Entrepreneurial Farmer

Ambrosio R. Villorente

Encouraging Farm Productivity

In a flower shop in Royal Supermart, Kalibo, Aklan, among the flowers and plants displayed is Sunflower this week. It is pretty. It really attracted my attention and admiration. 

 
Displayed are of two kinds: one are plants in plastic flower pots, the size of which is 8 inches. There are three plants growing in each pot. I asked, how much does each pot cost? “P280 each pot”, answered the pretty saleslady.  

 
Another kind is cut sunflower. I thought it is artificial, made of plastic material. I touched it. No, it is really real grown flower. “How much do you sell this?” I asked the pretty saleslady again, “P48.00 each sir”. 

 
Oh, those sunflowers are indeed beautiful and healthy. Are these imported from abroad? “No, they are grown in Bakhaw Sur, Kalibo”. Do you have greenhouse? “None, they are grown in the open field”. Can you sell these all? “That will be sold in two days”. 

 
That was my conversation with the pretty flower shop keeper.
If our farmers can grow beautiful flowers, it follows they can as well grow nutritious and delicious vegetables. Aklan is blessed with fertile soil and favorable climate for the planting and production of any kind of crops be it flowers, vegetables and fruits.

 
Moreover, all agricultural technologies in crops and livestock production are available in Aklan. Aklan State University is the premier agricultural university in Western Visayas. Its president, Dr. Danilo E. Abayon has just received a prestigious Education Leadership Award from Asia’s Best School Award given by the World Education Congress held in Singapore last month. 

 
Are we good teachers but poor implementers? However, sad to believe, Aklan imports from flowers to fruits; from eggs to chicken. Now, rice is even imported. 

 
Aklan is wealthy, but 21 percent of its people are poor. If our people will only apply the technical knowledge available in Aklan, develop and improve land productivity enhanced by favorable climate, Aklan could not be a home of people below the poverty level. 

 
Mr. George Calaor cannot find any reason to complain there is hunger, unemployment, and poverty in Aklan. There are plenty of work in Aklan for the willing hands, heads, hearts, and health (4-H). There is unemployment and poverty for those who do not work.  

 
To encourage more productivity, the food and other farm products, consumers can motivate farmers to produce more agricultural goods by willingly paying the price of goods they need. They can do this by avoiding bargaining to reduce price. For instance, those people with vehicle may purchase farm goods similar to how they purchase gas in the gas station. Pay the cost without asking discount. 

 
But the habit is: bargain too strong to reduce market price of farm products and pay without question the price as tagged of manufactured goods. 

 
Can we reverse this habit to promote farm productivity and reduce poverty? /MP