Welcome to the National Abaca Research Center (NARC). NARC is located at the beautiful campus of the Visayas State University (VSU) formerly Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA), 7 km North of Baybay proper and bounded by a huge beautiful mountain of Pangasugan in the East  and by the Camotes sea in the West.
The National Abaca Research Center (NARC) at the Visayas State University (VSU), which is mandated to help uplift the abaca industry, started its operation in 1987 with the launching of an integrated and multidisciplinary research and development program on abaca. It is one of the agencies which actively involved in research and extension work on fiber indusrtry. It aims to increase production and improvement of the quality of abaca fiber and its products. Since its existence, NARC has developed abaca technologies that increase the income of small abaca farmers, generate employment for rural households, and increase value-added to the plant.
It has also formulated an Integrated Extension program to effectively respond to the needs of the industry particularly in facilitating the dissemination of abaca technologies to end-users and assist Local Government Units in establishing livelihood and agricultural support-services program.
The Center is housed in a two-storey building with 14 rooms for research staff, one training hall, a mini-library, one computer room, a facilitative room, a show room, 4 restrooms and a Director’s office.
NARC's abaca germplasm collection which is the largest in the country and the whole world, consists of 518 cultivated species, 105 hybrids and 150 wild relatives or a total of 773 accessions collected from all over the country.
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Handmade Paper from Stripping Wastes
Brief Description
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Abaca stripping wastes are used as raw materials in the pulping process.
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30 to 45% pulp yield can be obtained from abaca stripping wastes. The pulping process is very simple, uses locally available materials and equipment which can be done at the village level by farmers, housewives and OSYs.
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Increases the valued added to the abaca plant.
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Generates/provides employment opportunities and source of income to OSYs, rural women, housewives, students, disabled individuals and other idle members of the community.
Handmade paper product such as fans, stationeries, utility boxes, gift wraps, bags, wedding invitations, cards and other decorative and novelty items can be made out of this pulp. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 15 October 2010 07:43 |
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Integrated Industrial Uses
The leaves could be used for chlorophyll extraction to produce chlorophyll dye which are used in food and toiletry products. The dried and hanging leaves can be used as bedding medium for mushroom culture and for making compost.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Recommended Varieties
For Visayas:
Musa Tex 80 - 1,700 kg
Musa Tex 81 - 1,430 kg
Musa Tex 52 - 1,390 kg
Minenonga - 1,310 kg
Inosa - 1,270 kg
Laylay - 1,000 kg
Cultural Management
Soil Requirement
Abaca grows well in all types of soil but it is most productive in areas where the soil is volcanic in origin, rich in organic matter, loose, friable and well drained clay loam type. The water table is preferably 80 cm with 60 –80% of saturation. The soil has pH of 6.0 –7.0 and elevation of less than 1,000 meter above sea level.
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Last Updated on Friday, 15 October 2010 07:42 |
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