SMALL SCALE HOG RAISING: STILL POPULAR AMONG ILONGGO FARMERS

Hog raising is still a popular economic activity among farmers in the province of Iloilo. Rural households raise a between one to 20 heads of fattener or finisher pigs to augment income from other farming activities. Many of the families engaged in small scale hog raising say that the income they get from the pigs may be meager, but the animals also act as the proverbial piggy banks. They spend some money for the daily feed of the pigs but this investment is recovered when the pigs are sold. Part of the sales is again invested in some piglets for another round of “piggy banking”.

Common Breeds Raised:

The common breeds raised by small scale hog farmers are the Large White, Landrace, Duroc, Hampshire and Berkshire, all of which are foreign breeds imported either by government in the past or lately by the commercial hog farmers who value feed conversion efficiency as a means to improve the profit margin. However at the small farmers' level, it is seldom that the breeds are pure since they have limited access to pedigreed lines. Mostly they can only buy crossbred piglets from other small hog farmers.

The Large White as the name connotes, are white skinned and haired pigs with erect ears. They are preferred for their fast growth and efficient conversion as well as their relatively good mothering ability. Mostly, the Large White breeds available to small farmers are already crossed to other breeds but still maintain their basic features such as the white color, erect ears and other features that distinguish the breed.

The Landrace is another white breed but with drooping ears. Often, they have longer bodies than the Large White which for most farmers are preferred since they would have more prominent teats, an indication that it can nurse more piglets. Like the Large White, the Landrace is also a prolific breed and a fast grower.

The Duroc is a brown colored pig, noted also for its fast growth but is meatier or lesser fat than the white breeds. These are often used to cross breed with the white breeds so that it is easier for the farmer to record their genetics. This breed is often used as the male line, meaning they are preferred as boars where the white breeds are used as the sows or females.

The Berkshires and the Hampshires are black colored pigs but the latter has a white band across their backs near the front legs. Both breeds are also prolific, fast growers and meatier and like the Duroc are also preferred as male lines to cross with the white breeds.

There are still native strains grown in the rural areas but they are gradually being phased out in favor of the newer breeds. However these native strains have an advantage of being quite resistant to disease attack and their ability to survive and grow even when fed with low quality and indigenous feed sources. Many farmers have also crossbred the exotic strains to improve the traditional breeds in terms of feed conversion and faster growth rate but have retained their resistance to diseases as well as the ability to subsist on indigenous feed sources.

Housing:

Most of the small scale farmers raising pigs build pens or houses in the simplest way possible using mostly local materials such as bamboo. However for those with more resources, they use hollow blocks and cement to build stronger and longer lasting pens. Whatever materials used, the usual practice is to allocate about 2 to 3 square meters of space per head of pig. The logic behind this is for the animals to have enough space to roam around but with limited movement so as not to waste energy which can otherwise be converted to body mass and weight. Many farmers have already adopted concrete flooring for better cleaning and maintenance but there are still farmers who don't have enough resources to spend for upgraded housing and still adopt bamboo floors for their pigs.

Many farmers are now adopting newer housing approaches even at the small scale level. They have accepted the concept of pigs as an integral part of the farm system and aside from providing food and additional income, they produce another valuable resource: their manure which is a rich source of organic matter and nutrients for plants. So now, most pens are being designed with waste disposal systems, whether basic or sophisticated, which traps the manure and waste water for use as fertilizers. For more information on how to build better pig houses, please visit: http://www.mixph.com/2010/02/hogswine-housing-construction-tips.html.

For those farmers with more resources, they also build biogas systems that uses the wastes to generate methane gas for household cooking. The basic model now being adopted nationwide use polyethylene tubing built on designs that had been found to be successful here and abroad. A complete polyethylene biogas digester and cooking system would cost about P10,000 in materials and labor. A complete design and how-to manual can be accessed at: http://www.cedecap.org.pe/uploads/biblioteca/7bib_arch.pdf which had been prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization and had been implemented successfully in Viet Nam. Another source book that can provide information on how to build biogas systems: http://www.tsl.uu.se/uhdsg/Publications/Stoddard_Thesis.pdf.

Feeds and Feeding:

Even rural households raising pigs now resort to buying commercial rations. These rations come in both mash and pellet forms and are considered complete meals for the intended age of the pigs. Piglets are given Hog Starter rations which contain 18-20 % crude protein, growers are fed with Grower Feed which contain 16-18 % protein while finishers and breeders are fed with 14-16 % crude protein. These rations are also enriched with complete vitamins and minerals needed by the pigs in their various stages of growth.

Choose brands of commercial feeds which have been known for their quality. Dubious brands of feeds may be cheap but their nutritive value is low and may cause more harm than good. They will cause stunting and even lead to diseases since the immune system of unhealthy pigs are affected with poor nutrition. Also stick to your brand of choice until harvest or market size. Shifting from one feed brand to another may cause pigs to go off as each brand uses different type of feed ingredients and flavoring. Pigs are a creature of habit and would be attracted to feeds that they are familiar with.

However there are still rural households that also feed their pigs with indigenous plants and other feed stuff like the golden apple snail (kuhol), considered a major pest of rice and wetlands. Land based pests like the African giant snails area also collected. Where available, small fishes are harvested from ponds and streams and added to the ration. These are cooked until soft and fed to the pigs.

African giant snails (Achatina fulica)is considered as one of the most destructive pests of terrestrial plants. They are hardy and can survive in extreme tropical conditions. Many studies had been conducted on its eradication and still the pest has survived. One mode of control for this pest is by consumption. In East Africa where this is indigenous, this is one source of food for people and animals. First detected in the early 1930s in Panay, this snail has become a pest but had been converted into a resource by locals who have collected them for use as feeds for pigs. Interviews with rural women in Brgy Moroboro, Dingle which is densely covered with trees and other vegetation, they usually gather Africal giant snails, locally called “taklong” in the mid morning in ingenious traps set around their gardens. Please visit this site for more info on snails: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/pest_detection/downloads/pra/afulicapra.pdf.

These simple traps are just holes dug about 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm and half filled with rotting fruits and sweet smelling vegetation. Banana, jack fruit (langka) and papaya peels are favorite trap baits. In a heavily infested area, it is normal to gather several kilograms of snaild daily until the population is greatly reduced or eradicated. Often, these women lay several traps so that they can gather enough for several days of feed. The extra snails they cannot cook for the day are placed in cages with and fed with succulent leaves so that they fatten while waiting to be queued for cooking. The usual feeding practice is to cook about a kilogram of snails per head per day. After the first boiling, the shells of the snails are removed and the meat is added to the batch of vegetables being cooked. This proportion provides adequate protein for the growing pigs.

Local plants like kangkong, Palawan, gabi, banana stalks and other edible plants are usually chopped and added to the snails and fish. Starch and carbohydrates sources are also added for flavor and as the major source of energy. This local feeding method saves on the cost of feeds. Family labor is not usually factored in as an expense. Gabi and Palawan tubers are rich in carbohydrates and the usual practice of rural women is to chop these plants finely and boil these together with the snails and other protein sources Once these are almost cooked, rice bran and broken rice is added. This provides a traditional balanced ration that had been practiced in the locality for generations. (to be continued)

Article 2:

SOME TIPS FOR A PROFITABLE SMALL SCALE HOG RAISING PROJECT

Having raised a few heads of pigs continuously for years, my siblings and some cousins have earned and saved money from pigs. When we were in school, we usually have a few pigs in the backyard pen ready for sale when the need for cash arose. We also had slaughter pigs for fiestas and special occasions which also saved us money where instead of buying meat or pork, we simply slaughtered a pig. We usually lay aside the meat we will need for the occasion, salt and store a few more kilograms (we had no refrigerator then) and sell the rest to neighbors for cash. Through the years, we learned a few tricks on making money from the pigs without so much monetary investment, just sweat and time equity which we had plenty then. Here are a few tips, we can offer:

1. Design your pens to suit your system. We usually designed our simple pens with the purpose of harvesting the manure later for fertilizer. We once experimented on biogas but the initial investment had been high and we quit after a few years. However, a good pen design will not only make management easier but one can also earn extra income from the organic fertilizer produced by the pigs;
2. The pen design should also consider the potential of adding an earthworm or vermiculture component where the quality of the manure is even improved or enhanced. A bag of 50 kilograms of vermi-cast sells for about P250.00 while the basic manure sells for only about P50.00 per;
3. Identify the raiser who breeds the best pigs in the community. His piglets would usually be the most in demand and his pigs; reputation as the fastest growers will be known. While the sows are still gestating (pregnant) already approach the raiser to reserve the largest of the litter even if you have to pay the premium of a few hundred pesos more. Pay in advance if needed.
4. You may also approach the owner of the boar service and offer to buy his share. The usual practice in rural communities for for somebody to offer boar services. This boar service is usually skilled in birthing, vaccination and other livestock skills. The boar service is offered the first choice of the litter and usually this is the biggest and the most prolific of the lot. Offer him a price he can't refuse;
5. Clean and disinfect the pens after each round of pig raising. It is best to apply the all-in-all-out approach since this allows you to clean the pens thoroughly, harvest the manure for the farm or garden and repair the facilities that broke down during the growing cycle.
6. Adopt the feeding system of the piglet source for a few weeks, gradually shifting to your own method once the piglets have adopted to your place. Find a store which supplies the same brand of feeds and consistently get your supply of feeds from it;
7. If you decide to feed your pigs with indigenous ration, adopt the simplified method of supplying the complete nutritive requirements. Our rule of thumb was for about 2 scoops (liter container) of protein source (fresh weight), 2 scoops starch source and 4 to 5 scoops of fresh vegetables, cooked together until tender. Protein sources are usually the taklong and the kuhol which we gather using simple traps both on dry land and in the paddies;
8. Regular feeding is a must for pigs. They usually get stressed and get noisy once it is past their mealtime. Extra movements and uneasiness as a result of hunger will stress them and make them prone to disease attacks. Provide commercial vitamin-mineral preparations but avoid antibiotic-laced products so that in the event of disease attack, antibiotics will be effective;
9. Maintain records so that you can keep track of your expenses and income and the age of your finishers. The usual growing period of finishers fed on commercial rations is 100-120 days which by then they have reached a marketable weight of 85-90 kilograms. Growing the pigs longer than that will mean a loss of up to P20 per day since the pigs have grown less efficient in converting the feeds into meat. Sell your pigs whether they have reached marketable weight after your 130^th day;
10. If you are using indigenous ration, you may opt to sell your pigs later especially when the price is high. After all, you did not spend much on the feeds;
11. Treat the backyard endeavor as a small business so that somehow your “piggy bank” earns a higher return on investment;

You may also refer to this source book: http://www.cd3wd.com/cd3wd_40/cd3wd/AGRIC/II24LE/EN/B1087_7.HTM, for more info.

PALAYAMANAN IMPROVES FARM FAMILY'S INCOME AND NUTRITION

PALAYAMANAN IMPROVES FARM FAMILY'S INCOME AND NUTRITION


“Rice farming alone will not enrich the farmer, especially if he owns only a hectare or less. Even if he applies the latest technology and the maximum inputs, the most he can earn in one hectare in one year is probably
not enough to allow him to lift his family beyond the poverty threshold”, says Mr. Carmelo Oren, Provincial Rice Coordinator and Division Chief at the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office.

But Oren added that there are alternatives available to the rice farmer now. Even with less than one hectare, a rice farmer can earn more than P200,000 per year with sound planning, a bit of capital and plenty of hard work. Hard work anyway, according to Oren, is the farmer's partner all his life.

One viable and successful model that the Department of Agriculture is promoting is the Palayamanan Model, coined after two words: palayan (rice farm) and yamanan (gold mine), or literally, making the rice farm a gold mine. The concept revolves around intensive and integrated farming where every inch of space in the farm is utilized for production of various crops and livestock. Through the years, the Palayamanan models have evolved not only in the research centers but also in actual farmer led experiences. In these models, the farmers themselves have proven that given basic inputs, they will be able to innovate and in the process, improve their farming technologies and income.

The Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center has its permanent area for the Palayamanan Model, said Oren, who grew up in the compound because his father was once an employee of the agency. Now with his wife being employed as Assistant Center head, he also collaborates with the center in developing technologies which can be applied in the Province and which is now being field tested and developed at the AART or the Agri-Aqua Research and Technology Center in Nanga, Pototan.

The Palayamanan model had been tested for more than a decade now and those who embraced the system are now enjoying better incomes from the different crops and livestock raised. At the WVIARC, the model had been set up in about half hectare of land. Rice remains to be the main crop. Although the dikes are small, these are planted regularly to different crops particularly pole beans (sitao) on one dike and tomatoes and okra in several.

Rice is planted two to three crops per year depending on the availability of water. However when water is not available, a third crop of munggo or any available legume is planted for food, added income and as green manure or fertilizer for the next crop of rice. The rice farm at the Palayamanan area is planted to various types of rice not only for experimental purposes but also for validation of rice researches in other areas of the country where different strains and varieties had been experimented with. In certain periods, purple or red rice varieties are also planted and the seeds are for sale or distribution to other interested farmers. Red and purple rice are now in demand due to the new awareness of people on their nutritional value.

Rice hay and stalks (when cut and piled) are a valuable resource in organic farming. Decomposed rice hay makes the soil loose and the rich nutrients contained are gradually released to plants. The usual practice is to add 5 to 10 kilograms of decomposed rice hay and also rice hulls per square meter in the garden plot. This is enough to supply the vegetables with enough organic matter and additional fertilizer needed are usually added in the form of diluted solution which is applied regularly (sometime weekly) up to maturity.

Munggo seeds broadcast over rice stubbles can produce about 600 to 800 kilograms per hectare. At about P80 per kilogram, this would mean at least P5,000 added income from the grains alone. Legume leaves, stalks and roots is high in protein which when decomposed are rich in nitrates and phosphates which are needed by the rice plants and when made available by the legumes. Legumes can deliver as much as 50 kilograms of pure nitrogen which can be converted to about 5 bags of ammonium sulphate can save the farmers about P4,000.00.

An area of about 1,000 sq. meters was set aside for continuous vegetable production. Since the area is low, a deep canal was dug around the area and planted to gabi and kangkong. It is also seeded with tilapia fingerlings which can be harvested or caught by hook and line when they have reached the right size. The water in the canal is also used to water the vegetables. The canal makes watering the vegetables more conveniently. In conventional gardening, water is usually fetched from a well some distance away and this adds to the labor cost.

The vegetable area is laid out in such a way as there is an insurance of regular harvests. Usually, short term high priced vegetables are planted in much of the area so that the farmers are assured of income in the shortest possible time. Pechay, lettuce, cabbage and chinese kangkong are some of the regular money-makers since they can be harvested in about 30 days. Planting pattern is also observed so that there is also an insurance of lesser pest overload. Normally, planting an area of the same or related species will encourage pest build up where later planting of the same type of vegetables will make them more susceptible to pest and disease attack. The usual practice is to schedule only two relay planting of one particular species and plant a different type for the next.

Fruiting vegetables like okra and eggplants are another money maker. These are planted on the fringes of the vegetable area and in the dikes so that both the borders and the dikes are also made intensively productive. Squash and other vine vegetables had been planted over the area dug for fish pond. This practice has made that are productive not only in the pond where tilapia and other fish species grow but also on the trellises over the pond which has become productive with squash, patola and sometime, upo.

An area had also been allocated for free range chickens. The area had been fenced so that the chickens can graze on the different grass species planted For shade, a few trees of ratiles or local cherry had been planted. The small fruits which are extra sweet are said to be favored by the chickens and are a source of food for them too. Hay and other degradable plant materials had been piled regularly to encourage earthworms to colonize and become protein rich feed for the chickens. The rice chaffs and broken rice from the field are also thrown into the free range area and the chickens can feed at will. Rice with enough grain content are eaten by the chickens but those which are empty are left and in time will decompose to become nutrient rich organic matter which again are harvested together with the chicken manure for use as organic material both for the gardens and the rice areas.

Other components that may be included in the Palayamanan are the pigs and goats but may have been presently discontinued at the WVIARC model. Both pigs and goats add not only income for the farmer but rich manure which again serves to enrich the soil in the growing area. A module of 5 pigs per growing period of four months require only a space of about 12 to 15 sq. meters. There are now models where the pigs are grown in a probiotic bed and they don't require to be bathe or cleaned daily. By the end of the growing period where they have grown to about 90 kilograms, they have also produced about 1.5 metric tons of organic wastes which can fertilizer or enrich about 1,000 square meters of garden or rice growing area..

An intensively managed Palayaman can earn for the farmer at least P150,000 per year depending on the crops and the livestock that he grows and the market. He also supplies his family with enough food particularly protein rich chickens and eggs, and, nutritious vegetables grown naturally or organically.

RETIREMENT ACTIVITIES

Retirement Activities Sunday, 06 November 2011 21:46 ■
By Larry Locara

“It's never early to plan for one's retirement”. This is what Roldan Provendido said when I interviewed him as he displayed his plants as part of the Agri-Fair of the Pagdihon Festival on Oct. 22-31, 2011. In that event, Roldan showed the ornamentals he grew and sell to garden and plant enthusiasts. While almost 65 years old now, he anticipates that he will still be retained for another year because the mayor of the town he is employed in still wants him to continue with his services particularly tending the many ornamentals of the LGU and teaching farmers and housewives how to grow and market them.

This is also the attitude of Rey Osano, recently retired as head of the Crops Division of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office. Osano has already invested part of his lump sum in developing his garden and in acquiring varieties of plants, which he thinks will sell high especially during trade fairs and even by walk in customers who have heard of his plants.Both Provendido and Osano are hands-on agriculturists, who have spent many long years of their life as government technicians helping farmers grow and earn more. As technicians, they not only lecture but can also plant and take care of plants so much so that they can proudly say that they are “hands-on” government workers. Now that they are in their senior years and retiring, they have prepared for their next careers: as gardener entrepreneurs.

OSANO’S DREAM PLAN

Osano had not started early with his retirement program, since his job involved the hands-on management of his division. Besides, his residence in Moroboro, Dingle compels him to wake up early, prepare for work in the city and attend to the various concerns of his division that makes him travel to all parts of the province. But even then, he had an idea of what he wants to do once he gets out of government service. As early as ten years ago, he had started collecting the plants and crops he wants to sell later. Being also a farmer, he has always planted good varieties especially those being tested by his office so his knowledge of plants and ornamentals has been up to date.As soon as he retired and processed his retirement lump sum, Osano started to develop his dream.

He built a large enough shed that serves many purposes like family gatherings, putting soil into plastic pots and even meetings for small groups like his garden club and farmers' group. He also built a small shaded house for growing seedlings of plants and ornamentals he wants to propagate. When he located a dumping site for the coffee hulls of a coffee dehuller business, he had the whole bulk carted to his lot and which he now uses as potting mix.Aside from ornamental plants, he is also on the lookout for excellent fruit varieties, which he can plant and later reproduce in large volumes for sale to farmers and other plant enthusiasts. He has recently acquired variegated kalamansi, which is not only fruitful but also beautiful and may be made as an accent to one's yard. He says that he has other species and varieties of fruits, which may also help other farmers to earn both as seedlings and fruits they can sell in the market.

He then applied his years of experience as a technician to grow healthy plants. He also continued to acquire unique and highly salable varieties as mother plants so that he can grow many seedlings from them. On his very first entry in an agri fair in his hometown, his plants immediately sold out because they are not only unique but are also healthy. During that show, he was on the lookout for new varieties, which he again can grow in numbers and sell later for a hefty profit.Osano also started a hog finishing project where he built a pig pen on the back portion of his property and raises about 10 finishers per batch. He opted to buy piglets to grow and finish instead of raising sows, which he thinks is laborious. “The beauty of growing piglets is that one just grows them for 150 days or less and sell them at 95 kilograms and above”, said Osano.But hog raising has also another advantage. Hog manure is a good source of organic matter for plants and Osano says that by raising pigs, he is assured of continuous supply of organic fertilizer for his garden. He allows the manure to fully decompose and adds this to the decomposed coffee and garden soil, coming up with an ideal soil mix for his seedlings and plants

.PROVENDIDO’S NEW FOUND HOBBY

On the other hand, Provendido being a technician for cut flowers and other special crops worked with gardeners and unemployed women in San Enrique. His job enabled him to learn and teach the culture of these plants, many of them exotic or coming from other countries, which required special care. As organizer and coordinator, he also has to help the farmers and women of the town to bring the plants wherever they wanted to participate. At first, he only helped the farmers and the women, but seeing there is money in growing and selling the plants, he also grew his own and brought them to the fairs and exhibits.His hobby is now another source of extra income for him and his family. He is tapping his children, nephews and nieces for labor and to act as watchers during the fairs so that he can be free to attend to other functions. In return, they are rewarded with allowance money especially for cell phone loads, now a necessity for growing children.TIPS FROM THE EXPERTSOsano and Provendido are only two of the many retirees who are now enjoying their golden years by planting and selling ornamentals and other plants. But both have tips for other retirees and people wanting to join the band wagon of growing ornamentals and seedlings for sale.First, one has to love growing ornamentals and other plants. The immediate objective may not even be money or to sell the plants. It may just be for the love of plants and growing them. But the money aspect can follow especially if one starts to produce healthy and beautiful plants, which are not ordinary. Plant enthusiasts will rush to buy unique healthy plants to add to their collections, to beautify their homes and gardens and also to sell later on. So if one is ahead of others in acquiring a new type of plants, he is assured of a market when the demand for them comes up.Second, one has to learn how to grow beautiful plants; learning their habits, nutritional requirements, environment, which is ideal for them, and the pests and diseases, which may attack them later. By learning everything, one gets the assurance that he will produce healthy plants for sale. One has also to spend time tending his plants especially hands-on since one cannot often leave this task to laborers who more often than not would just work without care. The best situation for the gardener is when he finds a laborer who loves plants as much as he does.Use nature-friendly technologies, which are sustainable like growing earthworms to harvest its wastes as fertilizers and also to use the live worms as feeds for chickens and fish. You can also learn the Japanese and Korean Natural farming System, which uses bacteria and other beneficial microorganisms to help in farming activities and to restore balance in the environment and the ecosystem.Third, ornamental plant is a business too so one has to keep track of the expenses and the effort, and also accounting the amount of time one spends on his project. With proper accounting, one gets an idea of the state of his business or hobby and how it can be grown, too.*Read more about Also by ■ The News TodayBy Larry Locara“It's never early to plan for one's retirement”. This is what Roldan Provendido said when I interviewed him as he displayed his plants as part of the Agri-Fair of the Pagdihon Festival on Oct. 22-31, 2011. In that event, Roldan showed the ornamentals he grew and sell to garden and plant enthusiasts. While almost 65 years old now, he anticipates that he will still be retained for another year because the mayor of the town he is employed in still wants him to continue with his services particularly tending the many ornamentals of the LGU and teaching farmers and housewives how to grow and market them.This is also the attitude of Rey Osano, recently retired as head of the Crops Division of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office. Osano has already invested part of his lump sum in developing his garden and in acquiring varieties of plants, which he thinks will sell high especially during trade fairs and even by walk in customers who have heard of his plants.Both Provendido and Osano are hands-on agriculturists, who have spent many long years of their life as government technicians helping farmers grow and earn more. As technicians, they not only lecture but can also plant and take care of plants so much so that they can proudly say that they are “hands-on” government workers. Now that they are in their senior years and retiring, they have prepared for their next careers: as gardener entrepreneurs.OSANO’S DREAM PLANOsano had not started early with his retirement program, since his job involved the hands-on management of his division. Besides, his residence in Moroboro, Dingle compels him to wake up early, prepare for work in the city and attend to the various concerns of his division that makes him travel to all parts of the province. But even then, he had an idea of what he wants to do once he gets out of government service. As early as ten years ago, he had started collecting the plants and crops he wants to sell later. Being also a farmer, he has always planted good varieties especially those being tested by his office so his knowledge of plants and ornamentals has been up to date.As soon as he retired and processed his retirement lump sum, Osano started to develop his dream. He built a large enough shed that serves many purposes like family gatherings, putting soil into plastic pots and even meetings for small groups like his garden club and farmers' group. He also built a small shaded house for growing seedlings of plants and ornamentals he wants to propagate. When he located a dumping site for the coffee hulls of a coffee dehuller business, he had the whole bulk carted to his lot and which he now uses as potting mix.Aside from ornamental plants, he is also on the lookout for excellent fruit varieties, which he can plant and later reproduce in large volumes for sale to farmers and other plant enthusiasts. He has recently acquired variegated kalamansi, which is not only fruitful but also beautiful and may be made as an accent to one's yard. He says that he has other species and varieties of fruits, which may also help other farmers to earn both as seedlings and fruits they can sell in the market.He then applied his years of experience as a technician to grow healthy plants. He also continued to acquire unique and highly salable varieties as mother plants so that he can grow many seedlings from them. On his very first entry in an agri fair in his hometown, his plants immediately sold out because they are not only unique but are also healthy. During that show, he was on the lookout for new varieties, which he again can grow in numbers and sell later for a hefty profit.Osano also started a hog finishing project where he built a pig pen on the back portion of his property and raises about 10 finishers per batch. He opted to buy piglets to grow and finish instead of raising sows, which he thinks is laborious. “The beauty of growing piglets is that one just grows them for 150 days or less and sell them at 95 kilograms and above”, said Osano.But hog raising has also another advantage. Hog manure is a good source of organic matter for plants and Osano says that by raising pigs, he is assured of continuous supply of organic fertilizer for his garden. He allows the manure to fully decompose and adds this to the decomposed coffee and garden soil, coming up with an ideal soil mix for his seedlings and plants.PROVENDIDO’S NEW FOUND HOBBYOn the other hand, Provendido being a technician for cut flowers and other special crops worked with gardeners and unemployed women in San Enrique. His job enabled him to learn and teach the culture of these plants, many of them exotic or coming from other countries, which required special care. As organizer and coordinator, he also has to help the farmers and women of the town to bring the plants wherever they wanted to participate. At first, he only helped the farmers and the women, but seeing there is money in growing and selling the plants, he also grew his own and brought them to the fairs and exhibits.His hobby is now another source of extra income for him and his family. He is tapping his children, nephews and nieces for labor and to act as watchers during the fairs so that he can be free to attend to other functions. In return, they are rewarded with allowance money especially for cell phone loads, now a necessity for growing children.

TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS

Osano and Provendido are only two of the many retirees who are now enjoying their golden years by planting and selling ornamentals and other plants. But both have tips for other retirees and people wanting to join the band wagon of growing ornamentals and seedlings for sale.First, one has to love growing ornamentals and other plants. The immediate objective may not even be money or to sell the plants. It may just be for the love of plants and growing them. But the money aspect can follow especially if one starts to produce healthy and beautiful plants, which are not ordinary. Plant enthusiasts will rush to buy unique healthy plants to add to their collections, to beautify their homes and gardens and also to sell later on.

So if one is ahead of others in acquiring a new type of plants, he is assured of a market when the demand for them comes up.Second, one has to learn how to grow beautiful plants; learning their habits, nutritional requirements, environment, which is ideal for them, and the pests and diseases, which may attack them later. By learning everything, one gets the assurance that he will produce healthy plants for sale. One has also to spend time tending his plants especially hands-on since one cannot often leave this task to laborers who more often than not would just work without care.

The best situation for the gardener is when he finds a laborer who loves plants as much as he does.Use nature-friendly technologies, which are sustainable like growing earthworms to harvest its wastes as fertilizers and also to use the live worms as feeds for chickens and fish. You can also learn the Japanese and Korean Natural farming System, which uses bacteria and other beneficial microorganisms to help in farming activities and to restore balance in the environment and the ecosystem.Third, ornamental plant is a business too so one has to keep track of the expenses and the effort, and also accounting the amount of time one spends on his project. With proper accounting, one gets an idea of the state of his business or hobby and how it can be grown, too.*

Read more about Also by ■ The News Today