Balili, Mankayan in the province of Benguet is among the promising areas to nurture highland crops production. The semi-flat terrains and cool climatic condition makes it suitable to grow different semi-temperate crops like potato, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, and carrots, among others. One of the farmers is Soner Beniasen, a resident of Atok municipality who migrated to barangay Balili as he started his family in 1999.
Born to a farming family, Soner acquired the necessary skills and knowledge of growing crops which is their main source of living. He continued to learn the new technologies and skills in farming vegetables and applied it as he cultivates hope for his own family. He and his wife Melbita, persevered in their farming activities, while hurdling the challenges in between, until they were able to acquire their own two parcels of land in the locality. They now grow potato, Chinese cabbage, and carrots.
Organizing the farmers
Back then, they were encouraged to join existing farmers groups but later on decided to organize their own as advised by the Department of Agriculture-Cordillera (DA-CAR) High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) considering the wide agricultural area of the barangay. Soner then facilitated the establishment of their group. In 2018, the PAS-ADAN Farmers’ Association was organized with 21 starting members with himself as the President.
He shared that having a formal organization is very important especially to them as farmers because it allows them to formally voice out their concerns towards agricultural development, request for agricultural assistance and/or become eligible for big ticket projects from the government.
GAP adoption and DA interventions
At present, all the 21 members of the PAS-ADAN Farmers’ Association are certified as good agricultural practices (GAP) practitioners. Specifically for Soner, he got his certification in 2019.
Soner’s unwavering belief in hard work and perseverance propelled them forward, finally adopting GAP. He noted that some of the requirements like the facilities requires for a funding. However, this did not discourage them to move forward. He borrowed a reasonable amount to establish the different farm facilities while encouraging his other farmer-members to work out their GAP requirements as well.
His genuine interest and receptiveness to the new programs, particularly GAP, paved the way for the provision of various agricultural interventions from the DA-CAR. These interventions include a potato seed storage amounting to PhP500,000, 15 food-grade plastic crates, a knapsack sprayer, and a power sprayer.
With the potato seed storage, he can already store the potato tubers properly in a conducive area for up to five months ready for the next planting season compared before that he would store the tubers in sacks and pile them in a corner of their house.
Meanwhile, the association also participated in the KADIWA Ng Pangulo events of the DA-CAR. Soner recalled that they were able to participate at least three times and during those times, he would lead the consolidation of products from all the members for them to sell in the KADIWA.
Soner is thankful to the DA-CAR for the said interventions for it significantly facilitated a more convenient and faster means of accomplishing their farming activities. He hopes for the continuous development of their farming activities as they maximize the interventions provided and embrace new technologies and programs deemed suitable in their community. At present, he is encouraging other farmers to adopt good agricultural practices in their farms and support the initiatives of the government on agriculture. He shares that through GAP, he was able to improve his activities in the farm primarily in the proper storage of their agricultural inputs and materials/equipment, and proper disposal of wastes, among others.
The PAS-ADAN Farmers’ Association, led by Soner, promotes a learning community wherein they share their experiences in GAP and other farming technologies. They also exchange ideas for additional learning and possible adoption of innovations and/or good practices.
Soner shows how one could triumph and lead a purposive life while embodying his aspiration to cultivate hope not only for his family but for the community as well. His perseverance and hard work, together with her wife, enabled him to obtain their own resources that someday they could leave as a legacy to their children. By JBAgrifino