Organic veggie producers have sure market
The Benguet State University in La Trinidad has come up with a way to encourage farmers to go into organic crop production. How? By renting out space to interested growers of organic crops and then putting up a market where they can sell their harvests right on the school campus.
Today, there are 32 members of the Balili Organic Farmers Association (BOFA) who grow vegetables and other high-value crops in the area rented out to them at 500 square meters each. When it was started in 2009, the rent was R10 per square meter. When the contract was renewed for a five-year period in 2015, the rent was increased to R15 per square meter with 5% increase every year thereafter.
Did the renters complain about the increase in rent? Well, all of them renewed their contract, probably because the rate is still reasonable. They can still make money.
The project is one proof that even with a very small space, one can grow vegetables that can produce reasonable income to support one’s family. Just like Crisaldo Sagayo, the 29-year-old president of BOFA who used to derive his income from repairing electrical appliances. Now he is practically devoting his full time to organic farming, only rarely repairing appliances.
One of his favorite crops is the Toscana kale which he sells at R100 per kilo. The packing, however, is 250 grams per pack so it is easier to sell, especially to households with a few members, or those who cannot afford to pay bigger amounts. In Manila, kale is very expensive in upscale stores. It is selling for as much as R400 per kilo because it is said to possess important health benefits. Unlike other leafy vegetables which are harvested only once, kale is harvested by priming. The leaves are harvested every few days for a period of three to five months.
From four plots of 10 square meters each, he can harvest seven kilos worth