There’s money in farming if you are hard working enough and open-minded to adopt improved farming practices. Just like Tannie Zaulda, 48, a former soldier who made a profit of P188,000 last year from a trial planting of 120 kilos of ginger seed pieces in his two-hectare farm in Barangay Julita, Libacao, Aklan.

The inspiring story was sent to us as a photo release from Melpha M. Abello, a former staff of Agriculture magazine who opted to free herself from the monstrous traffic jam in Metro Manila. She went back to her hometown and today, she is enjoying traffic-less commute to her new job at the Aklan State University.

Tannie planted ginger as an intercrop between his Señorita bananas. From that initial planting, he was able to harvest three tons which gave him the P188,000 profit. Encouraged by the good income, he planted this year 45,000 hills from which he also expects a good profit.

image: http://www.mb.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/plantingmb6.jpg

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SCHOOL KIDS TEST AGRI-SMART TECHNIQUES – The Los Baños-based SEARCA is piloting climate-smart agricultural technologies in six elementary schools in Laguna to inculcate early in the minds of the school kids the importance of improved agricultural know-how. The knowledge learned in the piloting work in school gardens, according to SEARCA Director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr., will become tools with which the citizenry can learn to protect the environment, provide for the food needs of the communities, and instill in the domestic work force needed skills for agriculture. Read the details of the project in the November issue of Agriculture Magazine which is now off the press.

Before he planted ginger, Señorita banana has been his main money-maker, and still is up to this day. He has 3,500 hills of the early-maturing banana variety. He says that from one hill, he can harvest three bunches in one year. The first bunch is harvestable seven months after planting, followed by two others from succeeding suckers.

He sells his bananas to buyers from Aklan, Capiz and as far as Iloilo at P10 per kilo wholesale. In addition to his Señorita banana and ginger, Tannie has also planted 100 hills of Lakatan and 150 hills of Latundan bananas and some high-value fruit trees. He is one of the farmers being assisted by the local government unit of Libacao with the technical advice from Aklan University through its Extension and Community Services Unit.

Other Inspiring Stories – There are also other inspiring stories. These are featured in the November 2016 issue of Agriculture magazine which is now off the press. One is the story of Wilber Sabatchi of Mankayan, Benguet.

Wilber is a former OFW who worked for seven years as caregiver in Israel and four years as a factory worker in Korea. Today he is making good income from growing Red Star sweet pepper in his farm. He was also inspired by the high yield of Red Star in his trial planting of 60 plants. From those 60  plants he was able to harvest 300 kilos that earned him P45,000. From then on, he fell in love with Red Star and has continued to plant the same.

You will also read about Jimmy and Meriane Alcantara of San Rafael, Bulacan who are making money producing seedlings of vegetables and papaya for sale. Then there is the inspiring story  written by Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III how the members of his clan converted a 34-hectare grassland into the Guerrero Farm and Nature Park in Talisay, Negros Occidental.

Dr. Guerrero writes that GFNP boasts of a spring-fed swimming pool, rest houses with private rooms, cafeteria, multi-purpose hall, and recreational facilities not only for daily or weekend visitors but also for corporate groups who wish to have workshops and team-building activities. At an elevation of 1,500 feet above sea level, one can overlook Bacolod City, the Guimaras Strait and even the Bacolod-Silay airport while enjoying the 20-22 degrees Celsius mountain air.

You will also read about another OFW who is enjoying and making money from farming. He is George Edrada of Cauplasan, Sta. Maria, Pangasinan. He is in love Violeta, the bicolor waxy corn distributed by Ramgo, one of the leading seed companies.

So there you are. Make sure to get a copy of the November issue of Agriculture magazine. It is available in bookstores and the outlets of Manila Bulletin nationwide.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Zac Sarian

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