congress in Isulan were the establishment of additional coffee clonal gardens and nurseries to produce planting materials of good quality, and the intensified promotion of good coffee-growing practices to improve productivity.

These and other recommendations made at the congress are being consolidated by the coffee councils and will be submitted to the Department of Agriculture for implementation.

Goat raising

by Marvyn Benaning


Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) officials have noted the gains of farmers in the two villages of Senator Ninoy Aquino town in Sultan Kudarat who were trained to raise goats while engaged in the peanut-rubber planting system. The officials traveled to the villages of Bugso and Kuden to monitor and evaluate BAR-funded projects, and found that rubber trees had grown and coffee was in abundance.

The two villages have been hit by landslides before and BAR Director Nicomedes Eleazar said slash-and-burn agriculture had contributed much to soil erosion – a prime factor affecting landslides and mudslides.

Over 200 rebels gather in Sultan Kudarat

by Edgardo Fuerzas


SULTAN KUDARAT -- More than 200 armed members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have now gathered in Barangay Kepunget, Palembang.

This was confirmed by Colonel Adolfo Espuelas, commander of the Army's 73rd Infantry Batallion in an interview aired over Bombo Radyo.

According to Espuelas, at least 100 MILF men armed with high caliber of weapons arrived and joined the group.

At least 120 MILF members from Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao arrived at the area last December 4.

Espuelas said the group, lead by one Kumander Butch, aims to resolve the land dispute of two warring clans in the area.

Residents, who fear of being caught in the crossfire, were advised by local leaders not to evacuate while they are finding solutions to the problems.

Authorities remain on alert while reports have already been sent to the leadership of the MILF and GPH panel on the presence of the armed men.

MILF Civil Military Affairs Von Alhaq stressed that the men are part of the peacekeeping force to prevent an armed conflict between rival families in Barangay Kepunget.

Troops kills leftist rebel in Sultan Kudarat clash

by philstar.com


COTABATO, Philippines (Xinhua) – Government soldiers killed a leftist rebel in a clash yesterday in Sultan Kudarat province, a local Army commander said.

Lt. Col. Alexes Noel Bravo, commander of the military's 27th Battalion, said soldiers were on patrol mission in the village of Datal Blao, Columbio township when they encountered an undetermined number of New People’s Army rebels led by Daguil Capion.

Bravo said a 30-minute firefight ensued, leaving one dead on the enemy side identified as Berto Silab.

The rebels fled after sensing they were outnumbered. Troops later recovered at the scene one M-14 rifle, a US-made Carbine rifle and assorted ammunition.

1 NPA killed in clash with soldiers in Sultan Kudarat

by (PNA)

FFC/NYP/EOF


CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao, Dec. 6 (PNA) – A New People's Army (NPA) rebel was killed in a clash with government troops in a remote town in Sultan Kudarat Monday, the military said Tuesday.

The clash in Barangay Datal Blao, Columbio, Sultan Kudarat at 2:15 p.m. Monday was the second in two days in Central Mindanao.

According to Colonel Leopoldo Galon, spokesperson of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, elements of the 27th Infantry Battalion were patrolling the village when they chanced upon a band of about 10 communist rebels under Commander Daguil that led to a running gun battle.

The body of slain rebel was recovered along with an M-14 Armalite rifle and a US Carbine rifle with ammunitions, according to Galon.

Columbio is a known communist-infiltrated area in Sultan Kudarat.

Three suspected NPAs rebels were killed in an encounter with the military in Sitio Ilitasan, Barangay Biangan, Makilala, North Cotabato on Sunday.

Acting on intelligence reports about the presence of NPA camp, Galon said Special Forces elements of 7th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army raided the camp of about 30 NPA rebels on Sunday dawn.

The rebels were caught by surprise when about 200 Special Forces surrounded an NPA camp amid heavy downpour at about 2 a.m. Their remains were turned over to the local government unit.

No one was hurt among the government soldiers.

The soldiers recovered two M-16 rifles and two M-14 rifles at the clash site.

Pursuit operations are still on going.

Bandit killed in Sultan Kudarat clash

by interaksyon.com


MANILA, Philippines - A bandit was killed in a clash with government troops in Sultan Kudarat Monday afternoon, the Philippine Army said.

Acting Army spokesman Major Harold Cabunoc said a platoon of soldiers was conducting security patrol at Sitio Lumunso, Bgy. Datal Blao, Columbio at around 2:15 p.m. when they encountered a group of armed bandits led by a certain Daguil.

The clash lasted for 15 minutes after which the bandits fled leaving behind one of their companions dead.

Soldiers recovered from the bandits an M14 rifle and a Carbine rifle.

Farm To Market Access In Sultan Kudarat

by ADMIN


The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) recently completed a 42-meter-long reinforced concrete suspension footbridge across the Dolol River, in Telafas, Columbio, in Sultan Kudarat Province, in partnership with the municipal government. Through its Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, USAID has completed more than 1,300 such community infrastructure projects in Mindanao, with counterpart contributions from beneficiaries of at least 25 percent of the total project cost. In the case of the Telafas footbridge, the contribution provided by the municipal government was about 33 percent of the total costs. USAID’s GEM Program is implemented under the oversight of the Mindanao Development Authority.

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