2010: The year of the fertilizer bargain?

Farmers see potential savings in '10 fertilizer buys

It's been a while since global fertilizer prices started sliding from record highs, but the beginning of the new year could usher in some good fertilizer buys for farmers.
The world market's dipped but returned from its lowest point. Still, prices are well below the highs from a little over a year ago, when prices for urea, phosphate and potash were all hovering at or near record levels. That means there could be some good buys out there.
"Fertilizer prices for the 2010 season should be a bargain compared to past years but you will need to comparison shop," says University of Nebraska Extension soils specialist Gary Hergert.
Nitrogen
Take nitrogen, for example. With urea prices at their lowest levels since 2006 and high ammonia inventories in the Corn Belt right now, it's not a bad time to nail down supply for the coming year before a current glut of inventory is spoken for and demand picks back up.
"World urea prices declined significantly since 2008 and were back to 2006 levels this summer. Prices rebounded somewhat recently and are showing some strengthening, but are still well below highs seen last year," Hergert says of urea, which currently ranges from $400 to $470 per ton in western Nebraska, for example. "The best nitrogen buy is ammonia. With the late corn harvest, there was little fall application through most of the Corn Belt and this has created high inventories. Ammonia FOB the Corn Belt is now running just over $350/ton with dealers asking $400/ton.
"World demand for fertilizer is still recovering," Hergert adds. "The Chinese had nitrogen export tariffs but are expected to lower these. The Russians have opened a new facility to load super tankers with ammonia which provides competition for world markets."
Phosphorous & potash
After huge jumps in the last 2 years, phosphorous and potash prices have, like nitrogen, sunk back to 2006 levels. That's after prices almost quadrupled for 18-46-0 DAP, which is now running around $330 per ton in the Corn Belt, Hergert says.
Potash prices have fallen by half from last summer to around $400 per ton and have "recently taken another small drop," Hergert says. This market's a little different than phosphorous and nitrogen, though, mainly due to geographic factors.
"In the western hemisphere, potash prices are effectively controlled by the Canadians who have much of the world supply," Hergert adds. "They have the advantage over the Russians and Europeans because they have lower transportation costs to get it to the U.S. Potash prices took much longer to decline than nitrogen and phosphorus."
Farm-level implications
In general, fertilizer is the crop input where most farmers say they can trim cost for the coming crop year. In a recent Agriculture.com poll, 47% responding said fertilizer represents the biggest potential money-saver.
"For my farm, the biggest expense is fertilizer, so when the price drops in half, that's a lot of savings," says Agriculture.com Farm Business Talk member Whitesand Farms. "Fall-applied NH3 last year was 85 cents a pound with applicator and delivered, and this year it is 35 cents a pound on 100 tons of NH3. That's a big difference."
If past high prices have caused you to change your fertilizer program in the past 2 years, Hergert recommends sharpening your attention on soil testing, making sure your soil profile is up to snuff and applying the right amounts of N, P and K.
"It may be a challenge to get soil test results this year because of the late corn harvest. Soil phosphorus and potassium levels do not change rapidly, so you can use historic field averages as a guideline," he says. "Follow a good soil testing program and if soil phosphorus levels are low, this would be a good year to build them. The key to maintaining profitability is to know your soil test levels and do a excellent job of fertilizer application to enhance efficiency."
Watching these soil test results closely -- namely, soil pH -- will determine which application method is best, Hergert adds.
"Strip-till or zone-till placement of phosphorus at shallower depths should perform similarly to row application and provide similar efficiency. In more neutral soil pH ranges, it may be time to look at broadcasting and incorporating phosphorus," he says. "Take a look at the nitrogen sources you have been using to see if changes could benefit profitability. Ammonia should be an exceptional buy and nitrogen solution is priced even lower than urea."

With Healthy Soil Comes Healthy Crop

The condition of the soil is the most important factor in successful farming because if the soil is healthy, the crops planted in it would be healthy, too.
This is the conviction of Wilfred Noriel of Baloc, Sto. Domingo, Nueva Ecija. Believing that the crop’s nourishment is the best shield against plant sickness, this economics graduate of De La Salle University who has been farming for more than 11 years has been seeking ways to bring back lost soil nutrients.
He visits farms here and abroad to learn from farmers and experts. He also reads a lot and develops new farming techniques based on his readings and experiences.
In one of his visits to the University of the Philippines Los Banos, a friend offered him a microbial inoculants that hastens decomposition. Due to curiosity, he used it in land preparation and found out that with activated microorganisms, stubbles, hays, grasses, and other farm wastes decompose easily, incorporating back to the soil nutrient

s such as silica and calcium.
Wilfred says, “it usually takes 10-14 days to decompose farm wastes, and so our land preparation ends on the 21st day.” Within this duration, the farm would be completely cleaned from the previous season’s residues.
The key to efficient land preparation, according to him, is to achieve the softest possible texture of the soil containing decomposed wastes because plant roots develop well in soft soil. So in the dry season when the soil is hard, he uses 20 kilograms of organic fertilizer with 75 percent humic acid per hectare. This will loosen the soil during basal application. In theory, 10 tons of organic manure is needed to supplement 1 hectare of rice land. Whereas, with humic acid in fertilizers, only two bags are needed.
When it comes to fertilizer application, which is usually done in 2-3 splits, he does it two times more. Before the final harrowing, he uses 60 percent of a special organic fertilizer containing 22 percent phosphorus for basal application. He chose this fertilizer over the commercial ones because it has 50 percent more phosphorus and it contains sillicic acid, a mineral that keeps the cell wall of the rice plant strong. Then he applies the remaining 40 percent of the fertilizer at 3-4 splits.
He also mixes the organic fertilizer with single elements like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and even sulfate, if available. In dry and wet seasons, he uses 810 bags and 6 bags of organic fertilizers per hectare, respectively. Each bag only costs P420, cheaper than the inorganic fertilizers that are also applied in combinations.
Then a week after transplanting, he applies a soil conditioner that contains nitrogen-fixing bacteria, humic acid, and other micronutrients at a rate of 2 kilograms per hectare. Then he solubilizes phosphorus to enable the plants to absorb important elements.
Wilfred also sprays Biocozyme with zinc foliar fertilizer once in a planting period. One of his secrets is that during the reproductive phase and early heading, he applies foliar sprays containing a combination of 1 percent each of calcium, boron, and zinc. To produce whole and tasty grains, he mixes 20-20-20 with 40-48, and applies the solution 45-58 days after transplanting and at early heading. The high potassium concentration helps improve grain quality.
He also gives importance on the way chemicals are mixed. Chemicals are usually oil-based. To realize the full potential of these, he said that each chemical should be thoroughly mixed in drums or any other container before transferring into the sprayer.
When it comes to pests and diseases, for him, the best way to control these is by making the crops resistant to these through proper soil conditioning and fertilization. In this way, insect pest management becomes unnecessary.
“If a person is physically fit, he does not get sick. The same is true in rice plants,” he adds. However, in extreme cases when the disease from his neighboring farms spreads, he opts for pesticides but in appropriate dilution.
“All problems in the field are associated with nutritional balance. You just need to manage it to ensure high yield,” he said referring to how he was able to harvest an average yield of 6 tons per hectare from his 23-hectare farm.
His yield is really enviable because aside from being high, it has also a higher grain quality. Wilfred has achieved this because he has ample time to focus on improving his farm practices for he does not have any problems on managing pests and diseases, thanks to the healthy soil in his farm.

Fruit Production And Climate Change

Mitigating the adverse effects of climate on fruit production is the subject of an interesting article of Dr. Pablito P. Pamplona.
Dr. Pamplona, of course, is the fruit expert who retired earlier from the University of Southern Mindanao in Kabacan, North Cotabato, and now managing his own fruit farm and nursery.
He writes that production of pummelo, longkong lanzones, durian, mangosteen and rambutan in Mindanao has been adversely affected by the climate change that started in 2007. Climate change, he said, brought about unpredictable occurrence of long and heavy rains accompanied by strong winds not previously experienced in Mindanao. One time, it’s a prolonged period of light rains followed by a short dry spell, like what happened in 2007. The short dry period was not long enough to trigger profuse flowering of the trees and that was the reason why there was a shortfall in production.
At another time, there was a period of prolonged heavy rains which resulted in longer soil saturation that resulted in damaged roots in many instances. Because of damaged roots, the trees, especially durian, were killed. They became susceptible to the phytophthora disease.
At one time, Dr. Pamplona wrote, the heavy rains were followed by a prolonged dry period. With the intense sunlight and high temperature during that period, the leaves as well as the flowers and developing fruits wilted. Of course production declined sharply.
Dr. Pamplona writes that starting in the middle of 2008, he implemented some techniques to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and the damage by emerging pests. “Our techniques succeeded in restoring the health and productivity of the trees enabling us to produce commercial quantities of mangosteen, durian, pummelo and longkong fruits under a situation where low to no production was experienced in many fruit farms in Mindanao.

Pangasius : Agriculture’s New Rising Star

Pangasius, the rising demand in the international market for this family of catfish has started to create ripples in the local agricultural world.
It started rather innocently. Early this year, top managers of Vitarich Corporation went to Vietnam and came across thisfreshwater fish called by many names: Siamese shark, sutchi catfish, swai, white or striped catfish. Scientifically called Pangasius hypopthalamus, these slender, elongated silverish to bluish-bodied fishes that can grow at 4ft in length and can weigh up to a maximum of 44 kg have been making waves in Vietnam because they are processed into fillets and are exported to Russia, Poland, Spain, USA, Netherlands, China, etc.
Marketing and sales expert Jose de Leon Angeles, Vitarich’s national marketing manager, who was with the team that went to Vietnam, was one of those who saw the potential of pangasius being cultured and grown in the Philippines on a commercial scale. “When we started to ask around, we found that there were already small breeders of pangasius here but they were not doing this on a commercial scale,” Angeles said. “They are bred only in aquariums because they are still considered as ornamental fishes.”
Seeing the growing market potential for pangasius, Vitarich soon found business partners in two aquaculture companies-Blue Bay Aqua Ventures, Inc. and Aqua Trends, Inc. both of which have the expertise to breed and market the pangasius fingerlings. “And since Vitarich has the technology on feeds to grow the fishes, the partnership was solidified and we’re working on this project to propagate pangasius.” Angeles disclosed.
Some local fishermen, though do not share the same level of excitement as Angeles and his partners do. “There’s this degree of hesitation among them and it’s understandable,” the agricultural sales and marketing veteran declares. “They are still afraid because there is no clear market. They would invest money but are doubtful if there are buyers out there. So we said there ought to be one final program of the project and that is to sort of give our farmer-fishermen insurance-and that’s a buy back. We thought of a risk sharing thing. They have to pay for the inputs, but they are assured of the buyers and that is us.”
And why would farmer/fishermen go into pangasius farming when there’s the growing local tilapia and bangus market that could always be tapped? Angeles has this answer: “Number one, the common concern in aquaculture today, especially if you’re involved in tilapia and bangus farming, is that they are not as durable or as hardy as pangasius. Bangus and tilapia cannot survive without oxygen. Pangasius can survive at an oxygen level of 0.01-that’s almost no oxygen at all!
Therefore, pangasisus can be spared from calamities such as fish kill and pollution because they have the capability to breathe in the surface.
“Number two, the number of species that you can stock on a per cubic meter of water space is thrice or more than tilapia and bangus. If you are growing pangasius in cages, a 30 to 50 cubic meter of space is going to be easy because fishermen in Vietnam are growing them at several times more and they still survive. If you can stock more fish per square cubic meter, the tonnage of the harvestable fish is going to be more and you can multiply it by the kilo and the price per kilo.
Number three. Vitarich is willing to buy your grown pangasius fish. We’re really developing the process of where to sell the fish just to prove the point that it can be sold and that it’s going to be feasible.”
Today, a two-centimeter pangasius fingerling is sold at 2.50 centavos each-that is, if someone is located within the Central Luzon area (price delivered). In other areas, breeders require a minimum volume of 50,000 fingerlings. Common sources come from Munoz, Nueva Ecija, Jala-Jala, Rizal and Apalit Pampanga. According to Angeles, a fisherman who is seriously pondering on going into pangasius farming should be able to spend around Php38 to Php40 on a fish kilo basis. “If we can buy it at probably a dollar, they can make money already. It’s not going to be something that they will lose their shirt in the process,” he quipped.
Growing pangasius, Angeles said, is far more easy than growing tilapia and bangus. This freshwater fish can be cultured in fishponds, concrete fish tanks, fish cages and fish pens. For earthen ponds, experts recommend around 1,600 sq. m or at least 400 sqm. Suitable depth is about 1.5 to two meters. The fingerlings to be put in the pond must be based upon the fish’s healthiness (without wounds, abnormalities and no diseases) and should be approximately of the same size to avoid fighting for food. The stocking rate should be about 10-15 fish per sq.m. Food for feeding are pellets, trash fish (to include water plants and small animals such as in sects and worms). Given the proper feeding and management, pangasius can grow to one to 1.5 kilos in five to six months time. Some very important things to remember in pangsius production are the following: traceability of the production (from processing plant to hatchery and feedmill) and environment (site selection and production practices and sanitation). Farmers/fishermen should avoid using insecticides, antibiotics, waste water and leftover food discharge to pond, illegal chemicals, etc. Pangasius fish growing is now seen as an alternative to raising tilapia and bangus.
Meanwhile, as the growing number of fishermen are trying to raise this new agricultural rising star, the processed pangasius fillets are now sold at around Php220-Php270 per kilo. Angeles said the taste and texture of the fillet is very apt for a lot of recipes and menus and is also suited for the discriminating Pinoy palate. “This could make for a yummy sinigang. Remember that in the fillet process, the head and the belly are left out so these could be made into sinigang sa miso. The fish can also be fried and grilled. The skin can be made into chicharon. Some said the pangasius’ belly has a similarity to the taste of salmon-rich creamy. Others say that the belly fat can be very good for sardines.”
Indeed, pangasius’ possibilities, according to Angeles, are endless: “Would you believe that in Vietnam, the oil from the fish is being used for biodiesel? There are no trashy parts here because even those that you think could be thrown out could be converted into fishmeal. What really excites us is that the government and the private sector are also with us in helping promote this fish. Through the intercession of BFAR’s Malcolm Sarmiento, Jr., Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and FRLD’s Angelito Sarmiento, we are officially launching this in Floridablanca, Pampanga. We all believe in the battle-cry of the Arroyo government to provide fish and rice for every Filipino table. So I’m urging our Pinoy farmers/ fishermen to raise pangasius. Somebody said if coconut is known as the “tree of life,” we might as well call pangasius as the “fish of life.” I believe it to be so.”

Rose Techno Guide

Rose (Rosa sp) is described as the queen of all flowers because of its beauty and form. In the Philippines, it is one of the favorite flowers because of its varied colors, fragrance, and long lasting quality. It is considered one of the world’s oldest and decorative horticultural plants. This is evident from the widespread interest in it as a home garden flower and from the national popularity as a cut-flower for all occasions.

Types of roses:
Floribunda – about 1.5 to 2.0 feet high, prolific, either single of cluster in one stem.
Hybrid tea – about 3 to 6 feet tall that produce large flowers.
Grandiflora – resembles tall floribunda with flowers as big as hybrid tea but much larger than floribunda.
Miniatures – sometimes called pitiminies, which are very short, bushy and profusely producing tiny button sized flowers.
Cultural Management
Methods of propagation
Cutting
Marcotting/Inarching
Budding
Grafting
Soil Requirement
Roses thrive well in clay loam soil enriched with high organic matter. In potted roses, a soil mixture of 1:1 part manure, soil and compost can be effectively used.
Water requirements
The plants should be watered early in the day and late in the afternoon to prevent the incidence of fungal diseases. The soil must be kept moist to increase vegetative growth and reduce the incidence of nonflowering shoots.
Fertilizer requirements
Organic fertilizer and complete fertilizers are basally applied into individual holes prior to planting. Ammonium fertilizers are also applied on roses.
Climatic Requirements
Flower color has the tendency to fade.
The number of petals drops.
The stem length decreases.
Roses grow well in areas where day temperature is 24 – 28°C and night temperature is 15 – 18°C. An increase in temperature affects the flower development of roses:
Pinching
Pinching is done to coincide with the peak demands for the production of long stemmed blooms.
Bending
Bending is done six weeks after planting to increase the number of flowered stem. It is also done when the shoots are not so good, when there is enough shoots and leaves and done near the grafting point.
Pruning
Pruning is the cutting off or removal of unwanted stems and branches to rejuvenate the plant and improve its yield.
Harvesting
For distant market, only the unfurled flowers should be harvested. For the nearby markets, the fully bloomed flowers should be harvested.
Pest Control
Aphids, mealy bugs, spiders scales and ants usually infect roses. Spraying roses with malathion, decis, tamaron, thiodan, folidol, karate and other insecticide could be used. Black spot is a common disease of roses. The infected leaves and stems should be removed and burned. Spraying with fungicide should be done.
Post Harvest Handling
Class A – larger flower with long stem
Class B – medium sized flower
Class C – small flower with short stem
Sorting and Grading
The flowers are immediately sorted and graded according to sizes:

Tilapia Cage Culture(Part 1)

Tilapia are sometimes known as “aquatic chicken”, due to their high growth rates, adaptability to a wide range of environmental conditions, ability to grow and reproduce in captivity and feed on low trophic levels. As a result, these fishes have become excellent candidates for aquaculture, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Indeed, tilapia culture has been expanding rapidly, and is now practiced in more than one hundred countries worldwide.
Tilapia cage culture is growing tilapia in cages made of nylon nettings and bamboo frames that are floated, submerged or fixed at the bottom. It utilizes bodies of water such as dams, rivers, lakes, bays, reservoirs and coves. This is one of the effective technologies used in raising tilapia. It started out in 1974 in Sampaloc Lake and Laguna Bay and being practiced now in different regions like in Magat Dam Reservoir in Region II.
The following are the advantages of tilapia cage culture:
• easier handling, inventory and harvesting of fish

• better control of fish population

• efficient control of fish competitors and predators

• effective use of fish feeds

• reduced mortality

• high stocking rate

• total harvesting and swift or immediate return of investment

• less manpower requirement

• minimum supervision
There are two types of cage design — fixed and floating. The fixed cage is suitable with a water depth of 1 to 5 meters and the usual size is 50 to 200 square meters.
The floating fish cage, on the other hand is from 5 meters deep and about 50 x 25 x 3 cubic meters depending on the area where the fish cage is placed. It is supported at the bottom with a stone weighing 40 to 100 kilos and covered with a net to prevent the fishes to escape.
The success of the project depends on the quality of breeds or species of fish as well as the production capability of the selected site in enhancing the maximum growth of the fish. Tilapia species is widely used as fish stock because it grows fast. It takes only four months for fingerlings to reach an average weight of 100 grams.
Site SelectionWater circulation.

The Magat Dam has water current circulation throughout the area that gives a continuous flushing of water inside the cages, making dissolved oxygen highly available to fish and wash out metabolites. Wind direction from northeast to southeast or vice versa prevails in the months of March to August. The prevailing winds augment the distribution of natural fish food within the dam.
Protection from winds and waves. Locate the site in waters protected from strong wind action and water currents caused by flush flood or heavy runoff. In the Magat Dam, there are few floating debris; the quantity increases as the wind changes its direction and force. However, this could be checked by providing floating bamboo barricades or wave breakers facing the direction of the wind.
Dissolved oxygen concentration. The ideal range of dissolved oxygen concentration on the water must be at least 3 ppm (parts per million). For tilapia, a lesser ppm is not considered lethal. However, growth and reproduction is greatly affected.
Temperature. This is one factor that plays a major role in the growth of the fish stock. The suggested range is from 20°C to 30°C. The lethal temperature levels are 12°C and 42°C.
Pollution. The fish-farmer should know the effect of thermal, biological and chemical pollutants to the fish stock which may come from domestic, industrial and agricultural sources. pH Level. To enhance a better growth, the recommended pH range is 6.8 to 8.0.
Accessibility. The site must be accessible to land and water transportation to facilitate bringing in of inputs and marketing of produce.
Other factors. One social problem existing in any fishery establishment is poaching. Poachers get into the project at night, bore hole on nettings to let the stock escape, then set gill net on surroundings of the project. This gives a bountiful catch overnight. This problem can be remedied by the management by establishing good public relation with the people in the vicinity. Another consideration is the source of fingerlings for periodic stocking.
Structural Design and Construction of CagesThe design of fish cages is determined by the behavior of the culture species. For Tilapia nilotica, which is less active and sometimes territorial in habitat, the shape of the cage does not affect its mobility. In this case, design rectangular cages for easy assemblage and management. The arrangement of the cages is not a problem if there are only few of these. However, 8 or more should be arranged depending upon the direction of the wind.
There are many kinds of nets that could be used for cage fabrication. The most common are the B-net (1/4? mesh), DD-net (3/8? mesh) and CC-net (1/2# mesh). However, the most popular is the B-net because smaller fingerlings do not need a nursery cage. It is cheaper per unit area because it is wider (108 inches) than other nets, hence, labor cost in fabricating cages is much lower, and tearing of one or two meshes do not easily provide an escape route for bigger fish.
Generally, floating net fish cages are made of nylon nettings supported on all sides and corners with polyethelyne rope fixed by a nylon twine. Each is hung within a rectangular area, the top is supported by bamboo braces and the bottom is provided with lead sinkers. The size of net cages used in Magat Dam for commercial production of tilapia is 6 m deep, 6 m wide and 12 m long. This size makes possible the full utilization of bamboo poles and nets. To do it, hang the net cages in bamboo raft type frame which also serve as catwalk for workers allowing 1 m of the net above the water level and fix the synthetic ropes to four corners of the poles to prevent the fish from escaping by jumping out. The longest side of the cages is oriented perpendicular to the direction of the wind.
Construct the net fish cages in the following manner:
* Cut the net according to desired specification

* Double-lace every mesh of the four corners using nylon twine 210 d/6, double-twine beginning at the second mesh row using rolling hitch or clove hitch with a single hitch as lock at intervals of 7.62 - 10.16 cm.

* Double-lace the nylon salvage net to the top edges of the cage with a nylon twine, using either a rolling hitch or clove hitch with single hitch as lock. Start the second half from the second mesh row.

* Rig all sinkers (No. 7) to the rib lines of the bottom side and centers. Attach the rib lines on all sides using rolling or rib hitch with an interval of 7.62 - 10.16 cm.

* Make splices on the four corners of the hanging lines (top portion of net cage) for the attachment of four stretching ropes with weight. Continue with the other units following the same procedure.

From Jeepney Driver to A Successful Farmer

Diligence, foresight and determination to provide well for his family were the key factors that led Rodolfo “Ronnie” Abas, 57, to success.
Forty-two years ago, he was just a mere jeepney driver who was earning what was left from his P8-boundary. Now he cultivates more than 100 hectares (has) in Kiliog, Libona, Bukidnon. His farm is planted mostly to corn and raises 110,000 broilers per growing cycle with the help of his son Marte, second in a brood of five.
His wife of 39 years, Mila, a former high school teacher, has provided him all the assistance he needed from a loving wife.
Ronnie, a high school graduate, narrates that he became jobless for a year after he got married. The owner sold the jeepney that he was driving, and he was forced to stay at home doing nothing but to take care of their firstborn child.
He was mad at himself very often because his wife was the one canning. He also found it difficult to be a”taynaylong” (a term coined to describe a person who acts as tatay [dad], nanay [mom] and katulong [househelp]). Much as he wanted to be the breadwinner, he could not find any profitable job. And he was worried of what could happen if he Would have more children.
JUNKED JEEPNEY FOR A STARTEven with his predicament, Ronnie envisioned himself to be the owner of a fleet of jeepneys.
And by the stroke of fate, probably, he found in 1970-a junked jeepney for sale. His problem, of course, was that he did not have money to buy it. He needed P 10,000 to buy it even if its engine was no longer functional and its tires needed replacement. His last recourse was his aunt who, upon learning of his only opportunity to become a family breadwinner, bravely lent him money.
“Because of my happiness, I really cried when she gave me the money,” Ronnie said.
After repairing the engine and vulcanizing the tires, he started to use the vehicle to ferry passengers from Libona to Cagayan de Oro City. In one particular trip, he was hailed by pregnant woman who wanted to be brought to a hospital in the city. He initially refused to take her, thinking that it would be bad luck for him and for his jeepney if she died on the way to the hospital.
But he it did not take him long, when he thought that his conscience would be greatly bothered if the woman died for not being brought to the hospital; so he backed up to get her. As he was traversing the very rough road down to the city, the woman already gave birth. This made him increase his speed, not minding his jeep’s worn out tires.
When he visited her the following day, he found out that she needed some money to pay for the hospital bill. Without even thinking twice, he gave her P50, the only money in his pocket. Ronnie said this particular event was the turning point in his life.
The following day was the feast of the Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Brgy. San Miguel, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, which is adjacent to Libona. Just like any other barangays fiesta in the Philippines, people from other barangays attended the fiesta. Much to Ronnie’s delight and astonishment, it was his jeepney that was loaded with passengers all the time. Passengers insisted to ride in his vehicle even if it was already loaded to the brim, so to speak.
From then on, his income from the jeepney kept on increasing. Not long after the acquisition of the first jeepney, he decided to loan from a bank to buy another jeepney. One loan after another led to the development of a fleet of more than 10 jeepneys.
TRIES AGRICULTURAL LANDSHis success in running a jeepney fleet did not make him complacent. Instead, he decided to try his luck in agriculture.
That is why even if his first jeepney has some sentimental value, he sold it for P70,000 in 1982 to buy 6 has in the town proper. However, the land was adjacent to the residential area and Ronnie thought it would be extremely difficult for him to expand the property if ever he would have money.
He sold the property a year after for P230,000 and bought 5 has in Kiliog for P75,000. He also bought six cattle for draft purposes and used the rest of the money for mortgaging lands from neighboring farmers and for production inputs.
For a start, he had 10 has planted to corn. Even if his harvest was low and the price of corn at that time was only P2 a kilo, Ronnie was making money from his agricultural venture.
Not long after, he bought again 7 has for P70,000. He realized that he was making more money from agriculture and, hence, decided to sell his passenger vehicles to be able to further expand his agricultural operation.
By 1990 he already owned 20 has and he decided to mechanize his farming operations, as he could no longer rely on animal power for land cultivation. Thus, he obtained a loan of P700,000 from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to buy 90 hp Ford 6610; he also borrowed P200,000 for production cost.
Unfortunately, the crop failed because the rains stopped after two downpours. Although he paid the premium for the insurance of his crop, the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation did not pay for his losses worth P 100,000 because the bank failed to remit the premium.
The best thing he got from LBP was a restructuring of his loan amounting to P100,000, as this was the amount that he actually spent. The next crops were successful and so he was able to pay his loans.
Ronnie said his success in corn production is primarily due to the use of hybrid seeds and Bt corn, which is resistant to the destructive corn borer. Among the varieties he is using are Dekalb and YieldGard, which are marketed by Monsanto Philippines.’ He said he has used hybrid seeds of San Miguel Corporation, Ayala and Cargill.
He mentioned that his corn yield is normally higher in the first crop with 9 to 10 tons a hectare (t/ha). Although the yield of the second crop drops to 5 to 6 t/ha, it is compensated by a much higher price and, hence, still makes almost the same net income as from the first crop.
For this cropping season, he has planned to try Durabloom, a bio-organic fertilizer produced by Novatech Agri-Food Industries, in a few hectares in an attempt to cut down fertilizer cost. The rains had not yet come when we visited Ronnie last April, but the fields were already ready for planting as soon as there is enough moisture in the soil.
He said that although farmers in other parts of Mindanao have already successfully used Durabloom, he has to try it himself before using it on a wide scale. “We’ve got to go slow on this,” he said. “If I find that it (Durabloom) works well, there will be no reason why I will not use it on a large scale.”
As a large-scale corn producer, he has already mechanized his farm operations. Lately, in a trip to Thailand with his family, he brought home a 4-row corn planter, which he bought for P200,000. For faster land preparation, he has also acquired three large tractors.
He said, however, the corn harvest must be dried soon after harvest so that the grains would not be attacked by aflatoxin, a fungus that diminishes the quality of the grains. If the corn would be free from the fungus, he could sell his produce at good prices. He invested P1 million for the installation of two vertical mechanical dryers right in the farm.
To insure availability of water for his crops, he installed three years ago several deep wells (248 feet deep) in strategic locations of the farm.
BROILER PRODUCTIONNot yet contented with his success in corn production, he ventured into broiler contract growing with Swift RFM in 1994. For a start, he had three broiler houses with a capacity of 10,000 birds per house.
Ronnie confessed that he was so excited with his new venture because it was his first time to see and take care of such a large number of chicks. Although he really did not know much about broiler production, he had to learn all the tricks as fast as he could. Indeed, determination and diligence made him a successful poultry grower.
After 13 years, he now has nine poultry houses with a total capacity of 110,000birds. Four houses can contain 15,000 birds each, while the five other houses have a capacity of 10,000 birds.
Marte, a nursing undergraduate, now manages the poultry business. He said they have five to six production cycles a year. After 13 years with Swift, they recently decided to do business with Gamma Fanns, a supplier of birds for the roasted chicken business.
Marte also manages the poultry farms of his uncle and another grower. All in all, he raises 540,000 birds per grow.
BACK TO JEEPNEYS, THEN HAULING TRUCKSEven if Ronnie sold his fleet of passenger jeeps earlier, he was forced to buy a brand new Armak passenger jeepney in 1989 because it was already becoming difficult for their children to get a ride to school. Besides, he was still the president of the local jeepney operators and drivers association, a position he held for 20 years.
By 1997, he already had 12 Armak passenger jeepneys, as he continued to buy one after another whenever he had extra money.
Later, he bought a truck with a capacity of 18 tons, which he used for hauling pineapple on a contract basis for Del Monte, which is adjacent to Libona. He was attracted by the handsome income and, hence, decided to sell the jeepneys to buy three more trucks.
Lately, however, Del Monte decided to hire 10-wheelers only. Because the income is good, he had his hauling trucks converted as such to conform to the demand of the pineapple company.
Ronnie is a kind of person who catches every opportunity where he sees good income. It was only recently that he also became a contract grower of Del Monte; he allotted 2 has of land - near his house - for this purpose. Del Monte provides the seed pieces and fertilizer, while he provides the labor.
He said he can harvest three times from one crop. The first harvest is done 18 months after planting. This is followed by a second harvest nine months after and a third harvest after another nine months.
The income is attractive as Del Monte pays P3 a kilo for the first harvest and P1.75 a kilo for the succeeding harvests. Ronnie said the cost of production for the first year is P147,000 per hectare.
Ronnie has also allocated a portion of his farm for fruit production. Although he says that it is not on a commercial scale, he has more than 600 fruit bearing trees of durian, over 200 lanzones, 35 pummelo, several mango trees, and lots of lakatan banana.
Ronnie has not yet stopped looking for business opportunities. Aside from his ventures in agriculture, he also has a fleet of 52 taxis in Cagayan de Oro with the name Abas Farm Taxi.