SIMPLY BUSINESS

Rice tariffication? How a small Iloilo town copes with this crisis (2)


Part 2: Agro-forestation as an upstream link in overall increased productivity

At the height of the craze to reforest the bald areas of the province during the first incumbency in the 1990s of former Governor Arthur Defensor Sr., then Mayor Zafiro Palabrica, the father of the now Mayor Mark and Provincial Board Member Matt, worked to plant and establish his own brand of reforestation. He promoted various types of trees like mulberry,  pili nut, food trees like jack fruit,  and,  leguminous trees like madre de cacao and the fast growing ipil-ipil. Mulberry,  madre de cacao and ipil-ipil also serve as forage for animals including wild deer that is sometimes sighted among the grasslands of the town.

The increased green cover in the whole municipality served many purposes: improved the micro climate,  increased soil fertility,  gave added income and food for the communities. Selective pruning also provided firewood for the communities which otherwise could have ravaged existing sparse brush and low lying residual trees. Leguminous trees are fast growing and when cut back or pruned for firewood grow fast to restore their foliage.  The leaves shed off when harvesting the branches decompose and become rich organic matter used to improve soil fertility.  Thus,  the agro-forestation strategy of the late mayor Zafiro became the ground work that his sons also continued and further promoted. 

The tree forests that Mayor Zafiro and later,  Mayor Matt, became the upstream link that restored the agricultural productivity of the municipality. From the seasonal farm cropping system such as rice,  corn and sugarcane that rendered most of the farmers impoverished and their families hungry during lean times (July to early September), farm production became year round because during the lean season that coincided with the rainy months,  non traditional crops like vegetables,  fruits and root crops  are produced. Thus,  the reliance on rice as a major crop has diminished yet farm productivity was even increased.

These types of leaders,  father and sons, who themselves are farmers,  led  their constituents to think differently and thus consciously devise actions not only to survive but also grow despite pressures and stresses in the environment, be it natural or political or economic.  (to be continued)