Harvest Time
High hopes with Durabloom among Bayambang farmers
By Sosimo Ma. Pablico
CORN FARMERS in San Gabriel, Bayambang, Pangasinan cultivating 301 hectares are placing their stakes on the bio-organic fertilizer Durabloom as they now witness the impressive performance of the crops of two farmer leaders.
Their centers of attention are the corn crops of Edgardo Abaya in Barangay Tubektubang, Moncada, Tarlac and Rogelio dv. dela Pena in San Gabriel. Edgardo, 43, resides in San Gabriel, which is to Tubektubang.
Rogelio, 54, resides at the Bayambang town center but is the chairman of the San Gabriel Segundo Multi-Purpose Cooperative, a prospective recipient of drying facilities from the Department of Agriculture. He is also the chairman of the Region I Federation of Corn Cluster Associations.
Edgardo cultivates more than 5 hectares but owns only 1.47 hectares. The rest are rented at 5,000 per hectare per crop. In December 2007 he planted nothing but the genetically modified Bt corn varieties of Monsanto – DK 818 YG and DK 9161 YG, saying that even if the seeds cost a little bit more than other varieties, he is assured of a good harvest as the ears are no longer attacked by the Asiatic corn borer.
For this year, he plans to plant two crops provided seeds of YieldGard are available.
Based on the appearance of the one-half hectare applied with five bags Durabloom and two bags of complete fertilizer (14-14-14) before planting, Edgardo is optimistic that his gross income would be no less than P70,000. That would be equivalent to P140,000 a hectare.
Last year his income from the same area was P52,000. He applied six bags of ammonium sulfate and six bags of complete fertilizer. At the same time, he planted 13.5 kilos of YieldGard per hectare in single rows.
His net income from less than four hectares was a staggering P180,000. With his crop planted last December he expects to easily get a net income of no less than P250,000., which he said would be low.
This time he planted one-half hectare with 18.5 kilos of seeds in double rows and drastically reduced his use of inorganic fertilizer, replacing it with the bio-organic fertilizer Durabloom. He said he surely saved a lot as a bag of complete fertilizer in Bayambang at the time of planting was P970.00, enough to buy almost three bags of Durabloom.
Edgardo, a high school graduate, is crossing his fingers for a better harvest than last year and plans to apply his whole farm with Durabloom in the second cropping.
With an expected higher income, he said he would be more in a position to provide well for his nine children (five boys and four girls) whose ages range from 19 to 5.
Rogelio dela Pena, on the other hand, got a net income of P54,000.00 from 1.3 hectares last year. He expects to get a higher income from his first crop this year as he also applied one-half hectare with Durabloom. “Easily, I could get 8 tons a hectare,” he said.
He added that earlier he almost tried to use another brand of “organic fertilizer” that has been in the market for several decades already. However, he saw that urea, complete fertilizer and biozome were being added to the organic material and the product emitted an obnoxious odor. Farm hands would find it difficult to apply the material.
Like Edgardo, it is the first time for Rogelio to use Durabloom but he vows to encourage the 95 members of the San Gabriel Segundo Multi-Purpose Cooperative to use it if their expectations are met.
Armando Alipio, 43, said he will definitely try Durabloom in his second crop “because I also want to progress like my cousin, referring to Edgardo.
(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)
