Former sales associate now runs his own seedling business without owning land
Their objective, aside from being the top seedling producer in the Philippines, is to improve the profit of local farmers by providing affordable quality seedlings.
At first, Tandang only grew seedlings in trays, but as the farm progressed, he began practicing hydroponic and aquaponic methods. “Practicing aquaponics is like hitting two birds with one stone,” said the farmer. It does not only save space, but while raising fish, he also produces plants. This way, he earns more than the profit that he obtains from selling crops or seedlings alone.
NATURALLY GROWN CROPS
“We produce food using organic agricultural inputs from fertilizers to pesticides. With this, we ensure that it is safe to consume and has no harmful effect in our environment,” Tandang says.
In both hydroponic and aquaponic systems, their key crops are romaine and green ice lettuce. When asked why they predominantly produce lettuce, Tandang explained, “Lettuce and chili are highvalue crops that are not just easy to market, but also provide high income.” Every week, they can harvest up to 1,975kg or over 7,900 heads of lettuce. Other crops on the farm include vegetables like eggplants and bitter gourd, herbs like basil, tarragon, and rosemary, and ornamentals such as sunflower and vinca. They also cultivate crops according to their clients’ needs.
Presently, they also have 5000 pieces of tilapia, 120 red sweet peppers, 120 green sweet peppers, 120 cherry tomatoes, 120 salad tomatoes, 150 cucumbers, 130 romaine lettuces, 130 green ice lettuces, and 520 kinchays in their aquaponic setups.
The prices of the seedlings vary depending on the market’s prevailing price. Other than supplying to local farmers, some of their clients are established companies, local markets, and resellers. They also consume the farm’s produce, which helps them save about 50 percent of their food consumption.
Besides the high-value crops, they also plant based on the requests of their clients.
Apart from selling seedlings and fully grown plants, they also put their customized Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) hydroponic units on sale that cost from P12,000 to P16,000, depending on size and design. Planting materials that they also market include garden soil mix, organic and inorganic fertilizer, seedling trays, and natural growth enhancer.
On top of that, they also offer consultancy services managed by Tandang and his son Angelo, as well as edible landscaping services, which is handled by his wife, Lorena.
HELP IN THE FARM
Tandang commenced the farm with only two farmhands, but now, they have four farmworkers and one sales agent. The farm continues to support the employees’ income despite the crisis as their farm activities weren't hampered. Tandang provides shelter and shares his knowledge in farming to his workers too.
Amid the community quarantine, the farm is faring well as production continues. However, Tandang admitted that it does not perform its maximum capacity due to the limited market. Because of this, sales also dropped based on their sales projection. To adapt, they entered the online platform, where most of the transactions are now settled through the internet and phone calls.
As per the entrepreneur, there are times that paying for their land rental also becomes a challenge. For the rental and electricity charges, they pay about P40,000 a month. But because the sales that they earn from the seedlings are enough, he stressed that they get to recover from their expenses. Tandang also considers buying his own lot once they have accumulated sufficient funds.
In the future, Tandang wants to build an agritourism site with a farm to table element and that will not only serve as a learning site not only for farmers, but also for young learners.
Photos courtesy of Angelo Tandang