Facts about the Cassava and Bamboo of the Philippines

From My FaceBook Page the other day. I grew up with these two plants during my childhood years in the Philippines. Bamboo and Cassava Plants are all over our backyard. These are two of the many tropical plants I am familiar with.

A: WHY SHOULD WE GROW CASSAVA

1. Highly profitable crop-Cassava is more profitable than maize. The gross margins per hector of Cassava is three times higher than that of maize.

2. Ready Market: Cassava is very easy to sell. The domestic market is huge. Cassava is also used for industrial purposes like in baking, making of cardboards, packaging materials, beer, starch, glue, baking and many more. Therefore the market for both cassava chips and flour is huge

3. Cassava is drought resistant compared to maize, making it a good for household and national food security

4. Cassava is easy to store. The crop can be harvested only as needs arise. The surplus can be stored under ground thereby resulting in low post harvest losses.

5. The crop is desease resistant. No need for insecticides, thus cheaper and easy to manage

6. Can grow almost everywhere, regardless of the soil fertility

7. Multiple uses-. All parts of the plant are useful. Leaves can be used for vegetables, stems are used for planting, roots or tubers can be used to make floor, chips, or can be eaten raw.

8. Widely consumed in many African regions countries. Staple food in many regions

9. Can be processed using the most basic or natural methods like just socking, sun-drying and pounding

10. Huge demand for both domestic and industrial use

11. Can be inter-cropped with other crops like millet, groundnuts and beans

12. Does not require any chemical fertilizers, making it cheaper to grow

13. Rich source of starch and carbohydrates, making it a good security crop

14. Complementarity-Cassava can be consumed together or mixed with other crops. Tates supper with groundnuts, beans. Cassava floor mixed with maize meal tastes better.

15. Huge potential for commercialization- cassava can easily or will soon be a commercial crop given it's multiple industrial uses like the making of starch, flour, beer etc.

16. Nutritious-Cassava leaves are nutritious with some medicinal properties

Cassava Cake💚 is delicious and nutritious. The Cabunocs, two of my guests at my 90th Birthday Party last Saturday, brought me a Cassava Cake with Jack fruit. It was delicious.

B: Some Facts about Bamboo:

1. Fast Growth: Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world. It has been recorded at growing 47.6 inches in 24 hours. Some species can even grow over a meter per day under optimal conditions. A new bamboo shoot reaches its full height in less than a year.

2. Oxygen Release: A grove of bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than any other tree out there.

3. Carbon Dioxide Absorption: Bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide at a rate of 17 tons per hectare every year. It can act as a valuable carbon sink given how fast the plant grows.

4. No Fertilizer Required: Bamboo doesn’t need fertilizer to grow. It can self-mulch by dropping its leaves and use the nutrients to grow.

5. Drought Resistance: Bamboos are drought-tolerant plants. They can grow in the desert.

6. Wood Replacement: Bamboos can be harvested in 3-5 years compared to the 20-30 years of most softwood trees.

7. Building Material: Bamboo is incredibly strong and sturdy. It has been used as support for concrete as well as scaffolding, bridges, and houses.

8. Soil Stability: Bamboo has a wide network of underground roots and rhizomes that prevent soil erosion.

9. Natural Air Conditioner: Bamboo cools the air surrounding it by up to 8 degrees in the summer.

10. Invasiveness: Some species of bamboo, especially ‘running’ bamboos, can be invasive due to their extensive root systems, which allow them to spread rapidly. However, not all species are invasive, and with proper management, the environmental impact can be minimized.

Meanwhile, From My Former Garden- My Doggie Pepper- Its not an AI generated photo. It's the real thing!

Lastly, Did you Know that, Apo Reef is a coral reef system in the Philippines situated in the western waters of Occidental Mindoro province in the Mindoro Strait. The reef and its surrounding waters are protected areas administered as the Apo Reef Natural Park (ARNP). It is one of the best known and most popular diving regions in the country, and is on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Finally looking forward for our Christmas Eve ( tonite) and New Year's Eve ( 12/31/24)Dinners.

I plan on enjoying the Crab cakes and Pan Seared Scallops and Dutch apple pie a la mode

For New Years Eve, I have reserved the lobster bisque soup, smoked salmon platter, Baked Lobster Tail and the Chocolate Cake with Strawberries

💚 recipe for cassava cake

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!