THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to open two bangus central hatcheries, three mariculture parks and an array of aquaculture projects worth P57 million over the next two months in its bid to maintain its position as a major growth driver of the country’s farm sector.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap said the projects include the launch of three mariculture parks worth P5 million each in Sagnay, Camarines Sur; Calapan, Oriental Mindoro; and Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The DA is also looking at putting up a P6-million seaweeds processing plant and a seaweed nursery both in Parang, Maguindanao.

Yap noted that test runs on the seaweed processing facility were conducted on June.

The plant turns both wet and dried Eucheuma seaweed into alkali-treated chips and produces an average of 10 metric tons (MT) of dried seaweed chips per month.

The DA chief announced that three mobile ice plants costing P2 million each will also be set up in Samar, Aurora, and Romblon in August to reduce postharvest losses in the fisheries sector and preserve the quality of fish catch.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), an attached agency of the DA, will launch a P5-million coral garden project in Nueva Valencia in Guimaras and P5 million-worth of aquaculture livelihood projects next month.

Yap said the DA is eyeing to give more funds to several BFAR and national centers nationwide to bankroll research and development (R&D) in the fisheries sector.

BFAR Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento said the national centers are looking to develop new technologies on  culturing ornamental fish; tilapia; bangus and other high-value species, including Pacific white shrimp and giant freshwater prawns; and increasing seaweed and freshwater fish production.

The fisheries sector registered the biggest gain among all farm subsectors at 6.31 percent in 2006, accounting for almost 25 percent of total agriculture output.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to open two bangus central hatcheries, three mariculture parks and an array of aquaculture projects worth P57 million over the next two months in its bid to maintain its position as a major growth driver of the country’s farm sector.

LOCAL auto parts makers asked the government to withdraw an executive order (EO) allowing the duty-free importation of completely built-up (CBU) vehicles coming from Southeast Asian countries as this would further hurt their diminishing business.

MANILA Electric Co., the country’s largest power distributor, said Monday it recently signed an additional agreement that will increase its contracted volume with respect to its supply contract with the National Power Corp. (Napocor).

AGRARIAN Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman reiterated on Monday the need to extend the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) to complete the distribution of the remaining balance of 1.3 million hectares of mostly privately owned agricultural lands to landless farmers.

CHALLENGES in the oil and power sector will still remain the same for the government for as long as the power reforms have not been fully implemented and especially now that there has been a change of guard at the energy department, sources told BusinessMirror Monday.