The Department of Agriculture (DA) is exploring local applications of American agricultural technologies to further increase production and farmers' incomes.
"The Philippines and the US can collaborate in the field of agricultural science and techology as a promising way to hasten the development of practical agricultural technologies to help improve productivity in Philippine farms," Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said in a statement.
According to Yap, the Philippine Agricultural Development and Commercial Corp. (PADCC) and the United States Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have agreed to collaborate on the development of biofuel feedstock, particularly sugar, sweet sorghum, and cellulosic materials.
The PADCC is an attached agency of the DA, while the ARS is the main in-house research arm of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Yap said the agreement was made upon his recent visit to the USDA, along with DA Undersecretary for Special Concerns Berna Romulo Puyat, Assistant Secretary Joy Javelosa, Philippine Agricultural Attache to Washington Vic Leviste, and PADCC President Marizz Agbon.
Aside from the research on biofuels, the DA said Yap has discussed with ARS various crop simulation models that can be applied in the Philippines, as well as biocontrol of diseases in cacao crops.
Quoting USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, Yap said a USDA-led delegation is set to arrive in Manila in October, the first-ever agribusiness mission led by the department in Southeast Asia. He said Vilsack wants to use the Philippines as "a staging ground for exports to the region for food and biotechnology."
During his meeting with the USDA, Yap said he has proposed 2 funding projects from the recently launched G-8 $20-billion food production fund. These include a $120-million program for developing climate-ready seeds, and a $20-million geographic information system and remote sensing project.
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