A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the centralPhilippines on Feb. 6, killing at least 43 people and causing widespreadpanic, officials said.
The powerful quake hit in a narrow straitbetween the heavily populated island provinces of Negros and Cebu,causing buildings to collapse, cracking roads and bridges, and shuttingdown the power supply.
In Cebu city, a popular touristdestination and city of 2.3 million, hotel guests scrambled to higherfloors as unfounded rumours that a huge tsunami was bearing down spreadby text message.
At least 29 were killed by landslides while 10others were crushed by collapsing buildings in the mountainous town ofof Guihulngan in Negros, said regional military official ColonelFrancisco Patrimonio.
There is also an undetermined number of wounded, he added.
“Someprivate homes collapsed along with our court house and parts of thepublic market. We got people out of the buildings but we could notevacuate the homes,” police chief Senior Inspector Alvin Futalan toldAFP.
Four other people were killed in other parts of Negros whichalso suffered widespread power outages and cracked roads and bridges,hampering rescue efforts, Patrimonio told reporters.
“Looting isnow rampant in Guihulngan which forced us to commit (more troops) withthe Philippine national police,” the colonel added./.
TTA0702. Organic rice gets taste of success
CaMau, Feb. 7 (VNA) — Hoa Sua organic fragrant rice in the southernmostprovince of Ca Mau has become the first organic rice produced in Vietnamthat meets EU and US standards.
The Vien Phu Organic and HealthyFoods Joint-Stock Corporation has received two organic productioncertificates issued by the international Control Union Certificationsfor its Hoa Sua organic fragrant rice and other products.
NguyenDang Nghia, director of the Southern Region's Environment – Fertiliser –Land Research Centre, said Vien Phu was the only farm in Vietnam thathas received organic production certificates granted by both the US andthe EU.
In 2009, Ca Mau authorities allocated 320ha of fallowland in U Minh District's Khanh An Commune for Vien Phu to set up alarge-scale field with international production standards.
After three years of preparing the land, Vien Phu can now plant rice on 120 of 320ha.
VoMinh Khai, general director of Vien Phu, said his company has investedmore than 30 billion VND (1.4 million USD) in the land to grow organicrice and vegetables using natural materials. Fish are also raised in thepaddies.
The company breeds fish and ducks in rice fields and uses micro-organic fermentation to kill rice pests.
Althoughthe yield of organic rice is still low for first crops, Vien Phu isexpected to increase the productivity of organic rice to five tonnes in2015 after more money is poured into the project, according to Khai.
The company annually exports 1,000 tonnes of Hoa Sua fragrant rice at a price of 10 USD a kilo, mostly to the US and the EU.
Thisyear, Vien Phu expects to produce about 1,000 tonnes of various kindsof Hoa Sua organic fragrant rice, including white, red, purple and blackrice.
The company plans to cooperate with 10,000-20,000 farm households that have a total of 10,000-20,000 ha to grow the rice.
Iflocal authorities support construction irrigation systems, Ca MauProvince can expand the area under organic rice cultivation to100,000ha.
Le Dung, deputy director of the Ca Mau ProvincePeople's Committee, said the provincial administration will createconditions for Vien Phu to develop organic rice cultivation in Tran VanThoi District./.
The powerful quake hit in a narrow straitbetween the heavily populated island provinces of Negros and Cebu,causing buildings to collapse, cracking roads and bridges, and shuttingdown the power supply.
In Cebu city, a popular touristdestination and city of 2.3 million, hotel guests scrambled to higherfloors as unfounded rumours that a huge tsunami was bearing down spreadby text message.
At least 29 were killed by landslides while 10others were crushed by collapsing buildings in the mountainous town ofof Guihulngan in Negros, said regional military official ColonelFrancisco Patrimonio.
There is also an undetermined number of wounded, he added.
“Someprivate homes collapsed along with our court house and parts of thepublic market. We got people out of the buildings but we could notevacuate the homes,” police chief Senior Inspector Alvin Futalan toldAFP.
Four other people were killed in other parts of Negros whichalso suffered widespread power outages and cracked roads and bridges,hampering rescue efforts, Patrimonio told reporters.
“Looting isnow rampant in Guihulngan which forced us to commit (more troops) withthe Philippine national police,” the colonel added./.
TTA0702. Organic rice gets taste of success
CaMau, Feb. 7 (VNA) — Hoa Sua organic fragrant rice in the southernmostprovince of Ca Mau has become the first organic rice produced in Vietnamthat meets EU and US standards.
The Vien Phu Organic and HealthyFoods Joint-Stock Corporation has received two organic productioncertificates issued by the international Control Union Certificationsfor its Hoa Sua organic fragrant rice and other products.
NguyenDang Nghia, director of the Southern Region's Environment – Fertiliser –Land Research Centre, said Vien Phu was the only farm in Vietnam thathas received organic production certificates granted by both the US andthe EU.
In 2009, Ca Mau authorities allocated 320ha of fallowland in U Minh District's Khanh An Commune for Vien Phu to set up alarge-scale field with international production standards.
After three years of preparing the land, Vien Phu can now plant rice on 120 of 320ha.
VoMinh Khai, general director of Vien Phu, said his company has investedmore than 30 billion VND (1.4 million USD) in the land to grow organicrice and vegetables using natural materials. Fish are also raised in thepaddies.
The company breeds fish and ducks in rice fields and uses micro-organic fermentation to kill rice pests.
Althoughthe yield of organic rice is still low for first crops, Vien Phu isexpected to increase the productivity of organic rice to five tonnes in2015 after more money is poured into the project, according to Khai.
The company annually exports 1,000 tonnes of Hoa Sua fragrant rice at a price of 10 USD a kilo, mostly to the US and the EU.
Thisyear, Vien Phu expects to produce about 1,000 tonnes of various kindsof Hoa Sua organic fragrant rice, including white, red, purple and blackrice.
The company plans to cooperate with 10,000-20,000 farm households that have a total of 10,000-20,000 ha to grow the rice.
Iflocal authorities support construction irrigation systems, Ca MauProvince can expand the area under organic rice cultivation to100,000ha.
Le Dung, deputy director of the Ca Mau ProvincePeople's Committee, said the provincial administration will createconditions for Vien Phu to develop organic rice cultivation in Tran VanThoi District./.
