Government to spend P150M to revive ‘pili’ nut industry
To revitalize the pili nut industry in Bicol and turn it into one of the country’s top export earners, the government is set to spend P150 million for the program. The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the Pili Development Program would involve a massive planting of seven pili varieties in the provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and Sorsogon. The provinces account for 82 percent of the supply of the nut.
“Pili has a high potential to be a top export commodity for the Philippines, as it can very well compete with [the nut varieties] macadamia, cashew, almond and walnut in terms of quality,” DA regional executive director for Bicol Jose Dayao said.
He said the program would start with the production and distribution of quality seedlings through the nurseries of the DA, as well as the private sector’s and those of local government units (LGUs) and research outreach stations.
Through the LGUs, the DA will also establish technological demonstration farms and pili orchards, distribute organic fertilizers and provide soil-analysis services, conduct training and provide extension support to farmers, undertake research-and-development work, marketing activities, and monitoring and evaluation of the program.
Dayao said the target areas would cover a total of 5,000 hectares that would include 3,750 hectares in the municipalities of Bacacay, Malilipot, Malinao, Santo Domingo, Tiwi and Tabaco City; Rapu-Rapu, Camalig, Daraga, Manito and Legazpi City; Guinobatan, Libon, Ligao, Pio Duran, Oas, Polangui and Jovellar in Albay.
For Camarines Norte, Dayao said the target area is 150 hectares, while in Camarines Sur the DA aims to expand pili production in 600 hectares. For Catanduanes, the covered area is 150 hectares; and Sorsogon 350 hectares.
Under the program, the DA will showcase production and processing technology through model farms at the local level, particularly in the region’s strategic agricultural and fisheries development zone.
Dayao said the research, promotion and development efforts under the program would involve the production of quality products with vast market potentials, establishment of strong marketing linkages between users and producers, and improvement of the packaging of pili products and byproducts.
Written by Jennifer A. Ng
Originally Posted at ‘Government to spend P150M to revive ‘pili’ nut industry‘
BusinessWorld, March 18, 2009
Photo by gypsysoul73
I hope this project would become a success. Exporting industries fuel the economy with dollars and money that come from other regions in the world. With more money in the economy, the government’s LGUs will harvest more funds that will support their respective projects, which will in turn improve the standard of living of residents.