by ERNESTO T. SOLIDUM
Mr. Edwin P. Jimenez showing his harvest of cucumbers. (Blitz S. Tolosa photo)
Mr. Edwin P. Jimenez, 61 of Mabilo, New Washington, for the last eight years has been busy dividing his time for JL Enterprises as Manager-Proprietor and farming. It is typical workload concentrating in the Provincial Capitol, Kalibo, Aklan and doing odd farm job during weekend. As former OFW, he is successful in refrigeration and air conditioning operation, and maintenance of cars, airport terminal building, luxury hotel and business establishments.
However, he neglected to manage his 1.1 hectares orchard and small rice farm that caused poor production. Shortly after his four children finished college, he promptly turned over the management of family business to them while he devoted himself to active farming since it is "his calling".
He noted that the production average of 4.5 tons per hectare from his 7,000 square meters rice farm provided very low margin of profit. This was caused by his heavy reliance on inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. Per bag of urea cost P1,400 at that time. While the price of palay was pegged at P17.00 per kilogram, the cost of certified seed, labor especially land preparation and transplanting skyrocketed disproportionably higher.
To him, solving the high cost of production inputs became a priority. Being a computer literate, he learned invaluable technical knowledge particularly on vermiculture, organic com-posting, integrated nutrient and pest management. He also learned carbon rice hull production (CHR) right in his farm house. Being wired to the internet and having a cellphone, he has direct contacts with authorities on recommended farm technologies. "It is sheer guts and determination to apply matured technologies at the farm level being handicapped by required education and training," Jimenez confided.
Going full stream on manufacturing his own organic fertilizer with manure from his backyard piggery, purchased cattle and poultry litter and CRH he substantially reduced his production expenses specially on inorganic fertilizers by one-half. He now produces vermicast and vermitea, the latter sold to fellow farmers at P20.00 per liter. Jimenez recommends the use of commercial organic liquid fertilizer, "Masinag" that acts also as pesticide.
Last July 2011, Jimenez was unanimously elected President of Farmers Field School (FFS) a season long training of Department of Agriculture conducted by Agricultural Training Institute. He has planted rice hybrids all high yielding varieties, well adapted to local soil and climate. Standing crop is at soft to hard sough stage and promises an estimated yield of 6.5 tons per hectare. Jimenez has shown consistency and skill both in farming theory and practice. He is much sought after as resource speaker during farmer’s meeting and seminars. Neighbouring farmers also come to visit his farm regularly either to observe, buy vegetables, farm chemicals or consult on specific problems.
His latest challenge is to convert 1,300 square meters portion of his irrigated ricefield to vegetables having waterlogged and heavy clay soil.
There is no other alternative location except the one closed to his farmhouse. Undaunted, he successfully managed to grow a variety of vegetables for the local market. He is lucky to hire an experienced vegetable farmer from Quezon City who now supervises the culture of green onions, pechay, sweet pepper, hot pepper, sitao, eggplant, cucumber, ampalaya, and lettuce. He employs three full time laborers tending vegetables on elevated plots and trellises. Irrigation comes from a deep well pumped by a 7.0 horsepower gasoline engine. He is much convinced, he earns more from vegetables than from any other crops.
What is the reason of the success of Jimenez in vegetable growing?
"Well, I believe that in Saudi Arabia where it is all desert, they can grow all sorts of vegetables and fruit trees using scientific farming methods. By inference I invested heavily on applying 150 bags CRH plus organic fertilizers to convert heavy soil texture into a more friable one. Four units of CRH burners fabricated in our machine shop proved handy. Usually, I assign one labourer to do the job of hauling rice hull from ricemills for free and converting them into carbon. Practically, it is a continuous process of judicious fertilizer application and soil conditioning that optimum yields could be realized," said the farmer entrepreneur Jimenez.
For pest control, a mix of several kinds of vegetables grown in an area minimizes ravage of pest and diseases. It is known that green onions and pepper emit organic compounds that repel most insects. In some cases, Masinag is sprayed to repel pests since vegetables have critical standard of chemical sprays affecting human health. Moreover, I planted border rows to lemon grass (tanglad) and marigold, the former oftentimes used as spice for ginataang manok", Jimenez revealed.
Jimenez believes farming is profitable, satisfying and prophylactic for innovative and practical men. He loves his job and very enthusiastic learner of recent trends in agricultural research both local and abroad. He came to know the minus one fertilizer techniques via the internet and came out with a perfect score during the pre-evaluation exams of the FFS. Whether inducing out of season flowering of mangoes, vermiculture, vermitea, or tapping alcohol from fuel wood. Jimenez stands ready to help local farmers advance their common goal. This personal trait is what makes him extraordinary and resilient. Jimenez is one of the very few people who had mastered the art of doing it. /MP
No comments:
Post a Comment