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Friday, June 28, 2013

ORGANIC PURPLE RICE FARMERS IN ZARRAGA, ILOILO


Shifting to organic rice farming had been a long arduous struggle for Mr. Osmundo Pedregosa and his neighbors in Brgy. Talibong, Zarraga, Iloilo. Being in the midst of hundreds of hectares of rice grown on conventional farming methods, it was a difficult shift not only in technology but also in the basic farming paradigms for the core group of farmers wanting to change for the better. Tatay Munding as he is popularly called not only because he was among the most senior in his group but also because of the leadership that he


always provided realized early that while he can convince the members of his core group to try and test the organic farming method being pushed by government technicians, their neighbors are not only hesitant and rather, they immediately rejected the new ideas and technology. “Organic rice farming involve more effort and expenses and the income increment may not be substantial and commensurate to the effort, as consumers may not immediately respond favorably to added prices or premiums that organic products are supposed to enjoy”, said Munding in response to the question on the marketability of organic rice. “They knew it was good for the health but the extra cost seems to be the limiting factor for them to make organic rice their staple”.

Organic rice production do not use easily bought or accessed chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides which had been fund to be poisonous to health of humans and animals. There are also chemicals used in farming that can affect humans even if they were ingested by animals because of the residues in the animals' liver and tissues are also accumulated in the internal organs of people ingesting these animals.

The technology on organic rice farming was introduced to the group at Talibong by the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office led by the team from the Research and Institutional Development Division headed by Mr. Elias Sandig. Early on, the team responded to the call of the Regional Field Unit VI of the Department of Agriculture headed by RED Larry Nacionales. The Iloilo PAO transferred the various technologies for Natural Farming like the preparation of various concoctions like the Indigenous Micro Organisms (IMO), Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ), Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ), Oriental herbal Nutrients (OHN), Fish/Kuhol Amino Acid (FAA/KAA). They also taught the group on other aspects like bio-security, biological pest control and other eco-friendly technologies so as to minimize pest infestation and contamination of toxic chemical in the rice products.

Indeed the efforts to shift to organic farming bore fruit but when harvest came in and the rice produced have to be sold, Tatay Munding and his core group encountered marketing problems. Consumers and traders simply treated their organic product in the same category as conventionally grown rice. They were hesitant to buy the more expensive organic red and purple rice. Red and purple rice are like the ordinary white rice sold except for the red/purple pigmentation that is said to add anti-oxidant action that boosts the immune system especially for weak people and those suffering from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cancer. But such properties are not appreciated by the majority of consumers who were offered by the group.

“We had a hard time introducing our organic rice in the market and we were happy that the Provincial Agriculture Office again stepped in where the technologists assigned also helped sell our rice in one (1) kilogram bags”, said Munding. Well-meaning advocates especially media, also helped by spreading the word that there is now organic rice available in Iloilo City. The group now known as the Talibong Organic Farmers' Association (TaOFA), registered with the Department of Labor and Employment also joined fairs and exhibits to showcase their organic rice. Somehow their inventory moved but every season they still have to sell the bulk of their products at the price of ordinary rice just to recover costs and have money for the next season's operations.

When the organic farming act (RA 10068) was signed, Pedregosa and his association welcomed this as this would be the vehicle by which they can finally ride to better times. But they then found that they encountered even more problems. It became more difficult for them to get their products certified as organic. The law provided for certain agencies and institutions as sole certifying agencies where have to pay at least P30,000.00 for their farms and their products to be certified as truly organic. Of course being Filipinos, and Ilonggos at that, their spirit of hospitality would mean added expenses for the group whenever the visitors come for evaluation. They said that they have no problems about following and institutionalizing the protocols in organic farming. Even additional requirements such as filter ponds to ensure that all chemicals can be filtered or rendered inactive, can be built. But the yearly fees as well as the hustle to get their farms certified may not be worth the effort. Good for rich farmers and corporations going into organic farmers but for them who can barely make both ends meets, such fees and long processes will easily disqualify them to be certified as truly organic. They said that they would rather stick to their existing protocols of natural farming and thus qualify their products as natural instead of organic.

“We were happy when the law was passed and the Department provided us with many opportunities to attend trainings and seminars on organic farming and how we can sell in the market. But it seems that the first step which is to ensure that our organic products qualify is the most expensive and the most difficult at the certifying agency nearest to us is in Negros and just imagine the expense incurred bringing them here. We don't object to the requirements which I think we can all fulfill or meet. We hope that the law can be more humane for us poor farmers”.

Their initial success and the unity they showed has given them attention and other farmers nearby are now gravitating towards them since they are now envious of the the successes they have achieved. From the funds they generated internally , they were able to buy their own mini rice mill and then invested in a bigger mill so that it can accommodate larger volumes when orders pour in. Being evaluated as strong and capable, the DA-RFU6 provided them with other equipment such as hand tractors, threshers and lately, a transplanting machine which answers their need for a speedy transplanting operation now that farm labor has become scarce and expensive. The members of TAOFA has accepted the recommendation of the Department for synchronized crop establishment and thus, transplanting should be simultaneous. “We are happy that DA is very supportive. We accept their technology of synchronous planting but if we need to plant our 60 hectares within the week, we need at least 100 people to do the work for the next seven to eight days, an impossible task to gather. The machine can help us as it would cut down the number of people we need to transplant our area within the small time frame needed for synchronous planting.

By the start of 2013, the group has now about 35 members and are tilling at least 60 hectares. New members have also started applying. Their market has gradually grown and can absorb more than 50% of their collective produce. Marketing is now both institutional and by each members who have found markets on their own, a move that they have also encouraged. Their activities and perseverance to pursue organic farming also caught the attention of many agencies, foremost is the DA-RFU6 that they became recipient of grants and aid such as machinery for rice farming. As early as 2008 however, Tatay Munding had invested on a small rice mill that can dehusk palay and preserve its purple color fully.

Yet they consider their success as just the first step. They still are continuously working for better yields, better varieties which are in much demand in the market and a stable premium market which can absorb the 200 metric tons of palay they produce collectively every season. With new members coming in, they project that their total produce would reach t least 300 metric tons in late 2013.

“While we are now mildly successful, we are still striving for more, hoping that we as a group will be able to grow together, provide better futures for our children and most of all, provide the consumers with safe, nutritious rice that we all deserve”, concluded Tatay Munding.

PICTURES:

01- Tatay Munding in green polo together with officers of TAOFA pausing in front of the mini rice mill with the larger mill's snout seen at the back;

02- A sumptuous meal of purple rice and “chicken binakol”, an Ilonggo chicken dish shared by the officers during their monthly meeting;

03- a one kilogram pack of purple rice

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