Agroforestry and Sustainable Vegetable Production in Southeast Asian Watersheds: Market and Gender Components of Philippine Study Ma. Elena Chiong-Javier,

Agroforestry and Sustainable Vegetable Production in Southeast

Asian Watersheds: Market and Gender Components of Philippine Study

Ma. Elena Chiong-Javier, Ph.D. Social Development Research Center

De La Salle University-Manila

The larger study isa collaborative research spearheaded by North Carolina A&T University funded by the USAID through Virginia Tech’s Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resources Management (SANREM) III Program

Major Research Partners US: North Carolina A&T University

(Project Leader) Vietnam: Nong Lam University Indonesia: Bogor Agricultural University Philippines: De La Salle University,

University of the Philippines Los Banos, UP-Open University, Don Bosco-Makati

International Centers: World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), World Vegetable Center (AVRDC)

At least 28 technical & social scientists

Overall Research Goal

Alleviate poverty and food scarcity and reduce environmental degradation through economically-viable, resource-conserving technologies and gender-friendly socioeconomic policies that will reward especially small women and men farmer-stakeholders

Research Objectives

o T = Technology (sustainable & profitable VAF integration)o M = Market (market value chain)o P = Policy (promotive options and frameworks)o E = Environmental & Socioeconomic Impact (assessment)o G = Gender (improved women’s participation & welfare)o S = Scaling Up (VAF management & dissemination)

The DLSU-SDRC Involvement

Market value chain research to determine marketable products, market channels, marketing practices, constraints and opportunities

Gender studies, especially women’s participation in VAF production and marketing

Methods used: Document/literature review, participant observation, key informant interview, focus group discussion, & survey

An important concept:

AGROFORESTRY…. A land use system combining

the production of trees and

food crops on sloping land.

Features of Songco (study site)

- One of 14 barangays in Lantapan, situated within Manupali Watershed which in turn comprises a substantial part of Mt Kitanglad Range Natural Park (protected area); a noted vegetable basket, supplying urban markets in CDO, Davao, Cebu, and Manila.

- Remembered as 80% forested until logging started in 1950s

- In-migration and socioeconomic development efforts speeded up rate of forest conversion and changed land use patterns

- High elevation (averaging 800 masl) - Land classification: 63% timberland, 37% A&D

Site features…

Longer rainy season (May-December) and many ground water resources

1st class soil types suitable for agriculture Moderate to severely-rolling slopes (70-80% quarter

slopes) Severe erosion potential estimated at 40% 2002 population: 2,947 persons (46% women and

54% men) in 568 households Land uses: 81.6% forestry, 17.1% agricultural, 1.3%

industrial/agro-industrial and residential Private agricultural lands are predominantly

vegetable gardens; trees are along boundaries or contours (fewer no. of purely AF farms compared to

monocropped vegetable gardens)

Site features…. Slopes than can be plowed are usually planted to

vegetables (top 5: Chinese cabbage or umbok, beans, cabbage, tomato, & potato; other popular preferences - bell pepper, carrot, sayote, sweetpeas, & eggplant))

Steeper areas or “bakilid” are used for AF species including eucalyptus, acacia mangium, musizi, & falcata trees, assorted fruit trees and rootcrops like sweet potatoes, taro, & cassava

Mostly unpaved and rugged roads 5 waiting sheds serve as “bagsakan” (collection point &

weighing station) found on main barangay road Agriculture-based economy: majority of households grow

vegetables for the market

Top 5 VAF Products grown

Vegetables: Cabbage Umbok (Chinese

cabbage) Potato Carrot Tomato

Gender differences observed in

the ranking except for potato.

Trees: Eucalyptus Gemelina Falcata Jackfruit Lanzones

Slight gender differences noted

In the ranking except for

Lanzones.

Some Perceptions on Combination of VAF Crops

The Do’s Tomato & umbok grow well together; tomato

& atsal (bell pepper; “poisonous” roots) cannot. Coffee and vegetables especially atsal,

cabbage, and umbok can be combined: atsal leaves and fruits are greener and more glossy, cabbage and umbok heads are bigger.

VAF combinations…

The Don’t’s Gemelina should not be planted near

vegetables; Gemelina depletes the soil’s nutrients.

Mahogany causes eggplants to develop poorly even if planted over one meter apart

In general, the shade of trees stunt the growth of vegetables so trees should be planted a “safe” distance away.

Pre-Marketing Practices

1. Quality Assurance (post-harvest rules-of-thumb)

- Keep the vegetables dry; unnecessary moisture will hasten spoilage.

- Exercise great care in harvesting the more delicate vegetables, e.g., beans.

Pre-Marketing Practices

Store newly harvested

vegetables in shaded areas.

Retain as much of the outer layers of the vegetables.

Arrange vegetables properly when packing/sacking them.

Wash or wipe the vegetables clean.

Marketing Constraints for Vegetables

Farmer-producers

Lack of access to market information; main sources are biyahidors and other farmers.

Inability to control prices hence cannot recoup farm investment; upper tiers of market intermediaries exert control especially the “bwayas.”

Biyahidors (buyer-and-seller)

Lack of capital. Inability to control quality

of goods due to bad farmer and trucking practices.

Inability to control prices; upper tiers of market intermediaries exert control especially the “bwayas.”

High operating costs: hauling, trucking, and market fees

Vegetable marketing constraints...

Farmers High cost of hauling and

trucking Transport problem

hastens perishability of goods

Goods are bought on credit and difficulties encountered in collection of payment.

Biyahidors Stiff competition from

many traders/middlemen operating in the market.

Shortage of commodities from farmer sources.

Goods are bought on credit and difficulties encountered in collection of payment.

Marketing Constraints for Agroforestry Products

Undeveloped market for timber and fruits Difficulty in marketing timber due to legal

(permit) requirements Poor timber quality affects pricing Non-profitability of selling timber due to high

cost of cutting and hauling and low prices offered by buyers

Gender Role Findings1. Men are the dominant labor force in almost all niches of the agricultural (vegetable) production cycle; women produce subsistence crops and cut- flowers in home gardens.

Mainly Men Land preparation (97%) Planting (77%) Crop management/

watering/weeding (79%) Fertilizer application (92%) Pest control (95%) Harvesting (84%)

Mainly Women On-farm meal

preparation Home gardening

(Note traditional roles)

2. Timber production is also a predominantly male task; female participation is limited to tree care.

3. Men rather than women control the following agricultural domains: Farm-level decision making, viz., purchase of

inputs (66%) & timing of harvest (58%) Involvement in farmers’ organizations,

associations or cooperatives (69-100%) Participation in agricultural training &

extension (54%).

4. However, women are actively engaged in obtaining financing or

capital for farm inputs and labor requirements.

5. Male spouses dominate in post-harvest tasks of sorting, grading, & transporting VAF products.

6. Vegetable marketing is dominated more by women but timber marketing is done by men.

Women Biyahidors

Findings on Women Marketers

Known as “biyahidors” (one who buys-and-sells)

Handle mostly micro vegetable trading & vending enterprises (it is the men who are in large-scale trading)

Study subjects are mostly married, have been in the trade for 8-40 yrs.

Failures in vegetable “gardening” (poor harvest, unprofitable income, lack of capital, fluctuating market prices)

pushed them to try selling their own produce before venturing to buy other farmers’ crops for sale to the market

Market participation sustained by economic

profitability of vegetable marketing & informal social-market alliances of women biyahidors.

Carry 4-5 varieties of vegetables in their stocks (umbok is favored followed by carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, beans, bell pepper/atsal, chayote, broccoli, & squash)

Goods procured from an average of 6 regular (suki) suppliers, mostly friends, neighbors, and kinsmen who deliver goods to biyahidor’s house.

Findings…

Women biyahidors… Weekly revolving capital of P1000-6000 -covering cost of goods, hauling fee (P5/sack), trucking (P35/sack),

market stall rental or bodega fee (P5/sack)

Gross ROI on lower-priced (less than P10/k) vegetables is generally 100%; more expensive goods earn lesser

Main business problems: Lack of capital & borrowing from usurers Failure to recover capital due to selling on credit or at a loss Helplessness over fluctuating market prices Poor quality of goods due to mishandling/bad roads & poor command over prices Overall: difficulty of sustaining business

Women biyahidors… Some business practices/strategies to

safeguard investment: Keep standard entitlement: biyahidor can crop off “less than

25%” (may be negotiated by supplier) of the farmgate price/kilo to account for spoilage during transporting

Stretch capital by going to supplier’s farm and purchase at farm gate prices

Be present at harvest time to monitor quality, help sort/classify, oversee packing/sacking, and ensure the sale does not go to another trader

Be willing to travel long distance to procure supplies in scarcity or in demand

Cultivate suki relationships with suppliers and buyers Maintain low selling prices to attract buyers Choose cash buyers over those who buy on credit

Some insights

Marketing is an individual rather than a collective enterprise; the marketer thrives through ingenious ways of tying farmer and his supplies to marketer.

The supply chains are not demand-driven but dominated and driven by middlemen-buyers; farmers at the upstream are neither market-savvy nor oriented to downstream/consumer preferences.

Some insights Gender considerations must be considered in

helping improve the lives of small upland farmers and marketers; farm roles are gender differentiated and vary by crop.

Amidst increasing commercial/market influences, farm roles in the upland VAF system still reflect a persistently traditional pattern with men assuming most of the productive tasks and women lending support (but dominate in reproductive/home- and child-related work).

Some insights

Any assistance to increase farm productivity, whether for vegetables or tree crops, will continue to be cornered by men.

Development of tree-based market enterprises cannot but also be male-directed and -oriented.

However, vegetable-related market enterprises shall most likely impact directly and positively on women’s welfare.

Maraming Salamat….

Thank You!