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
