Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Ex-trader lays down plan for profitable veggie farming By Robert L. Domoguen
THANKS to a former trader turned farmer, the future of highland vegetable farming is already operational. It is efficient, safe and productive throughout the year, highly profitable and utilizes lesser land, said Cesar Rodriguez, regional executive director of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Vegetable farming is done in the open field. It is plagued by prevalent pest and diseases and the persistent use of hazardous chemical inputs. Production is done in the open field and is dependent on the seasons, with the usual problem of over supply or market glut during harvest.
In his welcome remarks before members of the executive board of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (Ifad) who visited Benguet and Mountain Province on April 6-8, 2008, Rodriguez said Francisco Ching, an enterprising farmer in Benguet, may have already laid down the blueprint for a modernized sustainable vegetable production in the Cordillera.
Ifad is the main sponsor for the implementation of the second phase of the Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resources Management (Charm) Project of the DA. Nineteen members of the Ifad board and senior staff visited the Charm Project areas to evaluate accomplishments under Charm Project phase 1 and to determine potential project activities under Charm Project phase 2.
The project document for the second phase of Charm reveals Ifad's keen interest to support organic and sustainable agricultural production and related initiatives on promoting watersheds and quality environment in the Cordillera highlands.
Rodriguez said Benguet plays a key role in the food security of the Philippines being the main supplier of table greens to major markets in Metro Manila and other parts of the country. Farmers in Benguet, he said, are being encouraged to shift towards alternative organic production strategies.
Formerly a trader since 1980, supplying Benguet vegetables to various clients in Metro Manila, Rodriguez told the Ifad delegation that "Ching is one of the progressive farmers pursuing sustainable vegetable production in Benguet. He is engaged in the production of organic vegetables under greenhouses in his farms in Mankayan and Sablan, Benguet Province." He now sells his produce in high-end markets abroad and locally.
In an earlier interview, Ching said he used to load vegetables in his freight truck without much concern on proper packing and handling. As expected, bruising and deterioration has affected the quality of the vegetables that he brought to the market. This has resulted to decreased income on his part.
According to him, he was convinced about the use of the cold chain and the need to carefully handle and package the vegetables to maintain their freshness and quality after harvest.
After being trained, Ching is now a regular user of the refrigerated trucks and a cooling station in Wangal, La Trinidad which were turned over by the DA to the Benguet Provincial Government to operate.
A man of vision and concerned with showing vegetable farmers how to maximize the cold chain program, Ching and his wife Anastasia decided to venture into farming.
Initially, they bought a 12-hectare lot in Cada, Mankayan, Benguet which was devoted to open field vegetable production as most farmers in the area do. He later found out that open field farming is not the best way to go for highland vegetable production.
"Open field farming is subject to the elements and vagaries of the weather. Thus, all farmers are forced to plant the same crops following seasonal schedules which results in oversupply and stiff competition in the market," he said.
The problem led him again to consult friends who encouraged him to go to Tagaytay City and observe the benefits of greenhouse farming.
Ching said he borrowed from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) to start growing Romaine lettuce in a 500-square greenhouse and following organic farming. Combined with good production and marketing, meaning producing what the market needs, he has since expanded his greenhouse operations to 7,000 square meters with more loans from LandBank.
With the growing demand for his products, Ching has more plans of expansion. However, he will prioritize the payment of his loans. He said "if the government could lend me more capital without interest, I could expand and meet the demand of other markets and generate more employment in the locality."
"On a weekly basis, we are harvesting about four tons of lettuce from our greenhouse alone. We maintain seasonal production of ashninaga broccoli, broad beans, cabbage, and potatoes from our open field operations. That means we are on time in paying our loans. Right now we pay 40 emergency laborers for processing alone, 15 regular laborers in our open field farm, and six in our greenhouse operations," he said.
He said open field farming cannot be totally done away with. It can be pursued in the flatlands, valleys and plateaus in Benguet. The impact of the unpredictable and fluctuating prices of vegetable commodities from the open field must be minimized.
In the case of Ching, he first searched for markets that can accommodate his products at a contracted price.
