Previewing organic agricultural system

As member of the documentation team for the terminal report validation workshop for the Philippine Development Assistance Program (PDAP) with its "Promoting Rural Industries and Market Enhancement (PRIME)” project, partnered by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) at the city’s Waterfront Hotel early this year, I took notice of the very bright prospects of organic agriculture that if tapped by the government for revenue generation is a conundrum which spells like economic salvation for the Filipinos.

Sneaking a quick look at the Sultan Kudarat Muscovado Farmers Cooperative now known for its muscovado organic rice, it started production on a 150-hectare cultivation area with a starting capital of only Php 750,000. Today, members can’t help but howl for the big haul leaving their cavans empty. Their output of production could not cope with the increasing global demand. In a short span of time, the coop has grown bigger and engorged 1,750 hectares for the tilling raking in multi-million-peso profits without having to incur foreign loan obligations.

Price factor cannot be gainsaid. A moscuvado sugar as early as 2007 was tagged at a farmer’s price of P30 per kilo from P14 per kilo in 2004 but if sold in a foreign market, particularly that in Europe, it would sell as much as P250 a kilo. It was the market price 4 years ago and it continued to stabilize in the foreign markets. Such was a plum for poor farmers who are up-scaling a native product in the value chain, able to create a need in the export market.

With micro-enterprise players, local market consolidators, financing institutions a challenge was met by LGUs to map out comprehensive agricultural plan to include in the budget moscuvado production.  As in the case of the LGU in Albay, it ignited community and coop participation. The LGU there was obliged in providing organic fertilizer and seeds which directly benefited small farmers thus, equitably realized food security, increased household income and created more jobs in the process.

Very soon enough, organic agriculture rang a bell in our city. It has passed into law City Ordinance No. 0384-10, or the Organic Agriculture Ordinance of Davao City with its IRR recently approved by Mayor Sara Duterte. With a cursory reading of the provisions, what could particularly become attention-drawing is on appropriation which states simply as “substantial budget”. Without need of mentioning how much but we know it is something extensive.

Far from becoming a farm savvy, I would be on the brink of committing erroneous assumptions from what I consider a flashing wit of our city’s desire to “urbanize” organic agriculture and transform a traditional farm into an organic farm for 3 to 5 years. Talking about an upland rice variety which we normally consider organic, does it also grow on a typical ricefield?

For those who love baseball, it is like swinging the bat before the ball is pitched. A chef knows what to do with his recipe as to the farmer to his farm. Nobody’s to blame for a city laying on a 105, 599 hectares agricultural area comprising more than half of its territory. Nobody either wants it to remain idle when other parts of the country have braved the havoc brought about by typhoons on their farms. We are typhoon-free with a tropical weather that makes agriculture just as fun to tickle in our imagination.

With land conversion and farm shifting from rice to banana, rice shortage hugged headlines in the past. It goes to show that everything was economic absurdity. In our effort to export organic rice, we found a shortage of premium rice for staples. Why do foreigners prefer organic? It’s because of dietary reasons; for its health benefits. I remember a farmer in that meeting at Waterfront Hotel who claimed he and his family would never eat organic rice from their yields because of its high cost. He would rather sell it to buy a cheaper variety of rice.

With the expectant throng of farmers in the incubation period of this project on organic agriculture in Davao, we will take a closer view in the future through this conduit of information about its essence and benefits. My big thanks therefore to coop analyst Ma. Theresa Dave of the Cooperative Development Authority and coop expert and event facilitator from PDAP Alfred Allaga for entrusting a seat for me and be part of your team.