July 2008

ALLY FROM THE INSECT WORLD.   Roger Gualberto, vice chairman of the Maharlika Farmers Cooperative in Davao Del Sur, shows off cabbages grown naturally, with protection from the diadegma wasp (inset), which feeds on the diamond black moth that destroys crops. The use of diadegma as an alternative pest control aid can greatly reduce production costs, says Gualberto. The Maharlika cooperative is a member of the Vegetable Industry Council of Southern Mindanao, an umbrella organization of vegetable farmers, cooperatives, input suppliers and institutions aiming to strengthen the region’s vegetable industry, with assistance from USAID's Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, which is implemented under the oversight of the Mindanao Economic Development Council. (GEM)