SORSOGON, February 17, 2022 – Twenty-eight (28) members of Tres Marias Vegetable Grower Association (TMVGA) earned Php 141,141 from selling various vegetables, a result of the Vegetable Production Project of the Department of Agriculture’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program.
During the onset of the pandemic, these home gardeners are growing vegetable crops for consumption in each backyard measuring 2,000-3000 square meters (sqm).
In 2020, they organized themselves as a group where they were granted a certificate of registration from the Department of Labor and Employment as an association.
Situated in barangay Tres Marias, Donsol, TMVGA was chosen as one of the beneficiaries of SAAD. The association president Mr. Manuel Alim offered his 1,600 sqm idle land as the group’s communal garden.
In June, the group received the Php 278,593.34 worth of vegetable project package which include 22 kilograms (kgs) of assorted vegetable seeds, 20 bags of organic fertilizer, 13 drums, 20 sets of garden tools, 133 pieces (pcs) of plastic trays, 7 rolls of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes, 10 wheelbarrows, 2 rolls of plastic mulch, five units of knapsack sprayer, 506 pieces of rambutan seeds, 24 lemon seedlings, 16,600 root crops cuttings, and five bags of organic fertilizer.
Planting the vegetable seeds immediately in Mr. Alim’s land, three months later, the group reported an initial income of Php 13,288 in September 2020.
They market their products by putting up a Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita-inspired stall in their barangay. Members also sell fresh harvests to customers through a tricycle owned by TMVGA’s vice president, Ronald Bodegon, and a motorcycle possessed by Maricel Opiana.
As of December 2021, they accumulated Php 141,141 gross income from selling various vegetables (ampalaya, pechay, pipino, siling haba, sitaw, talong, okra, siling labuyo, kalabasa, gabi, upo, and patola) [Table 1].Table 1. TMVGA’s vegetable production income from September 2020 to December 2021
| Products | Quantity | Unit of Measure | Price/unit (Php) |
Gross Income (Php) |
| 2020 | ||||
| September | ||||
| Ampalaya | 11 | kg | 60.00 | 990.00 |
| Pechay | 54 | kg | 40.00 | 3,240.00 |
| Pipino | 12 | kg | 30.00 | 480.00 |
| Siling haba | 3 | kg | 60.00 | 300.00 |
| Sitaw | 16 | kg | 60.00 | 960.00 |
| Talong | 19 | kg | 60.00 | 1,140.00 |
| Okra | 15 | kg | 250.00 | 3,060.00 |
| Siling labuyo | 6 | kg | 40.00 | 1,500.00 |
| Kalabasa | 29.2 | kg | 10.00 | 1,168.00 |
| Gabi | 7 | ties | 10.00 | 70.00 |
| Upo | 14 | pcs | 20.00 | 140.00 |
| Patola | 12 | pcs | 20.00 | 240.00 |
| Subtotal | 13,288.00 | |||
| October | ||||
| Pechay | 46 | kg | 60.00 | 2,760.00 |
| Pipino | 2.8 | kg | 40.00 | 112.00 |
| Talong | 18 | kg | 60.00 | 1,080.00 |
| Sitaw | 17 | kg | 60.00 | 1,020.00 |
| Kalabasa | 22 | kg | 40.00 | 880.00 |
| Siling labuyo | 5 | kg | 250.00 | 1,250.00 |
| Ampalaya | 15 | kg | 90.00 | 1,350.00 |
| Patola | 9 | pcs | 20.00 | 180.00 |
| Kangkong | 12 | ties | 10.00 | 120.00 |
| Gabi | 11 | ties | 10.00 | 110.00 |
| Siling haba | 7 | kg | 100.00 | 700.00 |
| Subtotal | 24,410.00 | |||
| Grand Total | 37,698.00 | |||
| 2021 | ||||
| February | ||||
| Ampalaya | 5 | kg | 90.00 | 450.00 |
| Patola | 8 | pcs | 20.00 | 160.00 |
| Kangkong | 12 | ties | 10.00 | 120.00 |
| Gabi | 6 | kg | 10.00 | 60.00 |
| Siling haba | 2 | kg | 100.00 | 200.00 |
| Pechay | 36 | kg | 60.00 | 2,160.00 |
| Pipino | 4.5 | kg | 40.00 | 180.00 |
| Talong | 26 | kg | 60.00 | 1,560.00 |
| Sitaw | 16 | kg | 60.00 | 960.00 |
| Kalabasa | 19 | kg | 40.00 | 760.00 |
| Subtotal | 6,610.00 | |||
| March | ||||
| Talong | 21 | kg | 60.00 | 1260.00 |
| Sitaw | 16 | kg | 60.00 | 960.00 |
| Kalabasa | 14 | kg | 40.00 | 560.00 |
| Pechay | 8 | kg | 60.00 | 480.00 |
| Siling haba | 2 | kg | 100.00 | 200.00 |
| Ampalaya | 3 | kg | 70.00 | 210.00 |
| Pipino | 3.5 | kg | 40.00 | 150.00 |
| Okra | 1.5 | kg | 80.00 | 120.00 |
| Papaya | 18 | kg | 30.00 | 540.00 |
| Siling labuyo | 1 | kg | 250.00 | 250.00 |
| Subtotal | 4,730.00 | |||
| April | ||||
| Sitaw | 13 | kg | 60.00 | 780.00 |
| Talong | 23 | kg | 60.00 | 1,380.00 |
| Okra | 5 | kg | 60.00 | 300.00 |
| Siling labuyo | 2.5 | kg | 200.00 | 500.00 |
| Kalabasa | 20 | kg | 40.00 | 800.00 |
| Kangkong | 12 | ties | 10.00 | 120.00 |
| Ampalaya | 11 | kg | 90.00 | 990.00 |
| Pechay | 32 | kg | 60.00 | 1,920.00 |
| Pipino | 11 | kg | 40.00 | 440.00 |
| Siling haba | 3 | kg | 100.00 | 300.00 |
| Upo | 16 | pcs | 10.00 | 160.00 |
| Subtotal | 7,690.00 | |||
| May | ||||
| Kalabasa | 21 | kg | 40.00 | 840.00 |
| Ampalaya | 14 | kg | 90.00 | 1,260.00 |
| Pechay | 35 | kg | 60.00 | 2,100.00 |
| Pipino | 14 | kg | 40.00 | 560.00 |
| Siling haba | 4 | kg | 100.00 | 400.00 |
| Gabi | 5 | ties | 10.00 | 50.00 |
| Upo | 6 | pcs | 20.00 | 120.00 |
| Patola | 9 | pcs | 10.00 | 90.00 |
| Sitaw | 17 | pcs | 60.00 | 1,020.00 |
| Talong | 27 | kg | 60.00 | 1,620.00 |
| Okra | 5 | kg | 60.00 | 300.00 |
| Siling labuyo | 2.9 | kg | 200.00 | 580.00 |
| Subtotal | 8,940.00 | |||
| June | ||||
| Siling labuyo | 3 | kg | 250.00 | 750.00 |
| Kalabasa | 33 | kg | 40.00 | 1,320.00 |
| Talong | 23 | kg | 60.00 | 1,380.00 |
| Pechay | 32 | kg | 60.00 | 1,920.00 |
| Sitaw | 13 | kg | 60.00 | 780.00 |
| Ampalaya | 15 | ties | 90.00 | 1,350.00 |
| Gabi | 7 | ties | 10.00 | 70.00 |
| Monggo | 1 | kg | 100.00 | 100.00 |
| Subtotal | 7,670.00 | |||
| July | ||||
| Talong | 22 | kg | 60.00 | 1,320.00 |
| Sitaw | 17 | kg | 60.00 | 1,020.00 |
| Kalabasa | 34.5 | kg | 40.00 | 1,380.00 |
| Pechay | 37 | kg | 60.00 | 2,220.00 |
| Siling haba | 3 | kg | 100.00 | 300 |
| Ampalaya | 18 | kg | 90.00 | 1,620.00 |
| Pipino | 18 | kg | 40.00 | 720 |
| Okra | 7 | kg | 60.00 | 420 |
| Papaya | 5 | kg | 30.00 | 150 |
| Kangkong | 7 | ties | 10.00 | 70 |
| Siling labuyo | 2.6 | kg | 200.00 | 520 |
| Subtotal | 9,740.00 | |||
| August | ||||
| Sitaw | 20 | kg | 60.00 | 1,200.00 |
| Talong | 24 | kg | 60.00 | 1,440.00 |
| Okra | 2 | kg | 60.00 | 120.00 |
| Siling labuyo | 3 | kg | 250.00 | 750.00 |
| Kalabasa | 19.6 | kg | 40.00 | 784.00 |
| Ampalaya | 10 | kg | 100.00 | 1,000.00 |
| Pechay | 30 | kg | 50.00 | 1,500.00 |
| Pipino | 12 | kg | 40.00 | 480.00 |
| Papaya | 21.5 | kg | 30.00 | 645.00 |
| Siling haba | 2 | kg | 100.00 | 200.00 |
| Gabi | 5 | ties | 10.00 | 50.00 |
| Upo | 20 | pcs | 20.00 | 400.00 |
| Patola | 6 | pcs | 10.00 | 60.00 |
| Subtotal | 8,629.00 | |||
| September | ||||
| Pechay | 40 | kg | 60.00 | 2,400.00 |
| Sitaw | 20 | kg | 60.00 | 1,200.00 |
| Talong | 25 | kg | 60.00 | 1,500.00 |
| Okra | 3.2 | kg | 60.00 | 192.00 |
| Siling labuyo | 2.768 | kg | 250.00 | 692.00 |
| Siling haba | 3 | kg | 120.00 | 360.00 |
| Kalabasa | 5 | kg | 40.00 | 200.00 |
| Papaya | 15 | kg | 30.00 | 450.00 |
| Kangkong | 10 | ties | 10.00 | 100.00 |
| Monggo | 1 | kg | 100.00 | 100.00 |
| Subtotal | 7,194.00 | |||
| October | ||||
| Talong | 34 | kg | 60.00 | 2,040.00 |
| Sitaw | 28 | kg | 60.00 | 1,680.00 |
| Pechay | 10 | kg | 60.00 | 600.00 |
| Ampalaya | 46 | kg | 90.00 | 4,140.00 |
| Papaya | 20 | kg | 30.00 | 600.00 |
| Kalabasa | 20 | kg | 40.00 | 800.00 |
| Okra | 4 | kg | 60.00 | 240.00 |
| Pipino | 5 | kg | 40.00 | 200.00 |
| Siling labuyo | 3 | kg | 200.00 | 600.00 |
| Siling haba | 5 | kg | 100.00 | 500.00 |
| Subtotal | 11,400.00 | |||
| November | ||||
| Sitaw | 26 | kg | 60.00 | 1,560.00 |
| Ampalaya | 20 | kg | 85.00 | 1,700.00 |
| Siling haba | 1.9 | kg | 100.00 | 190.00 |
| Okra | 1.5 | kg | 60.00 | 90.00 |
| Papaya | 21 | kg | 30.00 | 630.00 |
| Siling labuyo | 2 | kg | 150.00 | 300.00 |
| Kalabasa | 16.5 | kg | 40.00 | 660.00 |
| Talong | 31 | kg | 60.00 | 1,860.00 |
| Pechay | 14 | kg | 60.00 | 840.00 |
| Upo | 12 | pcs | 40.00 | 480.00 |
| Subtotal | 8,310.00 | |||
| December | ||||
| Talong | 18 | kg | 70.00 | 1,260.00 |
| Sitaw | 13 | kg | 60.00 | 780.00 |
| Kalabasa | 15 | kg | 40.00 | 600.00 |
| Pechay | 6 | kg | 60.00 | 360.00 |
| Siling haba | 1.5 | kg | 100.00 | 150.00 |
| Ampalaya | 4 | kg | 70.00 | 280.00 |
| Pipino | 2.5 | kg | 40.00 | 100.00 |
| Okra | 1 | kg | 80.00 | 80.00 |
| Papaya | 20 | kg | 30.00 | 600.00 |
| Siling labuyo | 1 | kg | 250.00 | 250.00 |
| Subtotal | 4,460.00 | |||
| Grand Total | 85,373.00 | |||
| Gross Income | 123,071.00 | |||
As the business manager, Ms. Opiana said that their bountiful vegetable harvest allowed them to innovate and produce value-adding products such as pickled cucumber, pickled papaya, chili paste, and kalabasa molido. In fact, Php 18,070 income from these products was recorded (Table 2).Table 2. TMVGA’s income from value-adding products (September 2020 – December 2021)
| Date | Products | Quantity | Unit of Measure | Price/unit (Php) |
Gross Income (Php) |
| September – October 2020 | Kalabasa molido | 45 | pack | 10.00 | 450.00 |
| Pickled cucumber | 6 | jar | 120.00 | 720.00 | |
| Subtotal | 1,170.00 | ||||
| February – December 2021 | Pickled Papaya | 63 | jar | 100.00 | 6,300.00 |
| Chili Paste | 16 | bottle | 100.00 | 1,600.00 | |
| Pickled Cucumber | 75 | jar | 120.00 | 9,000.00 | |
| Subtotal | 16,900.00 | ||||
| Grand Total | 18,070.00 |
According to Mr. Alim, 60% of the revenue from selling their vegetable produce and value-adding products was allocated for the salesperson and stall shopkeeper, 30% members’ share, and the remaining 10% is for land rental [vegetable stall] – more or less Php 1,000/month.
One of the members, Mr. Ronald Bodegon, shared that through SAAD, he was able to help the community by selling fresh vegetables at a lower price, especially during the pandemic. Also, from each members’ share, Mr. Bodegon was able to buy feeds for his five sows.
“Maraming pasasalamat, malaking tulong po talaga ang SAAD saamin. May ulam palagi ang pamilya namin. Kami lahat ay maraming nalaman kaya kitang kita naman ang kinalabasan ng aming asosasyon. Kami ay patuloy na umaasenso.”
[Thank you so much, SAAD is a big help for us. Our family always has food to eat. All of us have learned a lot, that is why it can be seen that our association’s outcome is growing continuously.]Through the group’s perseverance, TMVGA is already known as an agri-supplier in the locality.
This year, they will continue to sell value-adding products using their excess vegetable harvests. They will also assist other beneficiaries who received vegetable and poultry projects from SAAD by buying their duck’s egg produce and vegetables. ###
Writers:
Pauline Trixia D. Borja, SAAD Program Sorsogon Information Officer
Angelica A. Blanco, SAAD RPMSO Information Officer
Sources:
Mary Rose Detera, SAAD Program Sorsogon Provincial Coordinator
Mark Joven Barja, Donsol Area Coordinator
Photos by: Pauline Trixia D. Borja
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