Lady agri grad is a full-time farmer

Lani Tagatac finished an agriculture course, major in agronomy, at the Mariano Marcos State University. Instead of seeking employment after graduation, she opted to become a fulltime farmer operating their farm in Baay, Batac City.

Her elder sister Esmie, an accountant working in Manila, pitches in with financing whenever they need to acquire new varieties for the farm. Just recently, for instance, she paid for seedlings of dwarf sweet coconut from Thailand, sweet balimbing, Br 25 cacao, rambutan, super avocado, Vietnam pummelo and the Indian variety of black pepper.

Also helping Lani on the farm is their niece, Mayo Sulit, who is waiting for the release of the bar exams next May. She finished a law course also at the MMSU.

Tilapia is a good money-maker for Lani because fish usually commands a high price in the Ilocos. She has six ponds stocked with tilapia at present. One of them has been contracted for harvesting during Holy Week. Usually, the fish is harvested only whenever there is a customer so that the fish is really fresh. Ex-farm the price is 180 per kilo.

Lani also grows the pinakbet vegetables like the Aruy-oy sweet finger pepper, ampalaya, beans, okra, tomato, eggplant and the like. Like many other farmers, Lani also experiences low prices due to a glut in the supply. For instance, at this time, the Aruy-oy finger pepper usually fetches a high price but at this time, the price per kilo is only P8.

At any rate, farming must have been a highly remunerative occupation for Lani. She drives a high-end vehicle, and she also bought a tiller from Harbest Agribusiness to mechanize her farming.

DWARF COCONUT WITH SWEET WATER – The Tagatac Farm will plant the dwarf coconut with sweet water from Thailand, shown behind. From left are Esmie Tagatac, Mayo Sulit and Lani Tagatac. The Tagatac Farm boasts of tilapia ponds, sheep and various vegetables like the Aruy-oy sweet finger pepper.

MAYO SULIT is a law graduate. While waiting for the result of the bar exams that will be released in May, she helps in the Tagatac Farm. She is holding a sweet balimbing.

LANI TAGATAC, an agronomy major from the MMSU in Batac City, chose to become a full-time farmer rather than seek employment. She has her own tiller to mechanize her farming.