The golden apple snail (Pomacea Canaliculata), locally known as golden kuhol, was first introduced into Philippine farms in 1983 with the hope of providing additional protein source for dietary improvement of many poor families. But its promising potential turned into a menace for farmers when the golden apple snail became a prolific pest on rice fields. It grows and increases rapidly, voraciously feeding on any succulent greens that include newly transplanted rice seedlings. It destroys farms, livelihood, and has become a burden to rice production.

According to Maria Lizbeth Severa J. Baro of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), golden kuhol may be considered a threat in rice production, but at present many farmers are (again) looking at the golden kuhol at a different perspective. The golden kuhol being remarkably nutritious and easy to digest, farmers have discovered it to be a good source of supplementary feed for livestock and poultry. It stimulates fast growth and reproduction. The snail meat provides protein and energy-giving fat while the shell contains calcium, phosphorous, vitamins, and minerals. Now, a lot of farmers do not see these golden kuhol as a threat to the fields but rather an opportunity to improve their livelihood.

Golden kuhol are collected from the fields, crushed, mixed with raw rice bran, and then fed right away to the animals. There are times when animals are fed with pure golden apple snail straight from the fields. Studies showed that healthier and heavier livestock are produced using this feeding scheme. Ducks fed with snail meal can attain more or less than 70% increase in egg production rate. Further, due to its high nutrition, snail meal could replace fish or meat and bone meal in broiler diets.

Opportunities abound, but farmers continue to ignore them due to the laborious and time-consuming task of manually crushing the snails. But as R&D continues to find solution to farmers’ problem, researchers from the Department of Engineering and Technology of the Camarines Sur State Agricultural College led by Engr. Marife L. Pesino designed and developed a mechanically operated golden kuhol grinder-crusher. This machine does not only minimize laborious work of crushing but it also saves time from manually picking the snails from the fields and different farm locations. It also gives opportunity for farmers to culture golden kuhol in one specific area mainly for feed supplement.

The opportunity of converting golden kuhol into useful feeds also saves a lot of money for our farmers, as they do not have to buy expensive molluscicide to control it, making it environment-friendly. Likewise, by converting the snails into feed supplements the farmers spend less for expensive feeds for their livestock and poultry. This likewise reduces the need for imported fishmeal feeds and save the country’s foreign exchange.

Generally, farm equipment and machineries i.e., tractor, water pump, fruit loader, thresher, etc., are never gender-friendly. Women and children who also work in the farm use machines that are laborious and strenuous to operate. But with the new kuhol crusher-grinder, which was designed and conceptualized by a lady engineer, crushing and grinding are no longer tedious as before. The machine is mobile, making it easy to transport.

The design and concept of the crusher-grinder was based on the existing hammer mill machines used in efficiently reducing sizes of feed materials but is comparably more efficient. The machine is low-cost and affordable as it is made from indigenous materials.

The golden kuhol crusher-grinder has seven main parts: mainframe assembly, hopper assembly, upper rotor housing assembly, and lower rotor housing assembly. Its rotor assembly consists of a swinging and rotating hammer blades that crush and grind golden kuhol through a replaceable perforated screen. The design of the golden kuhol crusher-grinder is not only economical and environment-friendly but more important, the machine is gender-friendly.

Performance tests showed that the machine could efficiently and perfectly crush and grind golden kuhol when operated at 1500 rpm and 2070 rpm, respectively, with the desired particle size recommended for optimum feed digestibility.

For more information, contact:

Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR)
Department of Agriculture (DA)
3/F RDMIC Bldg., Visayas Ave.
cor. Elliptical Rd., Diliman Quezon City 1104
Trunklines: 928-8505 or 927-0226
Local Nos. 2043, 2042, 2044
Fax: 920-227 or 927-5691
E-mail: misd-acs@bar.gov.ph
Web: www.bar.gov.ph

Dept. of Science and Technology (DOST)
Rm. 303 DOST Bldg., DOST Complex,
Gen. Santos Ave., Bicutan, Taguig City 1631
Telephone Nos: (632) 837-20-71 to 82
Fax: (632) 837-8937
Web: www.dost.gov.ph

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According to Agriculture Business Week, Philippines has contributed around 55 percent of the total world bangus production, and experts say growing the national fish is the next big thing.

Sleek and silvery, beloved because of its mild, sweet flesh and its melt-in-the-mouth belly fat, the milkfish or bangus, our national fish, is a favorite Philippine fish. Today, bangus is making waves in such countries as United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong where Filipinos are either working or living.

The Philippines is one of the top bangus producers in the world, along with Indonesia and Taiwan. “Until recently, the country has contributed around 55 percent share of the world bangus production,” reports the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD).

Bangus is one of the most important fishes raised by Filipinos. Because of its adaptability to aquaculture, it is widely cultured in brackishwater fishponds, fishpens and recently, in marine cages. Data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) of the Department of Agriculture on bangus production by sector showed an increasing trend from the aquaculture sector: from 210,882 metric tons in 1990 to 360,018 metric tons in 2004.

On the other hand, bangus production in the municipal sector showed decreasing trends: from 2,869 metric tons in 1990 to 438 metric tons in 2001. In 1995, the municipal sector contributed 7,466 metric tons of the total production of 158,615 metric tons harvested that year. In the commercial sector, bangus production was posted at six metric tons in 1990 and went up to 222 metric tons in 1997 but went down to five metric tons in 2001 (a trend that started in 1999).

PCAMRD reported that bangus production is expected to ascend, based on current trends, to 382,000 metric tons in 2008 and 451,000 metric tons in 2010 (as assumed at 11 percent annual growth). As President Gloria Macapagal-Arrovo said during the First Bangus National Congress, the country was expected to reach to major markets/countries with exports volume of 15,000 metric tons “in five years time.”

The Philippines exports bangus in frozen, canned, dried, smoked or marinated forms. Banguts in frozen form is exported in 30 countries.

Those in canned form are sent to 23 countries and dried or smoked bangus are sold in 17 countries. The United States, Saudi Arabia and Guam are major export markets for specific product forms.

In the local front, domestic consumption of bangus is expected to increase, too! In order to meet the demand of the growing population, the Philippines will have to expand production at the rate of 5 percent per year. Per capita consumption of bangus is estimated to be 1.96 kilograms per year.

Bangus is nearly related to tuna and salmon because of its fusiform shape and migratory nature. There is only one species of bangus (”Chanos chanos”) known all over the world and most of them are found in the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan.

According to PCAMRD, Taiwan is adopting the intensive culture system because of its limited area for fishpond development. It involves stocking of 10,000 to 25,000 fish per hectare, use of mechanical aerators and feeders and stock manipulation in deep-water ponds. With this method, Taiwan can produce 8,000 to 12,000 kilograms per hectare compared to the national average production of 300 to 1,000 kilograms for Indonesia and 600 to 800 kilograms for the Philippines.

In the Philippines, bangus production is primarily dependent on the availability of brackishwater fishpond (over 190,000 hectares), fertilizers, pesticides, lime, fishfarm implements such as nets and bancas and special equipment like aerators and pumps particularly for the intensive method.

Is there a way the Philippines can still compete with other bangus exporting countries? The answer is affirmative, if the country ANA only do the following suggestions from PCAMRD:

1. Increase production of export-sized fish (500-600 grams) should be done through the low-intensive method, considered the best technology for producing high quality bangus at lower cost;
2. Initiate in processing milkfish into value-added products to create a good expert market demand at attractive prices; and
3. Continue allocate funds from the government in the form of credits to support private sector activities.

If coconut is the “tree of life,” then bangus is its marine equivalent - with nearly all of its parts being good for something. Health experts recommend eating fatty fish at least twice a week. Fish is a good source of protein and do not have the high saturated fat that fatty meat products have. Likewise, fish is a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which is good for the heart.

Because of its flavor, bangus is a favorite all over the country. In Metro Manila, bangus is rated first-class. The popularity of bangus can be gleaned in such recipes as “Btlnyus en Tocho” (fried bangus served with a sauce of either “tahure,” “tokwa” or “tausi’), “Bulanglang na Bangus” (with eggplants, ampalaya, sitaw, malunggay, onion, tomatoes, rice washing and “bagoong”‘), Rellenong Bangus” (formerly a party dish; now available even in school cafeterias), “Bangus Lumpia.”

There are several excellent sources of bangus in the country. One of the most important sources is Dagupan City. A couple of years back, bangus brought fame to the city after beating Pent with the longest barbecue title in the Guinness Book of World Records. A report disseminated by news agency Bukithit carried this information: ‘Talk of bangus, however, and you talk of thousands of families here making a living from this industry. Commercial fishing trade has flourished with families engaged in the processing of bangus, or deboning. Wonder how many children are raised and brought to school - and even opulence to a few - because of this.”

Here’s a report published in a national daily on the significance of bangus in Dagupan City: “Bangus plays an important role in the city’s economy as its production, trade and processing benefit hundreds of fishpond owners, caretakers, fish vendors and processors. Every day, about 30 tons of bangus are harvested in the city’s fishponds. Records of the city agriculture office showed that almost 1,000 hectares of fishpond owned by 540 fish farmers grow bangus. The production is complemented by 28 hectares of fish cages in the city’s rivers owned by 850 businessmen.”

Filipinos living or working abroad can always buy bangus of the Alsons Aquaculture Corporation based in General Santos City. "We follow where our fellow Filipinos go. They are still our biggest market. This way, we make them feel like they are still in the Philippines because they can easily buy bangus products," Laurente Montilla, Alsons processing plant manager, told a local daily.

The idea of selling bangus in countries where Filipinos abound was the brain child of Alejandro Alcantara. Marketed tinder the brand name Sarangani Bay, Alsons processed fresh frozen deboned bangus, fresh frozen marinated deboned bangus, frozen smoked deboned bangus, and the all-time favorite “Relleno.”

“Named after the marine sanctuary it calls home, Sarangani Bay has built a reputation for growing and processing premium aquamarine products.” Alcantara said.

Alsons blazed the export market for bangus through its sprawling 300-hectare fishponds sitting in the vast Alcantara estate that measures more or less 1,000 hectares. “Per week, we can harvest 80 tons to 90 tons of bangus in different sizes,” Montilla said, adding their daily average, from Sunday to Friday, hits at least 15 tons. Efforts are going on to expand the fishpond areas by about 70 hectares more to meet the growing demand locally and internationally, Montilla said.

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