Agriculture Business Week

What most people would probably remember about Guimaras is that it is the province whose aquatic resources have been poisoned by one of the worse oil spills in the history of the country.

For Elias Sustituido however, not even a drop of the tons of oil that have been spilled into the sea about two years ago matters. He appreciates this island across Iloilo City now more than ever for it is the home of his 4-hectare farm from which he reaps a handsome profit.

Called Eli’s Farm, this piece of land in Nueva Valencia is a haven of various crops and farm animals for natural farming is being practiced here. Actually, it is a far cry from what it has been. Establishing it has never been easy; it has taken Elias two decades to turn this tract of land into a profitable farm.

“In the early years, I planted corn in the hilly portion and rice in the terraced fields. However, the returns were low and we oftentimes incurred huge losses,” Elias said. “As I farmed, I studied various concepts and approaches to farming. I focused in dryland agriculture since my farm is hilly and water requirement for traditional crops is high.”

TERRACED FARM
Meeting the water requirement of his crops, especially during the dry months, is the reason why he developed the slopes into a series of terraces. Five meters apart, the terraces hold rainwater. These also serve as fishponds, and since the bottom of the pond is fairly dense, rainwater can be stored for as long as six months.

Rainwater percolates into the underground aquifers in the farm as well as in the areas near the farm. The percolation is limited so Elias is able to recharge the underground aquifers.

He also stores rainwater in the paddies in low-lying areas. Actually these were initially planted to rice alone, then later he planted some portions of it to Napier grass, and legumes such as centrosema, and rensonii to provide fodder for his goats and cattle.

“With this system, I am able to maintain the shallow water table for the past 20 years. Even now, I am able to extract water from shallow wells about 12 feet deep in certain parts of my farm,” Elias said.

BASE CROPS
All the trees in the farm are planted in an east-to-west direction, and where possible in quincunx.

The base crops are cashew and jackfruit, and there are 400 trees and 100 trees of these in the farm, respectively. Some of the trees are planted in the dikes to help hold and strengthen the dikes. Asked why he chose cashew and jackfruit as his base crops, Elias said it’s due to the economic potentials of the said trees.

Mostly growing wild, cashew is a major product of Guimaras. Cashew green beans sell well in the public market of Alibhon, Jordan which is the major farmers’ exchange point in the province. Processed cashew commands a higher price, hence Elias’ family has started to produce and sell roasted, buttered, and honeyed cashew.

Jackfruit, on one hand, is a favorite vegetable of Ilonggos. In fact in Guimaras, ripe jackfruit is as popular as mangoes. But in general, jackfruit, whether it’s ripe or not, fetches a good price in Iloilo City, and Elias is making money from it, too.

Chico, star apple, coconut, and makopa trees are also thriving in the farm, but the
fruits of these are just for personal consumption, says Elias.

INTEGRATED FARMING
Elias is also raising pigs, goats and cattle for added food and income.

He is practicing the no-wash-pigs technology wherein the pigpens need not be washed for its flooring is stocked with bedding that speeds up the decomposition of manure and absorbs foul odor. The bedding is a mixture of river sand, a few kilos of salt, and carbonized rice hull, which is a good odor-controlling agent and soil enhancer. It is an ideal medium for growth of beneficial organisms for it binds nutrients from the manure and holds up water.

“We change the bedding after a cycle of 120-150 days. Then we dry and mix it into vegetable beds as organic fertilizers,” he said. “We feed our pigs with commercial rations as well as with home-made rations which is made of farm byproducts such as cassava, sweet potato, vegetable trimmings, and leguminous and high-protein leaves of madre de agua, ipil-ipil, cadios, and flemengia.”

He grows madre de cacao, arachis, and pigeon pea, too, for weed control and as feeds for his goats and cattle. He sparingly adds rice bran and other concentrates for faster growth of livestock.

He also periodically. trims the leguminous trees and shrubs, and uses the unconsumed leaves as mulch to preserve soil moisture and provide added nutrients to the trees and crops.

Having a farm like this, Elias definitely enjoys Guimaras more than any tourist can. Here, he and his family are happy with the profits he derives, and fulfilled for helping safeguard the environment, even in a small way.

By Lorenzo P. Locara