The practice of organic agriculture can spur further business opportunities particularly in Negros Occidental which has already declared a ban on genetically modified organisms, an organic farming consultant said.

We can look at other opportunities so it's not a losing proposition to engage in organic farming, Patrick Belisario, executive director of Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation Inc., said.

Major GMO bans under the provincial ordinance include entry of living GMOs and experimentation and/or field testing related to it, planting or growing, and selling or trading of living GMOs which are considered toxic to humans and animals.

Ship out all 'A' sugar to US soon
to prevent oversupply, SRA urged

Sugar industry leader Luis Mirasol yesterday called on the SRA to ship out all of the country's share of the US sugar quota as soon as possible to decongest the over supply in the domestic market. Sugar Regulatory Administrator Rafael Coscolluela Monday said the country is faced with more than 500,000 MT of sugar over supply.

Mirasol said in a letter to Coscolluela that, as a concerned sugar planter, he wants to make a suggestion for the upcoming Sugar Order No. 1 that will set the allocations of the country's sugar for crop year 2007-2008.

The present U.S. policy regarding the U.S. quota states that one shipment for the entire U.S. quota is applicable in lieu of the quarterly shipments as had been done in the past, Mirasol pointed out.

Body formed to develop
Boracay master plan

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources 6 has created a steering committee and regional and provincial technical working groups that will prepare the Boracay Environment Master Plan.

The committee is chaired by DENR Regional Executive Director Lormelyn Claudio and and co-chaired by Regional Technical Director for Forestry Rainier Ecang.

All the other regional technical directors are members, as well as Aklan Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Raul Lorilla.

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