Manila, The Philippines
July 24, 2005
The Philippine STAR via
SEAMEO SEARCA
Quality seeds have emerged as a key factor in strengthening the
agriculture and food industry, not only because the entire
production cycle literally starts with it, but also because it
determines plant performance and yield that affect the price
competitiveness of aggie and food products and their
affordability to consumers.
This assessment came from the foundation for Resource Linkage
and Development (FRLD), a non-government organization in the
agriculture industry.
FRLD president Antonio V. Roces said, though, that the role of
high-yielding, quality seeds in agricultural productivity had
often been overlooked and sometimes ignored. Citing corn as an
example, Roces said the importance of quality seeds could
contribute even to the cost-efficiency of transporting the
grains.
Results of various studies point to the use of sacks as a major
culprit for the rise in corn prices. At various points of the
supply chain, the grains have to be put into and taken out of
the sacks from the farm to the corn mill, to the trucks and to
the shipping vessel, and to the trucks again or to the barges
all the way to the feed mills.
Yet, the cost of this laborious and tedious process can be
reduced substantially through the use of silos, instead of
sacks, in corn handling, transport and shipment.
However, the use of silos is feasible only if there is
uniformity in quality, regularity in the shipment, and the
required volume of the corn to be shipped.
"It is here where corn variety plays a very crucial role, not
only in quality, but also in quantity, to make corn production
profitable for the farmers and affordable to the end-users. It
all boils down to quality seeds, and the same can be true to
other agri-b usiness products," Roces said.
However, there are very few firms engaged in developing quality
and high-yielding seeds since this business is technology and
research intensive.
One of such firms is
East-West Seed Company Inc., the pioneer integrated
vegetable seed company in the Philippines.
Established in 1982, East-West started as a dream to apply
European-style seedmanship to create better seed varieties for
farmers in tropical Asia. Intensive plant breeding programs
started in the Philippines and then expanded to Thailand,
Indonesia and Vietnam.
"Hybrid bitter gourds and other tropical cucurbits became the
benchmark of our sustainable business development," said chief
executive officer Simon N. Groot.
"We use applied plant breeding techniques to develop varieties
with advanced characteristics, more tolerant to pests and
diseases, and perform well under Philippine climate, even under
stressful conditions," Groot said.
To help boost the country’s agricultural productivity,
cost-efficiency and competitiveness, East-West will exhibit its
products and technologies at the
Agrilink/Foodlink 2005
slated at the World Trade Center Manila on Oct. 6-8.
East-West has joined the more than 20 industry associations and
their members in a concerted effort to strengthen the supply
chain through Agrilink and Foodlink, the country’s biggest and
most prestigious annual international trade show on
agri-business and food.
Inquiries and/or reservations can be made with FRLD (tel.
8384549, 8384852; fax 8384573, or e-mail
frld@pldtdsl.net, or
website
www.frld.org/agrilink).
Agrilink and Foodlink are also geared to generate business
opportunities, retail sales, booked orders, marketing tie-ups,
joint ventures, and other lucrative transactions between the
exhibitors and the hordes of local and foreign visitors and
trade buyers. |