This Agricultural Technician employed by the LGU of Cabatuan, Iloilo finally made a decision on August 1, 2010, that his peers thought he would regret for the rest of his lfe. He opted to trade his employment and steady salary of about P13,000 monthly, for the life and income of a farmer who is at the mercy of the elements. Being a farmer of just 3.1 hectares, his friends said, would give him an impoverished life since they as fellow agriculture technicians themselves know the realities of farm life.
Yet Allan R. Umadhay was firm in his decision. He had already weighed the risks and the opportunities of full time farming. The seminars he attended together with the farmers he had been supervising also gave him insights of the profitability of farming if one were serious and dogged about producing the different crops and livestock. The integrated farming methods that he had learned also gave him ideas on how to maximize the land he is now farming.
While still at the LGU, he had started with the Red Lady hybrid papaya using a packet containing about 500 seeds he bought in late 2007. Being a neophyte, only about 200 seedlings germinated and by the 8th month when the fruits first ripened, he immediately saw the profitability so he started another set and was able to grow 500 seedlings. Meanwhile he also developed other projects like his hogs and catfish components. But Typhoon Frank in June 2008 erased all his gains and enundated the whole farm.
Not one to be discouraged easily, he immediately worked hard to replant portions of the farm starting with one packet of Hybrid Red Lady seeds where he again raised about 500 hills on the portion he initially developed. Right after the first area was planted, he immediately grew another batch to plant in an adjacent area. By January 2009, he was harvesting about 200 kilograms and he was emboldened to expand with other crops and components so that he can increase his productivity and income base.
Starting with 1.6 hectares, his farm farm was expanded to a total of 3.1 hectares when a seaman friend offered to him his ¾ hectare farm where Allan has only to plant at least 500 langka trees. Another ¾ hectare was mortgaged to him by a relative. The whole area is now productive with various crops, mostly papaya, eggplants and ampalaya.
At any given time, Allan raises pig fatteners bought from friends who have good quality piglets. He opted not to raise sows since his intention is to sell finished hogs regularly. The hogs also serve as consumers of the waste fruits and vegetables so that there is practically no wastes in the farm. On any given month, Allan sells 8 to 10 heads of finished hogs weighing between 90 to 100 kilograms.
His catfish pond accommodates about 2,000 fingerlings costing P1,500.00. He feeds them with chicken entrails that he buys from a nearby dressing plant. Having been employed there once, he had maintained relations with the staff and he also used his extra papayas as public relations tool. He regularly gets about 10-20 kilograms of chicken entrails which he cooks and chops to feed to the growing catfish. When entrails are in short supply he resorts to commercial booster and floaters and even so, he still makes a sizable margin despite using part of the catfish produced as public relations and to serve as food for visitors as well as pasalubong to relatives in the nearby town.
The cardaba, saba and lakatan bananas that he planted in the borders and in vacant spaces of the farm are also productive that he harvests between 200 to 500 kilos per week that he sells at about P8.00 per kilogram.
By January 2010, he was harvesting about 500 to 1,000 kilograms per week and middle men or papaya traders started to notice and now visited him. He had a strict rule in marketing, He accepted a base price of P15.00 per kilogram ex-farm gate, but it has to be in cash. So at that base price, he was already earning enough for his family's needs as well as some cash for investment in other projects. From that time on, his papaya production gradually increased and he is presently harvesting an average of 1,500 kilograms weekly.
The decision to resign as Agricultural Technician was not really hard for Allan. He consulted first his loving wife Victoria and their two children (one other child is with his wife's aunt who had adopted her). With the earnings from his farm and partly from his salary, Allan has already invested in a small but comfortable house, electric power from the local electric cooperative and basic appliances such as refrigerator, television, computer with broadband internet and satellite TV. He also has a solar module which provides lighting whenever there is power outage especially during typhoons and heavy rains.
He projects that his income from the various projects can more than compensate the salary he lost as an LGU employee. He has regular weekly and monthly sales from the products of his farm. When in the past, he managed the farm only at night and and early morning before he went to the office, he now can work up to 16 hours a day, starting very early in the morning and ending very late at night with the aid of high intensity lamps powered by both the local electric coop and the solar power module.
Being a simple man in thirst of farming knowledge, he watches cable TV science programs and incessantly surfs the internet for new technologies which he adopts and applies in his farm. This is why he earns enough from from his present farm size and feels he can survive even without the salary from the local government unit.
“It's about time, I stand on my own if only to prove my advocacy that there is money in farming. I heeded my own instinct and rational thinking because I know that my peers do not have farms, the technology and energy that I have. I am not afraid to strike out now because my farm projects are stable and will even become more productive with added components. I also have time to spend with my family while we are together managing the farm as well as visiting the city for relaxation and added learning”, said Allan.
Where can we avail of such trainings here in iloilo?
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