Instead of scrimping for marketing, entrepreneurs are encouraged to spend money wisely based on a clear, well-tailored plan to generate profits
One of the most important things an entrepreneur has to do is to decide on how much money to allocate for marketing and operations. Although the answer can vary widely depending on business and industry size, the most important factor is how much you want to grow the business and how fast—not only in terms of sales revenues but in terms of profitability as well. Indeed, most entrepreneurs underspend for marketing in the belief that this will generate savings for them. They are wrong, of course, for the simple reason that a business has to spend enough money to make money. The trick, though, is to spend your money wisely based on a clear, well-tailored marketing plan that's specifically aimed at fulfilling your business goals.
Jay Conrad Levinson, well-known as the "Father of Guerrilla Marketing," talked about the principles of guerrilla entrepreneur attacks during his recent visit to Manila for the "The Guerrilla Marketing Conference 2007–Jay Conrad Levinson Live!" event last July 27. His advice: "When you don't have a lot of money to spend on your marketing, invest your time, energy, knowledge, and imagination to the business."
He then presented to entrepreneurs various ways of economizing on marketing and operations the guerrilla way:
Show that you care for your customers
Levinson says that you need to clearly recognize that your customers have specific needs and expectations, and that you need to always meet those needs as well as exceed those expectations. It's very easy to say that you care for your customers, he says, "but unless you take steps to show them that you really do care, they might be wooed away by a competitor. Your marketing can say all the right words and tell customers how important they are to you, but you've got to prove your dedication to your customers—and your prospects—by taking concrete steps beyond mere words."
Averell Gaspar, head of marketing and sales of Getz Pharmaceutical Inc., fully agrees with Levinson's approach. He says that delighting your customers is indeed the very first act in winning trust. In his job, therefore, he focuses on customer experience and interaction to fast-track market penetration, giving particularly strong emphasis to the following customer service goals: attention, reliability, promptness, and competence. "From a loyalty standpoint, customers rate their quality of interactions with your company equally important with the quality of your products," he says. "Well-trained and customer-centric employees are therefore the top attribute of companies that consistently provide excellent experiences to the customer."
To continuously improve the quality of your service, Gaspar suggests instituting a feedback mechanism that would encourage customers to share their views on how you should conduct your relationship-building with them as well as on how you should fix identified trouble areas.
Market your marketing
Levinson says that you are not really promoting your business unless you are cross-promoting it. "Your trade show booth will be far more valuable to you if you promote it in trade magazines and if you put fliers under the doors of hotels near the trade show," he explains.
Due to the changing nature of markets, particularly with increasing competition and the growing availability of both local and global brands, businesses are becoming more and more dependent on several media to motivate a purchase. Simply coming up with an attractive promotion is thus no longer enough; you also need to market your promotion to make it really work. For instance, you need to make a big-bang announcement every time you come up with value offers, sampling, or freebies.
"It doesn't mean that you have to come up with an additional budget for your promotional announcements," Gaspar says. "You just have to maximize your existing communication vehicles." He says that when you develop a brochure or flyer, for instance, you need to make sure to include your hotline number and website address for easy access by customers needing to clarify information. You can even use the back of your card as a promotional bulletin board by listing your services or promotions there.
"And never forget your exit strategy," he adds. "Bounce-back coupons, for instance, are an excellent way to encourage customers to keep on coming back. Through these coupons, you can offer them time-limited discounts on the customer's next purchase. You motivate them to come back to you by using precisely the same promotional materials, thus avoiding any extra expense."
Explore fusion marketing
Levinson says: "The guerrilla entrepreneur is dependent upon many people. He knows that the age of the lone wolf entrepreneur, independent and proud of it, has passed; thus, he is now very dependent upon his fusion business partners."
For this reason, he says, the entrepreneur need to identify potential partners for doing fusion marketing or co-marketing promotions. Fusion marketing can take your brand to an entirely new audience by associating it with another brand. It works by strengthening preference or purchase intention for your brand at minimal expense.
Gaspar elaborates on this idea: "Because the customer has too many choices and because there are so many companies providing many similar products or services, you need to spend extra to differentiate your brand from the rest of the field." But he says that companies need not splurge to achieve this. They can actually economize on this extra expense and get better results by sharing it with another brand that targets the same customers, thus combining the effort into just one synergistic move. "You can increase your marketing reach and reduce cost by combining your marketing efforts, concepts, production skills, customer information, and just about anything else," he says.
For instance, he says, such products as Pizza Hut and Pepsi as well as Krispy Kreme and Hershey's often merge their marketing forces to create a single campaign for their brands—a campaign that targets just one segmented audience.
Building your brand, Levinson says, is similar to building a cathedral or making a movie—it takes hundreds of collaborators. Indeed, in fusion marketing, collaboration with your partners is the key. As he advises in very down-to-earth terms, "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."
Nurture the ones you already have
According to Levinson, the most common method of economizing—that of marketing to existing customers—is also one of the most overlooked. He points out that customer acquisition will cost you six times more that customer retention. The price of discovering and convincing likely customers, he explains, is astronomical when compared to the price of doing the same with current customers.
A common misconception among most entrepreneurs, he says, is that customer relationship management is expensive. But he explains that all that needs to be done to develop a database marketing capability is simply to update and accurately maintain your customer information bank. When this is done, the information becomes very handy and useful for prospecting purposes, customer segmentation, sales forecasting, and determining who your real customers are and what their buying habits might be. Communicating with them thus becomes more effective, particularly if it is done frequently enough.
But Gaspar says that customer-nurturing programs can't be measured simply on the basis of how your membership cards look or how much in rewards you give to your loyal customers—instead, it is on how well you know your customers on a personal basis. He thus suggests making it a point to remember their names and such important personal milestones as their birthdays and anniversaries. "You can even surprise them by giving them a small token unexpectedly, with no particular occasion in mind," he says.
Gaspar then suggests two other very practical and cost-effective communication vehicles for strengthening your customer relationship-building: e-mail and SMS message blasts. He says this can be done simply by developing a simple HTML catalogue-type e-mail—one without attachments—that can be sent to all of your Internet-using customers. Still another idea, he says, is taking advantage of the unlimited text offers of the major telecommunication companies to broadcast your new products and services at hardly any cost.
Indeed, as Levinson says, the philosophy of frugality and thrift in guerilla marketing is not about cutting and limiting your marketing expenditures. Instead, it is the art of stretching your marketing budget to effectively reach your target market through multiple channels, then delivering your marketing message clearly and forcefully. Very often, he says, a guerrilla entrepreneur's attacks will prosper despite the lack of resources precisely because the situation makes the guerilla entrepreneur more willing to try new and innovative ideas.
By Justine P. Castellon
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Fish Culture in Cages
Negosyo TIPS and GUIDES
Both fish pens and fish cages are confinement structures used for rearing fish. The pen, however, is larger; it ranges from 10,000 sq m to more than a square kilometer in contrast to the cage which ranges in size from one square meter to several hundreds of square meter. Also, cage culture is done in at least one-meter water depth or in deeper waters. Thus, this type can either be stationary or a floating cage which can then be established in the sea, lake, cove or river where biophysical factors are favorable.
Species of fish that are grown in fish cages are usually expensive and sold live for a certain group of consumers. Demand for live fish exports to Taiwan, Hongkong and China is fast-increasing. Seafoods that are popularly exported alive and grown in cages are grouper, humphead wrasse, lobster and seabass. These species, when cooked alive, command more than triple in prices. Wrasse and groupers are first-class fish species that are believed to also have medicinal properties for sick and recuperating people.
How to Culture Fish in Cages
Site selection
Fish cages should be installed in suitable areas that are protected from strong waves and currents, free from pollution and accessible to the farmers and market. A minimum depth of one meter is required.
Fish cages
There are two common types of floating fish cages: the bamboo frame cage and the nylon net cages with frames. They are both provided with anchors and floats. Fish cage rearing can be done in freshwater and brackishwater areas.
Bamboo frame fish cages
They are made of hard bamboo slats tied or nailed to wooden frames. The usual measurements are: 2 m long, 2 m wide and 2 m deep, 3 × 3 × 2 m and 4 × 2 × 1.75 m. They are provided with whole bamboo floats or empty drums at the top side. Net or bamboo top cover with door and lock is provided.
Advantages
· Cages are easy and cheap to construct.
· Cages can be operated cooperatively.
· Cages are easy to stock and feed
· Fish grow fast in cages.
· Cages are easy to harvest.
Net fish cages
They are made of fine-meshed (0.32-1.27 cm) nylon nets connected to a float frame of whole bamboo with empty drums of plastic or styrofoam to enhance buoyancy. The empty drum is optional for a small-sized net cage. The usual size is 8-10 sq m with 2 m-2.5 m depth. The net cages are provided with concrete weights that also serve as anchors. The cage is also provided with a mooring line to keep it in place, as well as reinforcement bamboo frames to spread the nets.
Management
Fish cages can be used for fish fattening or growing. For growing purposes, use fingerlings. Before stocking, weigh and count the fish.
As a nursery for fingerlings, the cage should be made of fine mesh net. The size is appropriate for easy handling. There are two cages —the first is a brooder’s cage with a 1.255.0 cm mesh size This is placed inside a bigger cage which functions as the confinement cage or as a conditioning cage for fishes, subject to transport. This is commonly used for rearing fingerlings to marketable-sized fish. The net’s mesh size depends on the size of fish or fingerling that would be stocked initially. The cage area usually ranges from 1 sq m to 100 sq m or more and the depth ranges from 1.0-2.0 m or more. Cages are subject to fouling organisms. Clean heavily fouled nets as often as necessary to ensure efficient water change.
Check the net daily for possible damages to prevent escape of the stocks. Check also the structure (e.g., bamboo structures, ropes, sinkers, floats, etc.). Guarding the fish cages should be done at all times to prevent losses from poaching. Construct a caretaker’s hut at the culture site to discourage poachers.
Rearing of the stock
Fish sampling is done at least every month to determine the growth rate and the proper quantity of feed to be given. Expose the fish to outside parameters that may affect their feeding performance which eventually affects their growth rate. During the wet season, water temperature usually drops; thus, decelerating growth rate. In summer, the growth rate is faster. Hence, feeding should be regulated. Practice an addition feeding to determine the actual food needs of the fish, especially before the sampling schedule. Do not feed fish subject for sampling.
On the average, depending on the fish species and the kind of feeds, the feeding rate is three to five percent of the body weight. Give commercial feeds at three percent and trash fish at five percent. In the absence of commercial type, an alternative feed may be made at home, suited to fish requirement, e.g., a 70-percent rice bran, mixed with 30-percent fish meal or fine trash fish for Tilapia mosambica (hybrid). Feeding should be done early in the morning and late in the afternoon by equally dividing the feed needed. It is important that feeds are available at all times when using fish cages. Feeding trays may be used to mimize wastage of feeds.
Culture period ranges from three to five months. The stocking rate can be 5-20 pieces per square meter.
Harvesting and marketing
Here is one way of harvesting fish: For the net cage, untie the bindings at the corners and sides of the net from the float frame. Insert a bamboo pole at the upper edge of the net cage and push the net along in order to corner the fish at one end. Scoop the fish with hand nets.
The fish, if sold live, fetches a higher price. It is, therefore, advisable to place the fish in double plastic bags containing well-oxygenated water. The bags are then placed in styrofoam or burl bag containers. Dead fishes to be sold should be packed in crushed ice at the rate of 1:4 by weight (1 kg ice to 4 kg fish) for nearer markets and 1:1 ratio for more distant markets at a temperature of 0° C which is good only for 24 hours or less.
Source:IIRR. 1995. Livelihood options for coastal communities. International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Silang, Cavite, Philippines. Published 1995 by the International institute of Rural Reconstruction Silang, Cavite 4118 Philippines. Printed in the PhilippinesISBN: 0-942717-64-3
Both fish pens and fish cages are confinement structures used for rearing fish. The pen, however, is larger; it ranges from 10,000 sq m to more than a square kilometer in contrast to the cage which ranges in size from one square meter to several hundreds of square meter. Also, cage culture is done in at least one-meter water depth or in deeper waters. Thus, this type can either be stationary or a floating cage which can then be established in the sea, lake, cove or river where biophysical factors are favorable.
Species of fish that are grown in fish cages are usually expensive and sold live for a certain group of consumers. Demand for live fish exports to Taiwan, Hongkong and China is fast-increasing. Seafoods that are popularly exported alive and grown in cages are grouper, humphead wrasse, lobster and seabass. These species, when cooked alive, command more than triple in prices. Wrasse and groupers are first-class fish species that are believed to also have medicinal properties for sick and recuperating people.
How to Culture Fish in Cages
Site selection
Fish cages should be installed in suitable areas that are protected from strong waves and currents, free from pollution and accessible to the farmers and market. A minimum depth of one meter is required.
Fish cages
There are two common types of floating fish cages: the bamboo frame cage and the nylon net cages with frames. They are both provided with anchors and floats. Fish cage rearing can be done in freshwater and brackishwater areas.
Bamboo frame fish cages
They are made of hard bamboo slats tied or nailed to wooden frames. The usual measurements are: 2 m long, 2 m wide and 2 m deep, 3 × 3 × 2 m and 4 × 2 × 1.75 m. They are provided with whole bamboo floats or empty drums at the top side. Net or bamboo top cover with door and lock is provided.
Advantages
· Cages are easy and cheap to construct.
· Cages can be operated cooperatively.
· Cages are easy to stock and feed
· Fish grow fast in cages.
· Cages are easy to harvest.
Net fish cages
They are made of fine-meshed (0.32-1.27 cm) nylon nets connected to a float frame of whole bamboo with empty drums of plastic or styrofoam to enhance buoyancy. The empty drum is optional for a small-sized net cage. The usual size is 8-10 sq m with 2 m-2.5 m depth. The net cages are provided with concrete weights that also serve as anchors. The cage is also provided with a mooring line to keep it in place, as well as reinforcement bamboo frames to spread the nets.
Management
Fish cages can be used for fish fattening or growing. For growing purposes, use fingerlings. Before stocking, weigh and count the fish.
As a nursery for fingerlings, the cage should be made of fine mesh net. The size is appropriate for easy handling. There are two cages —the first is a brooder’s cage with a 1.255.0 cm mesh size This is placed inside a bigger cage which functions as the confinement cage or as a conditioning cage for fishes, subject to transport. This is commonly used for rearing fingerlings to marketable-sized fish. The net’s mesh size depends on the size of fish or fingerling that would be stocked initially. The cage area usually ranges from 1 sq m to 100 sq m or more and the depth ranges from 1.0-2.0 m or more. Cages are subject to fouling organisms. Clean heavily fouled nets as often as necessary to ensure efficient water change.
Check the net daily for possible damages to prevent escape of the stocks. Check also the structure (e.g., bamboo structures, ropes, sinkers, floats, etc.). Guarding the fish cages should be done at all times to prevent losses from poaching. Construct a caretaker’s hut at the culture site to discourage poachers.
Rearing of the stock
Fish sampling is done at least every month to determine the growth rate and the proper quantity of feed to be given. Expose the fish to outside parameters that may affect their feeding performance which eventually affects their growth rate. During the wet season, water temperature usually drops; thus, decelerating growth rate. In summer, the growth rate is faster. Hence, feeding should be regulated. Practice an addition feeding to determine the actual food needs of the fish, especially before the sampling schedule. Do not feed fish subject for sampling.
On the average, depending on the fish species and the kind of feeds, the feeding rate is three to five percent of the body weight. Give commercial feeds at three percent and trash fish at five percent. In the absence of commercial type, an alternative feed may be made at home, suited to fish requirement, e.g., a 70-percent rice bran, mixed with 30-percent fish meal or fine trash fish for Tilapia mosambica (hybrid). Feeding should be done early in the morning and late in the afternoon by equally dividing the feed needed. It is important that feeds are available at all times when using fish cages. Feeding trays may be used to mimize wastage of feeds.
Culture period ranges from three to five months. The stocking rate can be 5-20 pieces per square meter.
Harvesting and marketing
Here is one way of harvesting fish: For the net cage, untie the bindings at the corners and sides of the net from the float frame. Insert a bamboo pole at the upper edge of the net cage and push the net along in order to corner the fish at one end. Scoop the fish with hand nets.
The fish, if sold live, fetches a higher price. It is, therefore, advisable to place the fish in double plastic bags containing well-oxygenated water. The bags are then placed in styrofoam or burl bag containers. Dead fishes to be sold should be packed in crushed ice at the rate of 1:4 by weight (1 kg ice to 4 kg fish) for nearer markets and 1:1 ratio for more distant markets at a temperature of 0° C which is good only for 24 hours or less.
Source:IIRR. 1995. Livelihood options for coastal communities. International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, Silang, Cavite, Philippines. Published 1995 by the International institute of Rural Reconstruction Silang, Cavite 4118 Philippines. Printed in the PhilippinesISBN: 0-942717-64-3
How to make A BEER at Home
Negosyo TIPS and GUIDES
Tips and Giudes How to make a BEER at Home
There are many ways and methods how to make beer. If you are experimental, and you want make beer in your kitchen for your own consumption or for your friends, then maybe the post below can help you start brewing your home made beer. Enjoy.
How to make Ginger Beer
1 cup raw sugar
2-3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger root (luya)
Juice of 2 lemons (kalamansi)
Strips of lemon peel (balat ng kalamansi)
1/4 teaspoon fresh champagne yeast (from a home-brewer store) ( you can also use an ordinary yeast used in making bread)
Fresh, pure water
For 1 liter of ginger beer: clean 1 liter plastic soft drink bottle with cap; it’s not a bad idea to pour a little hot water over and into them to sterilize, but be careful not to boil them! (you can also use smaller or larger bottle depending on size of batch; I prefer four 500 mL plastic bottles)
1) Gently boil the sugar in 1 cup of water with the ginger root and strips of lemon peel from one or more lemons (not the white pith, just the outer yellow skin), until thickened and syrupy - about half an hour. Let cool to about 90-100 degrees - about an hour depending on your room temp.
2) Dissolve the yeast in a little warm water and let sit for no more than 10-15 minutes.
3) When the syrup has cooled, remove lemon peels but leave in ginger. Add the yeast and stir well. Split the ginger syrup evenly between the bottle/s.
4) Fill the bottles with fresh water to about 1 1/2 - 2? from the top. Put the caps on securely. Squeeze a bottle near the top to feel how it feels un-carbonated.
5) Place the bottles in a warm out-of-the-way place for 24 hours if it’s warm (80-90 degrees) - I put ours inside a cooler in the workshop, in case a bottle blows, to confine the mess. To check the bottle for carbonation, gently - gently! - squeeze and you’ll feel the firm pressure. If it’s cooler, it might take longer.
6) After the ginger beer has carbonated, refrigerate to stop the yeast action. It’s advisable to release a little of the pressure when it goes into the fridge - loosen cap slightly and let it “pish” just a tad.
7) To serve, pour through a strainer, and don’t pour all the way out or shake, as you don’t want the yeast sediment in the bottom.
Enjoy!
Source:http://www.da.gov.ph, photo courtesy of www.kiof.org
Tips and Giudes How to make a BEER at Home
There are many ways and methods how to make beer. If you are experimental, and you want make beer in your kitchen for your own consumption or for your friends, then maybe the post below can help you start brewing your home made beer. Enjoy.
How to make Ginger Beer
1 cup raw sugar
2-3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger root (luya)
Juice of 2 lemons (kalamansi)
Strips of lemon peel (balat ng kalamansi)
1/4 teaspoon fresh champagne yeast (from a home-brewer store) ( you can also use an ordinary yeast used in making bread)
Fresh, pure water
For 1 liter of ginger beer: clean 1 liter plastic soft drink bottle with cap; it’s not a bad idea to pour a little hot water over and into them to sterilize, but be careful not to boil them! (you can also use smaller or larger bottle depending on size of batch; I prefer four 500 mL plastic bottles)
1) Gently boil the sugar in 1 cup of water with the ginger root and strips of lemon peel from one or more lemons (not the white pith, just the outer yellow skin), until thickened and syrupy - about half an hour. Let cool to about 90-100 degrees - about an hour depending on your room temp.
2) Dissolve the yeast in a little warm water and let sit for no more than 10-15 minutes.
3) When the syrup has cooled, remove lemon peels but leave in ginger. Add the yeast and stir well. Split the ginger syrup evenly between the bottle/s.
4) Fill the bottles with fresh water to about 1 1/2 - 2? from the top. Put the caps on securely. Squeeze a bottle near the top to feel how it feels un-carbonated.
5) Place the bottles in a warm out-of-the-way place for 24 hours if it’s warm (80-90 degrees) - I put ours inside a cooler in the workshop, in case a bottle blows, to confine the mess. To check the bottle for carbonation, gently - gently! - squeeze and you’ll feel the firm pressure. If it’s cooler, it might take longer.
6) After the ginger beer has carbonated, refrigerate to stop the yeast action. It’s advisable to release a little of the pressure when it goes into the fridge - loosen cap slightly and let it “pish” just a tad.
7) To serve, pour through a strainer, and don’t pour all the way out or shake, as you don’t want the yeast sediment in the bottom.
Enjoy!
Source:http://www.da.gov.ph, photo courtesy of www.kiof.org
Banana Farming Tips
Negosyo TIPS and GUIDES
Banana is one of the most common and widely grown fruit crops in the Philippines. It is also one of the country’s major dollar earners, and has consistently ranked next to coconut oil and prawns in terms of value earnings during the last five years.
In 1991, banana topped local production among the other major fruits such as pineapple and mango, thus eating up more than one-third of the production pie.
Banana has various uses. The ripe fruit is pureed, candied, and preserved in various forms when not eaten fresh. Its extract is used in the manufacture of catsup, vinegar, and wine. The unripe fruit is powdered and chipped.
In rural areas, the young leaves are pounded to suppress bleeding and treat wounds. The leaves are also widely used as packing materials for fruits and vegetables in market centers. Banana fiber is manufactured into rope, sack, and mat. Sheets of paper and paper boards are also made from banana peel. Banana blossom is exported dried. Filipino housewives use it in special dishes.
VARIETY
Banana is native to Southeast Asia where the climate is warm and humid. Of the 57 banana cultivars, the following are the most common in the Philippines:
1.Saba
grows to as tall as 20 feet; fruit is angular; has thick peel that is green when unripe, yellow when ripe; flesh is white when ripe; gestation period is 15 to 16 months.
2. Lacatan
grows to a height of five to nine feet; fruit is round, seedless; has thick peel that has green when unripe, yellow-orange when ripe; gestation period is 14 to 15 months.
3. Latundan
grows from six to 10 feet tall; fruit is round; has thin peel that is green when unripe, yellow when ripe; flesh is white when ripe; gestation period is 12 months.
4. Bungulan
fruit is round, very sweet, seedless and easily rots; has thick peel that is green when unripe and remains green when ripe; flesh is white when ripe; gestation period is 12 months.
5. Cavendish
reaches five to 10 feet high; fruit is bigger than Bungulan; peel is green when unripe, yellow when ripe; flesh is yellow when ripe; export quality; gestation period is six to eight months.
Other varieties grown in the country include the Morado, Pitogo Los Banos, Senorita, Tindok, Gloria, Granda, and Tumok.
CLIMATE AND SOIL REQUIREMENTS
Banana is well adapted to well-drained, loamy, soil that is rich in organic matter. Areas with an average rainfall of 4000 millimeters (mm) a year are ideal sites for a banana plantation. A temperature between 27 to 30 degrees Celsius is most favorable to the crop.
Banana grows at sea level up to 1,800 meters altitude. It is susceptible to root rot when exposed to too much water. Typhoon belt do not make good plantation sites.
PROPAGATION
Banana can be propagated through its rhizomes and suckers. The latter, however, is the best recommended. Suckers must be parasites-free and have healthy roots. These are spaded out of the clumps when four-to-five feet tall.
LAND PREPARATION
The fields is plowed and harrowed thrice. All stumps and bushes must be removed. Knee-deep holes with 45-cm diameters are dug and 3each hole is fertilized with 10 grams of complete fertilizer and a few of granular nematode.
PLANTING
Suckers are set on field in vertical position, then covered with surface soil. Compost material added to the soil enhances the recovery and growth of the new plants. The soil is stumped around each base and watered regularly. During dry months, irrigation, if possible, is advised.Planting is the best at the start of the rainy season.
CULTIVATION AND MAINTENANCE
Cultivation should go beyond six inches from the base of the plant to avoid root injury. Intercrops or Glamoxine or Karmex sprays act as weed control. Plants must be propped with bamboo poles during fruiting for support against strong winds.
DESUCKERING OR PRUNING
Unnecessary suckers must be killed by cutting them off the mother plants. Only one or two suckers must be allowed per hill to reduce soil nutrients competition.
FERTILIZATION
For poor soils, fertilizers should contain N-P-K at a ratio of 3-1-6. the ratio is doubled when fertilizers are applied to young plants. The amount of fertilizer applied increases as the tree matures. At flowering and fruiting period, a tree needs five to six pounds of complete fertilizer.
PEST AND DISEASES
There are at least 27 insect pests that attack banana plants in the Philippines. However, there are only three pests known to cost significant damage over all types of banana.
The banana corm weevil feeds on suckers and destroys the corm tissues. It causes the suckers to die of bore attack. To control this pest, spray the soil with Furadan 5 G, 10 G. Sanitation and cutting of affected corms are also effective cultural controls, and are environment friendly.
Fruit-peel sarring beetle damages the fruit surfaces. The banana bunch is usually sprayed with Decis to control infestation. The banana floral thrips can be easily controlled by Diazinon 40/60 EC or Decis 2.5. 100 EC spray.
The three major diseases of banana are the sigatoka, pitting or wilting and the moko.
Sigatoka is a leaf spot disease caused by Mycosphaerella musicola. This causes the premature death of leaves. In severe cases, the size of bunches and fingers is reduced. The fruit is also ripens prematurely and develops abnormal flavor and smell. Plants are usually sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. Badly spotted leaves are removed to avoid contamination.
Pitting or Wilting disease is characterized by dry, reddish-brown or black, circular or oval, depressed spots. Sanitation is one way of preventing the disease which comes in season with the rainy days. All collapsed leaves should be removed.
Moko disease, on the other hand, transmitted from plat to plant by insects and infected tools. The impact ok moko to plants is similar to that of the sigatoka. Only, it does not emit unfavorable smell. Infected fruits also blacken inside. Infection is prevented by disinfecting tools with formaldehyde.
In view of environmental considerations, alternative controls to pests and diseases are being introduced under Integrated Pest Management. Infected plants and weeds must be uprooted to keep the area free of host plats for six to 12 months.
HARVESTING
Regardless of variety, the maturity of banana can be distinguished when the last leaf turns yellow. The angle formation of the fingers also determines ripeness. The rounder the angle of the fingers, the more mature the are.
Saba is harvest 15 to 16 months after planting; Lacatan, 4 to 15 months; Latundan, 12 months; Bungulan, 12 months; Cavendish, six to eight months.
Harvesting needs two people to serve as the cutter and the backer. It involves cutting deep into the middle of the trunk and letting the top fall gradually until the bunch is at the reach if the backer. The peduncle is cut long enough to facilitate handling.
Fruits for immediate shipping are harvested 5 to 10 days before ripening. Bananas for marketing are packed in crates as tightly as possible to lessen unnecessary vibrations during transport.
Source:http://www.da.gov.ph, photo courtesy of www.kiof.org
Banana is one of the most common and widely grown fruit crops in the Philippines. It is also one of the country’s major dollar earners, and has consistently ranked next to coconut oil and prawns in terms of value earnings during the last five years.
In 1991, banana topped local production among the other major fruits such as pineapple and mango, thus eating up more than one-third of the production pie.
Banana has various uses. The ripe fruit is pureed, candied, and preserved in various forms when not eaten fresh. Its extract is used in the manufacture of catsup, vinegar, and wine. The unripe fruit is powdered and chipped.
In rural areas, the young leaves are pounded to suppress bleeding and treat wounds. The leaves are also widely used as packing materials for fruits and vegetables in market centers. Banana fiber is manufactured into rope, sack, and mat. Sheets of paper and paper boards are also made from banana peel. Banana blossom is exported dried. Filipino housewives use it in special dishes.
VARIETY
Banana is native to Southeast Asia where the climate is warm and humid. Of the 57 banana cultivars, the following are the most common in the Philippines:
1.Saba
grows to as tall as 20 feet; fruit is angular; has thick peel that is green when unripe, yellow when ripe; flesh is white when ripe; gestation period is 15 to 16 months.
2. Lacatan
grows to a height of five to nine feet; fruit is round, seedless; has thick peel that has green when unripe, yellow-orange when ripe; gestation period is 14 to 15 months.
3. Latundan
grows from six to 10 feet tall; fruit is round; has thin peel that is green when unripe, yellow when ripe; flesh is white when ripe; gestation period is 12 months.
4. Bungulan
fruit is round, very sweet, seedless and easily rots; has thick peel that is green when unripe and remains green when ripe; flesh is white when ripe; gestation period is 12 months.
5. Cavendish
reaches five to 10 feet high; fruit is bigger than Bungulan; peel is green when unripe, yellow when ripe; flesh is yellow when ripe; export quality; gestation period is six to eight months.
Other varieties grown in the country include the Morado, Pitogo Los Banos, Senorita, Tindok, Gloria, Granda, and Tumok.
CLIMATE AND SOIL REQUIREMENTS
Banana is well adapted to well-drained, loamy, soil that is rich in organic matter. Areas with an average rainfall of 4000 millimeters (mm) a year are ideal sites for a banana plantation. A temperature between 27 to 30 degrees Celsius is most favorable to the crop.
Banana grows at sea level up to 1,800 meters altitude. It is susceptible to root rot when exposed to too much water. Typhoon belt do not make good plantation sites.
PROPAGATION
Banana can be propagated through its rhizomes and suckers. The latter, however, is the best recommended. Suckers must be parasites-free and have healthy roots. These are spaded out of the clumps when four-to-five feet tall.
LAND PREPARATION
The fields is plowed and harrowed thrice. All stumps and bushes must be removed. Knee-deep holes with 45-cm diameters are dug and 3each hole is fertilized with 10 grams of complete fertilizer and a few of granular nematode.
PLANTING
Suckers are set on field in vertical position, then covered with surface soil. Compost material added to the soil enhances the recovery and growth of the new plants. The soil is stumped around each base and watered regularly. During dry months, irrigation, if possible, is advised.Planting is the best at the start of the rainy season.
CULTIVATION AND MAINTENANCE
Cultivation should go beyond six inches from the base of the plant to avoid root injury. Intercrops or Glamoxine or Karmex sprays act as weed control. Plants must be propped with bamboo poles during fruiting for support against strong winds.
DESUCKERING OR PRUNING
Unnecessary suckers must be killed by cutting them off the mother plants. Only one or two suckers must be allowed per hill to reduce soil nutrients competition.
FERTILIZATION
For poor soils, fertilizers should contain N-P-K at a ratio of 3-1-6. the ratio is doubled when fertilizers are applied to young plants. The amount of fertilizer applied increases as the tree matures. At flowering and fruiting period, a tree needs five to six pounds of complete fertilizer.
PEST AND DISEASES
There are at least 27 insect pests that attack banana plants in the Philippines. However, there are only three pests known to cost significant damage over all types of banana.
The banana corm weevil feeds on suckers and destroys the corm tissues. It causes the suckers to die of bore attack. To control this pest, spray the soil with Furadan 5 G, 10 G. Sanitation and cutting of affected corms are also effective cultural controls, and are environment friendly.
Fruit-peel sarring beetle damages the fruit surfaces. The banana bunch is usually sprayed with Decis to control infestation. The banana floral thrips can be easily controlled by Diazinon 40/60 EC or Decis 2.5. 100 EC spray.
The three major diseases of banana are the sigatoka, pitting or wilting and the moko.
Sigatoka is a leaf spot disease caused by Mycosphaerella musicola. This causes the premature death of leaves. In severe cases, the size of bunches and fingers is reduced. The fruit is also ripens prematurely and develops abnormal flavor and smell. Plants are usually sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. Badly spotted leaves are removed to avoid contamination.
Pitting or Wilting disease is characterized by dry, reddish-brown or black, circular or oval, depressed spots. Sanitation is one way of preventing the disease which comes in season with the rainy days. All collapsed leaves should be removed.
Moko disease, on the other hand, transmitted from plat to plant by insects and infected tools. The impact ok moko to plants is similar to that of the sigatoka. Only, it does not emit unfavorable smell. Infected fruits also blacken inside. Infection is prevented by disinfecting tools with formaldehyde.
In view of environmental considerations, alternative controls to pests and diseases are being introduced under Integrated Pest Management. Infected plants and weeds must be uprooted to keep the area free of host plats for six to 12 months.
HARVESTING
Regardless of variety, the maturity of banana can be distinguished when the last leaf turns yellow. The angle formation of the fingers also determines ripeness. The rounder the angle of the fingers, the more mature the are.
Saba is harvest 15 to 16 months after planting; Lacatan, 4 to 15 months; Latundan, 12 months; Bungulan, 12 months; Cavendish, six to eight months.
Harvesting needs two people to serve as the cutter and the backer. It involves cutting deep into the middle of the trunk and letting the top fall gradually until the bunch is at the reach if the backer. The peduncle is cut long enough to facilitate handling.
Fruits for immediate shipping are harvested 5 to 10 days before ripening. Bananas for marketing are packed in crates as tightly as possible to lessen unnecessary vibrations during transport.
Source:http://www.da.gov.ph, photo courtesy of www.kiof.org
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Buying and Selling Online
The mere mention of buying and selling items online brings one to think about Ebay. The funny thing though is that Ebay is not the only player in the web right now. There's actually a lot of other websites that allows anyone to sell anything. Among which are Bidville.com, Craigslist.com and some small personal websites not to mention the other product specific buy and sell websites like egghead.com and amazon.com. But Ebay does take a whole lot of the pie considering that it has expanded its services to a lot of other countries, some of which have been successful while others have but a mediocre following.
There's a bunch of nice deals you can see when you visit sites like this and oftentimes, its not just about the price but also the sentiment. Nothing beats the feeling of finding something you have been looking for in a long time. Ebay had done a great job in conveying this message in most of their advertisements. As they say, another man's trash maybe somebody else's treasure.
One has to be careful though and has to exercise good judgement when visiting these sites. Just because an item is in there does not necessarily mean that it's being sold at a good price. Some sellers actually lowball their prices but will hit you in the shipping charges. So one has to be careful when extending an offer to buy. Make sure you ask the seller about the small things like quality, shipping charges and other knick knacks if this information is not clearly defined in the item listing.
If you are selling, make sure you also have the basic information included in your listing. The object of the game is selling and making a profit. You don't want to misled your customers. You want to provide some satisfaction thay they are getting a good deal from you which in turn will make them regular patrons who will come back and do more business with you.
So start cleaning out your garage, your attic and your cabinets. Maybe you have what I'm looking for.
Written by Jun A Binghay
There's a bunch of nice deals you can see when you visit sites like this and oftentimes, its not just about the price but also the sentiment. Nothing beats the feeling of finding something you have been looking for in a long time. Ebay had done a great job in conveying this message in most of their advertisements. As they say, another man's trash maybe somebody else's treasure.
One has to be careful though and has to exercise good judgement when visiting these sites. Just because an item is in there does not necessarily mean that it's being sold at a good price. Some sellers actually lowball their prices but will hit you in the shipping charges. So one has to be careful when extending an offer to buy. Make sure you ask the seller about the small things like quality, shipping charges and other knick knacks if this information is not clearly defined in the item listing.
If you are selling, make sure you also have the basic information included in your listing. The object of the game is selling and making a profit. You don't want to misled your customers. You want to provide some satisfaction thay they are getting a good deal from you which in turn will make them regular patrons who will come back and do more business with you.
So start cleaning out your garage, your attic and your cabinets. Maybe you have what I'm looking for.
Written by Jun A Binghay
Weekend Entrepreneurs
Moonlighting is working on a second job that is not declared to the tax authorities. Another definition is monnlighting is a situation wherein an employee gets hired by one or more employer at a time. The reason why its coined moonlighting is most probably because this type of work is mostly performed during your spare time at night, under the light of the moon.
The term weekend entrepreneurs is synonymous to moonlighting. This, however, is converting your hobby and talents into profitable business during weekends. The kind of businesses weekend entrepreneurs have vary in substance, but mostly are made possible with the help of the Internet. An advanctage in being a weekend entrepreneurs is that you do not have to risk a large amount of money as business capital; and if the business becomes successful enough, one can quit their main job and devote themselves full time to their own business.
Of course this is no easy task. Most moonlighting can be in many forms, most of them are..
selling items at auction sites
freelance jobs making websites and softwares
taking pictures and selling them online
write a blog, generate traffic. or write a book and have it published
bake pastries and sell at tiyange or fairs
setup a garage sale
buy old items and resell them at higher price
These are just a few examples of what kind of moonlighting you can do. It will depend on what you want to do, your hobbies and your talents, use them wisely and earn money from it. A word of advice though, make sure that your employer is alright with moonlighting. Check your employment contract if it disallows you to engage in another job. If you do not do this, you might get into trouble in the end.
Written by Maureen Jane Tan
The term weekend entrepreneurs is synonymous to moonlighting. This, however, is converting your hobby and talents into profitable business during weekends. The kind of businesses weekend entrepreneurs have vary in substance, but mostly are made possible with the help of the Internet. An advanctage in being a weekend entrepreneurs is that you do not have to risk a large amount of money as business capital; and if the business becomes successful enough, one can quit their main job and devote themselves full time to their own business.
Of course this is no easy task. Most moonlighting can be in many forms, most of them are..
selling items at auction sites
freelance jobs making websites and softwares
taking pictures and selling them online
write a blog, generate traffic. or write a book and have it published
bake pastries and sell at tiyange or fairs
setup a garage sale
buy old items and resell them at higher price
These are just a few examples of what kind of moonlighting you can do. It will depend on what you want to do, your hobbies and your talents, use them wisely and earn money from it. A word of advice though, make sure that your employer is alright with moonlighting. Check your employment contract if it disallows you to engage in another job. If you do not do this, you might get into trouble in the end.
Written by Maureen Jane Tan
Monday, November 3, 2008
Giving up your Regular Day Job
Giving up your Day Job, Be your own Boss! worth it or not?
Giving up a steady job for a home business is a dauntless and risky move. But, it is one that all entrepreneurs will eventually have to take, if they are ever going to fulfill their ambitions of being truly successful. No home business can start without its usual risks and that applies to any entrepreneur when he leaves his regular employment. However the risks become calculated ones when you have the right idea, the finances, the right plan and the ability to put in your best efforts, and you could expect great rewards.
Starting your own business is the testing platform for your risk taking ability and if anyone tells you something else, ignore. Provided you quit when you are ready to commit to serious effort and do not expect the world to reward you for minimum effort, the process of handing in your notice shouldn't be too risky. Having your own business is all about taking calculated risks and taking the right decisions at the right time to reap in the profits later. Like many things in life, practice perfects your analytical abilities.
Giving up your job to start a home business can be difficult on a number of levels, despite the fact that it is fundamental to being an entrepreneur. Firstly, this is a painful personal decision to say farewell to old office colleagues and friends. This becomes even tougher when you have an overwhelming sense of loyalty and people tend to depend on you, you could feel really guilty and uneasy. Over and above this, quitting a job also means that your financial resources are drying up and this can be dangerous if you have to pay the bills and take care of people around you.
Overcoming these obstacles is difficult, and will require a great deal of thought and dedication. The decision to quit from your regular job must be taken sensibly and you ought to feel extremely confident about your business plan before you take this critical step. Never quit your 9 to 5 job before all your plans to start the new enterprise is in order including enough money saved up which would help in your day to day expenses till your home business takes off profitably. A partner can help you out in this time if he or she decides to foot all your bills.
You can expect loss in the first year, as is usual, and then if everything goes the way you have planned you could break even in the next couple of years. The fortunate ones start making money in year three. Is it hard starting a new home business?
Source: http://filipinoinvestors.blogspot.com
Giving up a steady job for a home business is a dauntless and risky move. But, it is one that all entrepreneurs will eventually have to take, if they are ever going to fulfill their ambitions of being truly successful. No home business can start without its usual risks and that applies to any entrepreneur when he leaves his regular employment. However the risks become calculated ones when you have the right idea, the finances, the right plan and the ability to put in your best efforts, and you could expect great rewards.
Starting your own business is the testing platform for your risk taking ability and if anyone tells you something else, ignore. Provided you quit when you are ready to commit to serious effort and do not expect the world to reward you for minimum effort, the process of handing in your notice shouldn't be too risky. Having your own business is all about taking calculated risks and taking the right decisions at the right time to reap in the profits later. Like many things in life, practice perfects your analytical abilities.
Giving up your job to start a home business can be difficult on a number of levels, despite the fact that it is fundamental to being an entrepreneur. Firstly, this is a painful personal decision to say farewell to old office colleagues and friends. This becomes even tougher when you have an overwhelming sense of loyalty and people tend to depend on you, you could feel really guilty and uneasy. Over and above this, quitting a job also means that your financial resources are drying up and this can be dangerous if you have to pay the bills and take care of people around you.
Overcoming these obstacles is difficult, and will require a great deal of thought and dedication. The decision to quit from your regular job must be taken sensibly and you ought to feel extremely confident about your business plan before you take this critical step. Never quit your 9 to 5 job before all your plans to start the new enterprise is in order including enough money saved up which would help in your day to day expenses till your home business takes off profitably. A partner can help you out in this time if he or she decides to foot all your bills.
You can expect loss in the first year, as is usual, and then if everything goes the way you have planned you could break even in the next couple of years. The fortunate ones start making money in year three. Is it hard starting a new home business?
Source: http://filipinoinvestors.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)