Sea Cucumber Means Money

To tell you honestly, I am not an expert on sea cucumbers. I first heard it through a Christian radio program. Since then I got curious until I attended a session and discovered so many things. One is I found out that this aquatic resource is common in the Philippines yet only a few knew its high income potentials if cultivated and process properly. I could not believe how high the demand for this aquatic resource in the international market. This could mean livelihood to many to aleviate poverty or entrepreneurial pursuits or investment opportunity. I need not be a business guru to understand that this matter. So are you.

Sea cucumbers are actually not new to Philippines as our country is surrounded by bodies of waters. Harvesting of sea cucumbers has been a source of income to many families in the Philippines, especially to those living near the sea shores. It’s just that many of us still need to be educated on its proper cultivation and processing for a more profitable business and long term source of income.

Let me quote a portion from an article written by an expert on this excerpt from http://www.bar.gov.ph/bardigest/2004/aprjun04_brightpotential.asp

Quote:
…Sea cucumbers may be weird marine creatures but to some people, they are delectable. Across Asia, they have long been a staple in peoples’ diets, mainly in soups, stews and stir-fries. They are highly nutritious — described as “an ideal tonic food” — as they provide more protein and less fat than most foods. “Like tofu, it is flavorless but absorbs the flavors of its surrounding seasonings and foods,” wrote a food maven and epicure.

Generally, sea cucumbers are sold as trepang, which is easier to store and handle than the fresh product. They are valued as an exotic delicacy and a flavorful condiment for soups, noodles and other dishes.

In some parts of Europe, whole beche-de-mer can be stuffed with a filling of pork, cornstarch and chopped fried fish. Cooked fresh and quickly on a hot griddle, espardenyes are served with olive, sea salt and a squeeze of lemon in Spain.

Like their terrestrial cousins, sea cucumbers can — unsurprisingly, perhaps — also be pickled. In some instances, they are prepared as salads and eaten fresh minus the internal organs. In other parts of the world, the internal organs of some species like Stichopus variegatus are also fermented for food.

To some people, sea cucumbers are more than just food. In fact, there are people who believe sea animals possess some aphrodisiac powers. The reason for this belief is the peculiar reaction of the creature on being kneaded or disturbed slightly with fingers. It swells and stiffens and a jet of water is released from one end. This behavior is similar to the erection and subsequent ejaculation of the male sexual organ.

By the way, people in Palau use the sea cucumber to protect their feet when walking in the reef. They squeeze the sea cucumber until it squirts out sticky threads, which they put on their feet. Even though this practice may sound harsh, the sea cucumber returns to the reef unharmed.

In the Philippines, sea cucumbers are found in burrows, seagrass beds or sandy areas with large amounts of coral rubbles. Some are found in waters of up to 20 meters deep. These can be found off the coastal waters of Zamboanga City; Zamboanga del Sur; Zamboanga del Norte; Basilan Province; Jolo, Sulu; South Cotabato; Surigao del Norte; Villas eal and Catbalogan, Samar; Negros Occidental; Cebu; Calatagan, Bangas; Polilio Island, Quezon; Masinloc, Zambales; San Vicente, Cagayan; San Fernando, La Union; Bolinao, Bani and Alaminos, Pangasinan.

For almost a century, the harvesting and processing of sea cucumbers has been a source of income for many Filipino families. As Naga, the publication of the World Fish Center, reported in 1987: “The steady demand for sea cucumbers from other countries has made sea cucumber harvesting an attractive source of income for many Filipinos. In many islands and coastal villages, the income derived from it constitutes a significant portion of a family’s livelihood.”

Today, sea cucumber is a multi-million dollar industry. In the United States, price rate of dried sea cucumber is pegged at US$180 to US$250 per kilogram. The Philippines is home to 100 species of sea cucumbers, of which 31 are commercially important. “There is a big export market for sea cucumbers particularly for Hong Kong, China, Korea and Japan,” says Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, former executive director of the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD). Aside from food, there’s also an emerging market for the use of sea cucumbers in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Common medicinal uses of sea cucumber in China include treating: weakness, impotence, debility of the aged, constipation due to intestinal dryness, and frequent urination. As demand continues to

escalate, the supply dwindles – to the extent that their population is now in jeopardy.

Sea cucumber stocks are under intense fishing pressure throughout the world, according to a recent report released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Most high value commercial species have been depleted. In Asia and the Pacific, the most sought-after species are largely depleted. The region generates some 20,000 to 40,000 tons per year, which are exported to China and other Asian markets. Most of them come from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines.

“The fast pace of development of sea cucumber fisheries to supply growing international demand is placing most fisheries and many sea cucumber species at risk,” pointed out the FAO report, Sea Cucumbers: A Global Review of Fisheries and Trade. Sea cucumbers are utilized almost exclusively as an export commodity. This huge export makes the population of sea cucumbers in the country to decline significantly. “Yes, we used to have a lot of sea cucumbers in our coastal areas,” admits Dr. Guerrero. “They have been depleted because of over-harvesting.”

But the good news is: There are now on-going projects for the artificial breeding and culture of sea cucumbers being conducted by the Marine Science Institute (MST) of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Bolinao, Pangasinan. In Mindanao, the UP is also conducting pond culture of sea cucumber in Davao City, in cooperation with a private entity, the Alson Aquaculture.

In addition, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has recently established the country’s first-ever commercial hatchery for sea cucumber to enhance massive raising of the commodity nationwide. The hatchery produces 60,000 “juvenile” sea cucumbers every month, which can be distributed to farmers who are interested in culturing them in fish ponds, or for sea ranching (stocking them in a designated space in the sea for gathering later).

“Sea cucumber is a good material for sea ranching because, based on its behavior, it can travel just one to two meters a day and about one kilometer a year,” the BFAR said in a statement.

The mortality rate of cultured juveniles is high. But once they weigh 20 grams and placed in the seafloor or in ponds, the survival rate is almost 100%, according to Dr. Westly Rosario, executive director of the BFAR’s National Fisheries Research Development Institute.

In a recent report, Northern Luzon news reporter Yolanda Fuertes wrote: “Aside from the initial cost of the juvenile sea cucumbers (Php5 each), they are not fed commercial food, depending only on organic matter in the culture pond for nourishment (salinity should be at least 20 parts per thousand) or the sea tidal flats which are their natural habitats.”

Dr. Guerrero said that sea farming of sea cucumbers “can be a profitable and environmentally-friendly livelihood industry for coastal communities.” The PCAMRD, a line agency of the Department of Science and Technology, is supporting such kind of projects.

A study conducted at BFAR showed that it takes six months for the sea cucumber to reach 250 grams, the desired weight in the export market. One hectare of fishpond can accommodate 10,000 sea cucumbers. This means that after six months, a farmer can harvest at least 2.5 tons. But before they can be exported, they have to be dried first – shrunk to about 10% of their live weight. So, the marketable harvest would only be 250 kilograms. At P4,000 per kilogram, the farmer earns a whooping Phpi million from his one-hectare pond in six months.
Unquote.

As I have said earlier, we just excerpt above article from http://www.bar.gov.ph/bardigest/2004/aprjun04_brightpotential.asp

For more specific details about sea cucumber, you may click to link below for more info.

Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_cucumber
http://www.spc.int/coastfish/news/bdm/13/03.Schoppe.html
http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5501e/y5501e0c.htm
http://www.bar.gov.ph/bardigest/2004/aprjun04_brightpotential.asp
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/011/i0375e/i0375e04.pdf


For interested investors, entrepreneurs and those who would want to enter into the sea cucumber business, I can refer you to someone who is sincerely promoting it. Not to mention other agriculture and aqua culture potentials he help promote and develops in the past. His details are available upon request.

Photos are excerpt from Google Images, credits to below link: http://www.diytrade.com/china/4/manufacturers/820682/main/Denma_Trading_Company.html
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60-second-science/post.cfm?id=high-demand-in-china-threatens-phil-2009-06-25

http://endoftheline.com/blog/archives/date/2009/04

You Can't Go Wrong With Agriculture Investment

I used to work for a corporate firm (8am to 5pm job), having been expose to almost all sorts of office task including earlier background on visual design and advertising. But after more than 10 years in office duties, I decided to shifted to commodity trading after I went to Singapore on 2005 (mentored by a Singaporean). My start was a sort of trial and error (e.g. crude oil, scrap metal, seafoods, agricultural products, etc.). Later I concentrated on agriultural products primarily on cavendish banana and rice as I seem to fit on it. As others have said, “you can’t go wrong if you are happy with what you are doing and/or if you invest in agriculture.”

above image is a ripe cavendish banana

I just tried on offering bananas as per request of an acquaintance business woman. In a matter of one week, I my self could not believe that a Lebanese client arrived and asked me to book himself and his wife to a five star hotel in the Manila. After few a few day talks and presentation, my client handed me advance downpayment in cash (US$). Weeks later, my partner were shipping containers of Cavendish Bananas to Jeddah, Dubai UAE, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Egypt and other Middle East countries. Little did I knew then that exporting bananas is a profitable venture and has been highly demanded mosly in the Middle East. At times, you need not seek buyers because they always come seeking sellers like you as what happened to me. But be careful as there are also lots of scammers in this business. Beside Middle East, other countries also import Philippine Cavendish bananas as it is one of the most favored in the world.

If you knew the farm in Mindanao, you will be surprise how large the plantation is and continue to supply though importers demands are getting bigger and bigger as times goes by. It’s just that I noticed something… price at times could not be controlled or lowered because capitalization for operation is too limitted. Unless a foreign investor is willing to joint venture with us.

I am a partner to highly credible former managers of known global brands. Our skills and years of experience in this business is very reliable but the investment is our limitation to be highly competitive. Let me show you some photos…

If you have the capacity to invest and would want a long years ROI, below is a highly credible offer with earning capacity beyond usual investment for short period of time…

The Investment Opportunity: 85 hectar Cavendish Banana Plantation located in the heart of world renowned Philippine plantation of Cavendish Bananas and other trophical fruits, not to mention the bountiful harvest capacity and export opportunity. (fully functional already – being offered by a government Bank, back-up by our team’s expertise and long years of experience).

Rest assured that the bank will directly arrange a tripartite agreement between bank, investor and the developer to safeguard the interest of the investors.

Expenses incurred in the operation will be address to the bank where the investors money deposited.

All sales proceeds from production will be deposited in the bank until such time all capital expenditures has been fully paid within 5 years.

Net profit after tax deductions will be shared according to percentage 20% investors, 80% for the bank and the developer.

Attached are the following:

1. Five years projected operating cost

2. Five years cash flow projection

3. Five years profit & loss per hectare per year

4. Other Remarks…

Please do no hesistate to reply for your comments and remarks. Other detailed information, accounting costing and feasibility study are all available upon request at denissalvatierra@yahoo.com

Investors can be assured of their money’s security as the investment are well taken care by the bank itself for manageable accounting and disbursement and ROI. The farm is already operational and produced more than enough supply on a regular basis. The team are highly experience and trustworthy (former managers and consultants of known global brands of Cavendish Banana and pineapple. We are able and our experience is more than enough to handle this project. What we just need is investment… like gas to a car. Believe it or not, it can shipped on a weekly basis to the Middle East and other parts of the world. We just need a joint venture partner-investor.

Financial Plan (pls click to link below)

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AjIzSSSEYO6PdGNIOWJrZ2t5Y0hGYktkM0FjVGZBeGc&hl=en

YouTube Presentation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_BGgulGMNs

Other details you can inquired at denissalvatierra@yahoo.com

If in any case you are also interested with Moringa, below are my articles…

http://fyi09.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/moringa-oil-as-biofuel-is-better-than-jatropha/

http://fyi09.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/moringa-facts-and-benefits/

http://fyi09.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/the-science-behind-moringa/

http://fyi09.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/greener-pasteur/

http://fyi09.wordpress.com/?s=moringa

http://fyi09.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/wealth-behind-moringa/

Vicky Wallace and Her Bee Farm in Bohol Philippines

Image is excerpt from Google Images

Who would have thought that a high earning US base Filipino Nurse and a mother would trade all she owned in America, in exchange of her one chance to establish a community building organic farm in Bohol Philippines. Better known as Bohol Bee Farm.

The lady in the spot light is “Vicky Wallace,” a New York based nurse-turned-farmer.” I loved what she said…

“You make good money in the States but you have to ask yourself what is it all about.” I had three jobs. I hardly saw my kids. So after the school year there ended, I brought them here.”

She also said that returning to the Philippines to start a business was one of the best decisions she made in her life.

Rough Start for Vicky

As always, the non-traditional are the ones persecuted for their unorthodox vision. It was when Vicky’s husband died in 1988. She began to rethink of her priorities as a mother and in life. As mentioned, it wasn’t an easy decision to make. Nonetheless, Vicky was firm on her decision, no matter what other people said. Let me quote her mother’s own words, , ‘Why are you dragging your kids to the Philippines, ‘as if it was a bad thing,” she relates. Good thing Vicky did not give up. Now, Bohol Bee Farm is a blessing not just to her family but to the whole province of Bohol as it also attracts tourist and it branch out to other possibilities and entrepreneurial opportunities. Let me again quote another words of Vicky…

“But I never regretted my decision. What kept me going was the thought that I didn’t want to live a life where my children grew up not knowing who I was because I was always working, and later their children would grow up the same way.”

“What kept me going was the thought that I didn’t want to live a life where my children grew up not knowing who I was because I was always working, and later their children would grow up the same way.”

Vicky bought lands where she invested some of her earned money, of which they settled in of it. She started selling vegetables to her children’s classmates. Later the parents married to foreigners went to the farm themselves and harvest their preferred vegetables. She also expanded to homemade bread. Her success in homemade bread starts when she baked breads that suits customer’s tastes. She observed that foreigners don’t like it sweet. In the contrary, locals love their kamote bread, which is slightly sweeter. Bee Farm’s herb bread is a hit to foreigners and hopes to win Filipinos tastes soon. There’s no stopping this lady as she also offered muffins and crafts, something she learned in the US.

More of Bohol Bee Farm on their site…

http://www.boholbeefarm.com/

Old Kano - From Farm Animals to Organic Farming

One thing I like about National Geographic and Discovery Channel is their highly informative exploration in almost all aspects of human lives and the environment. But still, they could not tell it all as this world alone is too big for a show as theirs. Hope with this site of mine, I was able to relay some of the not so famous places I visited. Thus, in my own way I could pay tribute as well to some pioneers in their own fields.

At this point, allow me to uncover an organic farm in Silang, Cavite Philippines (near Tagaytay City) named, “Old Kano.”

Google map link: hhttp://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=SILANG+CAVITE+PHILIPPINES&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=25.565517,56.513672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Silang,+CALABARZON,+Philippines&t=h&z=11

The word “Kano” is a colloquial term for American. I would like to show some of the pictures I’ve taken before I proceed…

Allow me to tell you the story. Old Kano farm has a total lot area of 12,747 square meters along the province of Silang Cavite Philippines. The couple Mrs. Julieta and the late Mr. Fred Ammann owned this farm.

The couple actually started in Caloocan City (Metro Manila) where their actual business is selling of rabbits, turkey and other farm animals to some restaurant businesses in Manila. If I were not mistaken, the couple acquired the farm lot to expand their business they started in Caloocan. By that time, the Old Kano farm was not yet as known today. As days goes by, Fred Ammann started to sow some plot of “Dill” (exotic herbs) out of plain hobby. As this farm is along the way to the famous tourist destination Taal volcano view at Tagaytay City, an unexpected visitor one day came and he simply could not ignore the bed of “Dill.” He is Mr. Werner Berger. He bought some and asked how many he could grow. Mr. Berger came back but this time he brought with him the head chef then of Manila Peninsula, Mr. Alfred Moser. The man did not just order 30 kgs of dill every week but ask what else he grow. Mr. Fred handed a seed catalog to Chef Moser. The rest is history.

Out of a Mr. Fred’s plain hobby turned into a chance of a life time. Although not that big as what others have made, Mr. Fred sow more that a seed of dill but a legacy of practical organic farming in the Philippines that could sprout into more bigger and high modern organic farms in this land.

Now, Old Kano farm has abandoned farm animal selling and only produces a lot of salad crops, edible flowers and some exotic vegetables produced exclusively at the farm. They supply to many hotels and restaurants mostly in Metro Manila.

Old Kano was the pioneer on organic farming. Some of their offer are as follows: green ice, romain, lolo rosa, red lettuces, tatsoi, mizuna, cucumber, new zealand spinach, baby carrots, endive, french beans, kohlrabi, red raddish, cherry tomatoes , turnips tokyo, and stripped egg plants. Among the 18 varieties of herbs they produce are purple basil, sweet basil, cilantro, dill, marjoram, mint, Italian oregano, Italain parsley, arugula, rosemary, sage, sorrel, mexican tarragon, thyme, thai pepper, the habanero pepper, the cayenne. Their also produce tatsoi fine leaves, mizuna fine leaves, rocketa fin leaves, fennel fine leaves, kohlrabi fine leaves, sorrel fine leaves, mesclun leaves mix with lettuce leaves, mustard and radish sprout.

I was able to talk to one of the worker. I admire how they continue what Mr. Fred’s legacy under Mrs. Julieta (Mr. Fred’s wife). I fell in love with this farm though you could see how time has dilapidated many of the facilities. How I wish I could acquire this Old Kano farm to continue the vision of Mr. Fred and elevate it into the next level. I am more than willing to joint venture with an foreign partner with knowledge in farm technology advancement to put up both a farming school and modern farm as what Kim Yong Ki has done to Canaan Farm-School in South Korea without forgetting the vision of Mr. Fred. I know I could improve its façade to make it also friendly for visitors and tourist as it is also done in Thailand and in other known agri farms. Global commodity trading is now pointing to organic so this and other farms is sure winner if given the right investment and improvements.

Type of company:

• Foreign Branch

• Foreign Representative Office

• 100% fully foreign owned Domestic Corporation

• 60/40 owned Domestic Corporation

There are available consultancy firm that can assist and help assess those who need investment vehicle best for the owner and the company. Such services will be provided:

• Procedure

• Planning

• Registration to relevant Philippine government agencies (e.g Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Internal Revenue, etc.)

Added services will be as follows:

• Determine Capital Requirement

• Assist in the opening of local bank account

• Register and secure company name with Securities and Exchange Commission or with Department of Trade and Industry

• Identify Shareholders, Directors, Nominees and Incorporator

• Draft Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws

• Process documents with Securities and Exchange Commission, Board of Investment, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, etc

• Process Mayor Permit and Business Permit

• And whole lot more depending on capacity of the firm and where in the Philippines it is intended to establish its office/s.

Please be advice to get only credible and honest consultancy firm to avoid loss of time and money. The consultancy firm will also mention the existing realities and limitation with concerns to facility, national economic status, negative reports and things to expect.

Eligible businesses may then register their businesses with Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Board of Investment, etc. Incentives such as income tax holidays and special tax regimes are available to foreign investment.

Most foreign investors usually start through a Domestic corporation or a Branch. We recommend to register as corporation as there are administrative regulations. Branches, which may be more advantageous tax wise, cannot be used if the activities to be undertaken are included in the Foreign Investment Negative list. Corporations can accommodate Philippine ownership.

Forming or registering a corporation has to comply with the following requirement:

• Minimum of 5 incorporator, each of whom must be actual persons and hold at least a single share in the company.

• Majority of the incorporator must be Filipino.

• A Corporation must have between 5 and 15 directors, each of whom must have at least one share of stock.

• Majority of the directors (or trustees) must be Philippine residents.

• All Domestic Corporations (those incorporated in the Philippines) must obtain their license with the Securities and Exchange Commission

• Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission requires the following:

- Has to reserve and register a company name

- Has to submit proposed Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws in compliance with the Corporation Code of the Philippines

- Proof of minimum capitalization required to every industry or business the corporation is engaged in

- Has to have the minimum paid-up capital requirement for a corporation or where the foreign equity exceeds 40% is US$200,000, which must be remitted into the Philippines

- Must employ at least 50 employees.

All other details related to start-up, branch establishment and export oriented firms will be explained further by the consultancy firm. The issuance of a certificate of incorporation from the SEC signifies the commencement of corporate existence and juridical personality for a company.

Businesses must also register with the following agencies:

• Bureau of Internal Revenue

• Social Security System

• Home Development Mutual Fund

• Philippine Health Insurance Corporation

• And the local government unit where its principal office will be located.

If the business wish to operate as sole beneficial owner of the business, it should be registered to the Department of Trade and Industry and with the Beureu of Internal Revenue and must also register its business name with the Department of Trade and Industry through the Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection.

Other details will be explained further by the consultancy firm or the entrepreneur. You can inquire directly to Department of Trade and Industry.