Skip to main content

Aquaculture In A New Light – Solar Power In Mimaropa By PH DoST

Metaphorically, “Let there be Light!” DoST said, and there was Fish. Materialistically, this time, the Department of Science & Technology (DoST) is revolutionizing Aquaculture in the Philippines by setting up and launching a solar-powered, intensive aquaculture setup for tilapia, milkfish and white shrimp in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro. 

We learn that from Charissa Luci-Atienza’s report, “First-Of-Its-Kind Aquaculture Facility Launched In Oriental Mindoro – DoST[1],” 21 March 2021, Manila Bulletin).
(lower image[2] from Solartility.com)

The solar-powered aquaculture facility, launched in March[3] in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, was funded under DoST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program “to encourage the industry to adopt smart aquaculture farming systems” to produce more, cost less, and compete better in the market. Owner of the facility is Agritektura Enterprises.

The whole facility can grow 1,500 tilapia breeders, each of which can produce 500 fingerlings per month, while the grow-out ponds can accommodate 13,000 fingerlings. On the other hand, the circular pond can accommodate 100,000 white shrimp fry every rearing season. Solar power reduces the monthly electrical bill by P25,000.

Compared to livestock farming, Mr De La Peña said, “Aquaculture is seen as a (more) promising industry, as commodities show potential in addressing food and nutritional security because of its (more) efficient feed conversion (ratio) compared to livestock production.” Meaning, per unit of feed, fish converts more into flesh than chicken into meat or than cattle into beef.

More fish be with you!

About white shrimp, American kitchen blogger Emma Christensensays, “White shrimp(s) are prized for their large size, their tender texture, and their mild flavor[4]” (Kitchn). In nature, there is a season for the white shrimp – our own PH Ms Charissa does not say or does not quote DoST as saying that the solar-powered aquaculture facility in Oriental Mindoro allows the culturing of white shrimps the whole year through.

Mr De La Peña said:

The solar-powered hatchery can be used for grow-out and production of high-quality fingerlings of tilapia and milkfish. The facility works with a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS). The RAS is a unique fish farming technique that allows rearing of fish at high densities or in tanks with a “controlled” environment rather than in an… open pond setting.

 In the RAS, where the water is cleaned out automatically even as it is recirculated, you grow more fish with less space; in the open pond, you can grow only less fish even with more space because the fish & food wastes take more time to settle into the bottom of the pond. With the RAS, technology is your economic ally, your business partner.

About the solar power, it must be the idea itself of Agritektura, which is a Filipino corporation based in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, with a great number of innovative projects. The corporate description speaks for itself (https://agritektura.ph):

AGRITEKTURA… stands for Agrikultura, Arkitektura, Teknolohiya, Edukasyon, Kalikasan, Kalusugan, Kasaysayan, Komersyo, Komunidad, Komunikasyon, Turismo at Kultura.

Agritektura describes itself as a Movement to harness the potential of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon & Palawan (Mimaropa). So, move!@517


[1]https://mb.com.ph/2021/03/21/first-of-its-kind-aquaculture-facility-launched-in-oriental-mindoro-dost/

[2]https://solartility.com/residential-grid-tied/

[3]No exact date given

[4]https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-white-bro-1-149543

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Start Economic Recovery, Start Public & Private Partnership – End The Lockdown Now!

Is the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) ready to fulfill its own nationwide agricultural responsibilities once all kinds of quarantines are down? Yes, under the leadership and planning-ahead head of Secretary William Dar. Never. In my 20 years of blogging, after thousands upon thousands of short & long essays published online, I never wrote in favor of an advertisement – until now. I am looking at the Facebook ad of CitizenWatch Philippines with the headline, “Public And Private Partnership Is The Key Towards Sustainable Development” (upper image above). And the lock to open it today is to end the lockdown! CitizenWatch is saying: We call on the government to work with the private sector in creating sustainable initiatives that will fortify a future-proofed Philippines beyond this pandemic. "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country [1] " – Charles E Weller. Today, we must love our country, all of it!  Now is the time for all goo...
Post a Comment
Read more

07, The More The Merrier – P1B From DA Supportive Of 10 Bataan Model Farms Leading PH Agriculture

Very optimistic – and excited – was Secretary of Agriculture William Dar after visiting 2 model 1-ha farms in the villages of Daang Bago and San Simon in the town of Dinalupihan, Bataan, Friday, 19 February 2021. He said in the DA news release “Bataan Model Farms Demonstrate Future Of Philippine Agriculture” (20 February 2021): I am thrilled to have seen the progress of this rice-high-value crops diversification system evolving in the Municipality of Dinalupihan. We were here when the idea was being conceived in 2019 and now it has really started its journey, its development. As an agriculturist and a communicator for development in the last 45 years, I know: That it is all markedly historical for the Philippines. The cropping calls for rice in the wet season, and high-value crops (vegetables) in the dry season, with fertigation (fertilization via irrigation). And the technology-setup is replicated 10 times in the same municipality. (I don’t know why, but 60-year old foreign-funde...
Post a Comment
Read more

Innovation Is The Call Of The Times, But Not Rappler’s?

Above, on Facebook, Rappler is quoting, “While this shift seems to favor PR, in reality it has resulted in declining trust in news, and that’s bad for everyone.” The caption of the image is the title of the article: “Stopping Misinformation Means Fixing The Relationship Between Journalism And PR [1] , ” which is a reprint from the Australian-led digital media The Conversation ’s article by Canadian Jaigris Hodson dated 22 April 2021. The lead says, “While this shift seems to favor PR, in reality it has resulted in declining trust in news, and that’s bad for everyone.” Mr Hodson is an Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Royal Roads University, Victoria, BC. So? Australian, Canadian and Filipino thoughts in journalism: Same, same. New words, old ways. Clearly, Rappler and The Conversation are worried about their journalism being taken over by public relations (PR), but they are not worried about their lack of public relevance (PR 2 ) – my brainchild. As a crea...
Post a Comment
Read more