The Philippines is mainly an agricultural country with a land area of 30 million hectares, 47 percent of which is agricultural. The total area devoted to agricultural crops is 13 million hectares distributed among food grains, food crops and non-food crops. Among the crops grown, rice, coconut and sugarcane are major contributors to biomass energy resources.
The most common agricultural wastes in the Philippines are rice husk, rice straw, coconut husk, coconut shell and bagasse. The country has good potential for biomass power plants as one-third of the country’s agricultural land produces rice, and consequently large volumes of rice straw and hulls are generated.
Rice is the staple food in the Philippines. The Filipinos are among the world’s biggest rice consumers. The average Filipino consumes about 100 kilograms per year of rice. Though rice is produced throughout the country, the Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley are the major rice growing regions. With more than 1.2 million hectares of rain-fed rice-producing areas, the country produced around 19 million tons of rice in 2019.
The estimated production of rice hull in the Philippines is more than 2 million tons per annum which is equivalent to approximately 5 million BOE (barrels of oil equivalent) in terms of energy. Rice straw is another important biomass resource with potential availability exceeding 5 million tons per year across the country.
With the passing of Biofuels Act of 2006, the sugar industry in the Philippines which is the major source of ethanol and domestic sugar will become a major thriving industry. Around 380,000 hectares of land is devoted to sugarcane cultivation. It is estimated that 1.17 million tonnes of sugarcane trash is recoverable as a biomass resource in the Philippines.
In addition, 6.4 million tonnes of surplus bagasse is available from sugar mills. There are 29 operating sugar mills in the country with an average capacity of 6,900 tonnes of cane per day. Majority is located in Negros Island which provides about 46% of the country’s annual sugar production.
The Philippines has the largest number of coconut trees in the world as it produces most of the world market for coconut oil and copra meal. The major coconut wastes include coconut shell, coconut husks and coconut coir dust. Coconut shell is the most widely utilized but the reported utilization rate is very low. Approximately 500 million coconut trees in the Philippines produce tremendous amounts of biomass as husk (4.1 million tonnes), shell (1.8 million tonnes), and frond (4.5 million tonnes annually).
Maize is a major crop in the Philippines that generates large amounts of agricultural residues. It is estimated that 4 million tonnes of grain maize and 0.96 million tonnes of maize cobs produced yearly in the Philippines. Maize cob burning is the main energy application of the crop, and is widely practiced by small farmers to supplement fuelwood for cooking.
If you want to know about sustainable rice farming practices, check this link.
Good day, Sir. May we inquire where you obtained all the data presented in this article? Thanks.
Dear Krisha
Most of the data used in the article is based on our own research.
Hope this information is of interest.
Best wishes
Salman Zafar
CEO, BioEnergy Consult
http://www.bioenergyconsult.com
Hello, Sir. May we use the data in our waste characterization study? We are trying to estimate the amount of agricultural waste generated from rice production here in the Municipality of Laoang in Northern Samar, Philippines. We promise to cite the data source properly. Thanks.
Dear Krisha
Thanks for the message. Please feel free to use the data in your study. Glad to know that we have been of some help.
Best wishes
Salman Zafar
CEO, BioEnergy Consult
Good day sir, i’m a civil engineering undergraduate student of UP Los Banos and i’m interested in conducting a thesis on the viability of “rice straw ash” as a supplementary material in making concrete. Just want to ask where and how to get a significant amount of the said waste product(preferably near Laguna,Philippines). It would be of great help. Thank you and God Bless!
Dear Oliver
Thanks for your message. Nice to hear about your thesis topic.
I would have been glad to help but unfortunately I am based in India and dont have specific information about locations in Philippines from where you can procure rice straw ash. Will surely inform if I come across potential leads.
Wish you the best!
Salman Zafar
CEO, BioEnergy Consult
http://www.bioenergyconsult.com
Dear Mr. Salman,
Greetings for your research. As per the quantity of agricultural waste mentioned in your article, it is very clear that Philippines has a very good potential of producing energy from Biomass.
I am working in the field of Biomass from last 5 yrs in India.
Last year we successfully commissioned a 1.5 Tn/Hr Pellet Plant in India with Rice Husk and Rice Straw as major raw material.
With this huge quantity of rice waste, Philippines can become a major Fuel Pellet exporter for Europe.
We can together work on this.
Thanks & Regards
Dear Rahul
Thanks for your message. Will surely inform whenever there are opportunities for collaboration. You may share a profile of your company at salman@bioenergyconsult.com
Best wishes
Salman Zafar
CEO, BioEnergy Consult
Good day, Sir. Is it possible for me to know the agricultural waste coming from the pineapple plantations in the Philippines? It would really be helpful for my reference in my research.
Thank you.
sir, do you have the statistics of coconut petiole waste in the country?
Good day!
Your article is helpful but I’m wondering where did the figure for Rice residues (specifically rice hull) came from?) I mean.. do we have any particular source?
Form this paragraph:
Rice is the staple food in the Philippines. The Filipinos are among the world’s biggest rice consumers. The average Filipino consumes about 100 kilograms per year of rice. Though rice is produced throughout the country, the Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley are the major rice growing regions. With more than 1.2 million hectares of rain-fed rice-producing areas, the country produced around 16 million tons of rice in 2007. The estimated production of rice hull in the Philippines is more than 2 million tons per annum which is equivalent to approximately 5 million BOE (barrels of oil equivalent) in terms of energy. Rice straw is another important biomass resource with potential availability exceeding 5 million tons per year across the country.
I am hoping to use it in my research on rice hull in the Philippines (or in central Luzon)
.
I hope you can help. Thank you.
Dear Pines
Thanks for reading my article.
The article was originally written 6-7 years ago and I primarily based my findings on the agricultural database of Food and Agricultural Organization FAOSTAT.
Hope this information is helpful.
Best wishes
Salman Zafar
CEO, BioEnergy Consult
http://www.bioenergyconsult.com
Is it okay if the rice straw will degraded
Dear Jumark
Rice straw can be degraded by yeast, but thermal pretreatment is required beforehand.
Best wishes
Salman Zafar
CEO, BioEnergy Consult
http://www.bioenergyconsult.com
Good day Sir,
Can I use your data in my lecture notes.
Thank you.
Milagros B. Onalan
Dear Salman,
Thanks for the vast knowledge and impact on biomass.i am an exporter of palm kernel shell,pls can we get buyers or importers through your platform
Hello Sir,
May we please know the reference of these statements to use in our research.
“Maize is a major crop in the Philippines that generates large amounts of agricultural residues. It is estimated that 4 million tonnes of grain maize and 0.96 million tonnes of maize cobs produced yearly in the Philippines. Maize cob burning is the main energy application of the crop, and is widely practiced by small farmers to supplement fuelwood for cooking.”
Good Day! I just want to ask if you collect a waste of TUBO (Sugar Cane). Everyday we have a 15 sacks of waste coming from our kiosk and our commissary. Can you help me with this matter? Where can we throw our waste?
Thank you.
dear sir,
we want biodegrable plastic fron bagase ,its technology aveleble in you? please give details.
Good Day!
i am interested on studying the characteristics of coconut shell. may used the data pertains to ideas that includes the coconut shells.
Hi sir. Can you recommend/suggest some thesis topics about agricultural wastes particularly on rice, sugar and corn. Thank you. God bless!
By the way, I’am an agricultural biosystems and engineering.
*student