URBAN FARMER | A new technology to boost mussel production

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BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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Monday, June 12, 2017
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MAJORITY of the mussel farmers in the country have been using the conventional stake method for their mussel production.

It is said that from this method, which have been practiced locally for many years, could produce up to 150 sacks per hectare only.

As a substitute for the traditional stake method, mussel longline culture technology was introduced to help the farmers improve their yield.

Trials have shown that the technology has been found to be more efficient as it can produce relatively higher production per unit area.

The technology could also produce superior quality mussels, and reduce siltation in mussel beds.

A mussel farmer from Barangay Bahay in Tarangnan, Samar, was among those who realized the benefits of using the longline method in mussel production.

From producing the usual 150 sacks, he can now produce around 220 sacks of mussels using the longline technology.

Mario S. Cano, Sr. is one of the collaborators selected to test themussel longline culture method.

The trial is part of the National Mussel Science and Technology (S&T) Program.

It is being implemented by the Samar State University College of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, and funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology.

The mussel trials aim to determine the growth rate and survival of mussels using longline culture method.

The reason for identifying Cano as a collaborator is that he has been engaged in mussel farming since he was 15 years old in Cambutatay, Samar.

Before adopting the new technology, he had been using the conventional stake method.

Cano said that during the ‘70s, his mussel farm, which is composed of 100 bamboo poles, yielded up to 150 sacks only.

He said this could give him a net profit of P15,000 where his produce was sold at P180 per sack.

In the ‘80s, however, the mussel industry collapsed mainly due to the paralytic shellfish poisoning (red tide).

But the industry was able to spring back during the early ‘90s.

In the early stages of implementation, Cano was hesitant to use the longline method as the mussels could be easily harvested by poachers and other fishermen passing near his farm.

In the first trial run, however, he noted a promising yield and good quality mussel meat.

Comparatively, his stake method did not yield as much as the longline method due to mass mortality of mussels caused by unknown virus in the area.

Using the longline method, Cano now produces 220 sacks of mussels from a hectare with 10 units of 100 meters longline.

From this harvest, he generated a profit of at least P81,000 from the mussels, which he sold at P450 per sack in the local market.

He can now afford to send his children to college, acquire home appliances, and financially support the needs of his family.

This shows that the adoption of new technologies could improve the yield of certain crops, and eventually improve the lives of the beneficiaries. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)

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