Palayamanan A Big Hit in Pigcawayan, Shariff Kabunsuan
Many farmers in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are practicing Palavamanan or integrated farming. Among them are the farmers in Barangav Sultan Kudarat, Pigcawayan, Shariff Kabunsuan. They are ever grateful that such a technology was introduced to them because if not for it, their farm income would not increase.
Indeed, these farmers have all the good reasons to say so since they are now earning much from vegetable production. “What PhilRice and JICA taught us is beautiful because it has helped us improve our livelihood,” says 55-year-old Maudti Ali.
Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) introduced the Palayamanan concept to the Muslim farmers through a technical cooperation project in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries of ARMM (DAF-ARMM). Among the agencies cooperating in the implementation of the project is the University of Southern Mindanao through its Pagkain Para sa Masa program.
HANDSOME INCOME
The income that the TCP 4 participants derived from vegetable production is something they would always want to happen.
Take Maudti for instance. In the previous cropping season, he planted 150 hills of squash and earned P3,500. He even gave some fruits as a token of gratitude to the PhilRice and DAF-ARMM agricultural technologists who taught him the rudiments of vegetable raising, as well as to other farmers.
He also derived good income from his other crops. He earned P1,000 from 50 hills of cucumber, P750 from 45 hills of ampalaya, more than P1,000 from okra, more than P800 from patola. Moreover, he also earned P30,225 from his lanzones harvest of 2,015 kg and P1,000 from marang.
The income of Abdul Gani Gandawari, 51, was a lot better. His income from each crop was no less than P1,000. From 1,000 hills of okra, he earned P3,200, P3,000 from 11,000 hills of eggplant; more than P5,000 from 700 hills of squash, more than P3,000 from upo (white gourd), more than P3,000 from 1,000 hills of sitao, more than P3,000 from sweet pepper, P1,000 from cucumber, and more than P6,000 from guava.
On the other hand, Theng Lidasan, got more than P9,000 from sitao (more than P6,000), squash (more than P2,000), upo (P800), and okra (more than P500). What’s amazing is that he has only onehalf hectare planted to traditional upland rice and vegetables.
CONTINUING THE PRODUCTION
Since they have already started to obtain some income from vegetable production, the Sultan Kudarat farmers have promised to themselves to continue planting vegetables.
During our visit, Abdul Gani had camote for tops production, 400 hills of sitao, 180 hills of upo, 70 hills of squash that were newly planted, and 10 hills of winged beans.
In more than 2 ha of rolling land, he has planted the following trees: 12 santol, two caimito, 12 jackfruit, six mango, two calamansi, four avocado, four pumelo, more than 100 banana, 10 marang. 10 papaya, and durian. He hopes for a good income when the trees are already bearing fruits.
On the other hand, Nasser Paguitar, 30, cultivates 3 ha for rice and vegetable production. A portion of another 3 ha has been planted to mango, coconut, marang and Bangkok santol, while rubber will be planted in 2.5 ha. At the time of our visit, he had 600 hills of eggplant and 200 hills of sweet pepper which had started to bear fruits. For the first time, he planted rice - the upland rice variety NSIC Rc9 to one-half hectare.
WHAT THEY SAY
Speaking in behalf of the other participants, Abdul Gani said they have learned so much through the technical cooperation project, and that the new technology that has been taught to them is very different from their practices in the past. They learned how to use agricultural
chemicals properly, and that these should be applied only when necessary. They have also learned to apply the proper amount of fertilizer at the right time, as well as the use of animal manure.
“We have learned to plant vegetables the right way and our harvests have increased,” Abdul Gani said.
The farmers also said that their increased yields have also resulted in greater vegetable consumption in their households because they no longer have to buy these in the market. Hence, they have decided to continue to multiply and plant the seeds that were given to them through the project.
Maudti Ali even added that he will continue to give vegetable seeds to other farmers and teach them how to plant properly so that they will no longer ask for vegetables from him and the other TCP 4 participants.
Jokingly but with a well meant message, he said: “it would be better for the farmer to drink poison if he can’t learn to plant properly.”
