MASBATE, March 15, 2022 – The San Pedro Vegetable Growers Association (SPVGA) in San Pascual, Masbate earned a combined income of Php 1,317,167.50 from their harvest through the Vegetable Production Project of the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Program.
Provided to the association in 2018 were farm inputs such as vegetable seeds, organic fertilizers, plastic drums, sets of garden tools, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes, wheelbarrow, and ultraviolet (UV) treated plastic, amounting to Php 538,827.
The 45 members, consisting of 37 women and 8 men, cultivated a total combined area of 14.0 hectares (ha), each with 0.5-1 ha. They planted assorted vegetables such as okra, bitter gourd, chili, eggplant, upo, sitao, squash, pechay, mungbean and kangkong.
Vegetable farmers started to gather their harvest in 2019 and consolidate their earnings.
From 2019 to 2021, 32.8 metric tons or 32,884.5 kilograms of vegetables were harvested and sold to the neighboring barangays of San Pascual and Claveria. It recorded a gross income of Php 1,317,167.50 (Table 1).
Mr. Jonathan B. Gemino, President of SPVGA expressed his gratitude to the program.
“Lubos po ang pasasalamat namin sa SAAD sa mga tulong na ipinagkaloob sa aming asosasyon mula sa mga gamit sa pagtatanim ng gulay hanggang sa mga trainings na isinagawa. Dahil dito, may mga magulang na napapag-aral ang kanilang mga anak at ito na rin ang nagtataguyod sa araw-araw naming pamumuhay.” Jonathan shared.
(We are very thankful to SAAD, for the assistance that was given to our association from the inputs to the training that were conducted. Because of this, parent-members managed to support their children’s education and it has been supporting us in our everyday lives.)Table 1. SPVGA’s 2019 to 2021 vegetable production income
| Crops | Total Harvest (kg) |
Price/kg (Php) |
Total Income (Php) |
| 2019 | |||
| Sitao | 637.5 | 40.00 | 25,500.00 |
| Pechay | 1100 | 20.00 | 22,000.00 |
| Sili | 730 | 50.00 | 36,500.00 |
| Eggplant | 980 | 40.00 | 39,200.00 |
| Pipino | 1065 | 50.00 | 53,250.00 |
| Ampalaya | 1605 | 50.00 | 80,250.00 |
| Kamatis | 656.5 | 50.00 | 32,825.00 |
| Camote | 1523 | 20.00 | 30,460.00 |
| Kalabasa | 1302 | 15.00 | 19,530.00 |
| Okra | 600 | 30.00 | 18,000.00 |
| Upo (sold per piece) | 930 | 15.00 | 13,950.00 |
| Luya | 50 | 80.00 | 4,000.00 |
| Subtotal | 11,179 | 375,465.00 | |
| 2020 | |||
| Sitao | 950 | 50.00 | 47,500.00 |
| Pechay | 1,098 | 40.00 | 43,920.00 |
| Sili | 1,220 | 100.00 | 122,000.00 |
| Eggplant | 2,539.5 | 40.00 | 101,580.00 |
| Pipino | 1,029 | 50.00 | 51,450.00 |
| Ampalaya | 1,427 | 80.00 | 114,160.00 |
| Kamatis | 1,025 | 50.00 | 51,250.00 |
| Camote | 2,317.5 | 25.00 | 57,937.50 |
| Kalabasa | 4,591 | 25.00 | 114,775.00 |
| Okra | 1,030 | 30.00 | 30,900.00 |
| Upo (sold per piece) | 960 | 20.00 | 19,200.00 |
| Luya | 280 | 80.00 | 22,400.00 |
| Subtotal | 18,467 | 777,072.50 | |
| 2021 | |||
| Sitao | 210 | 60.00 | 12,600.00 |
| Pechay | 408 | 40.00 | 16,320.00 |
| Sili | 216.5 | 80.00 | 17,320.00 |
| Eggplant | 498 | 50.00 | 24,900.00 |
| Pipino | 339.5 | 50.00 | 16,975.00 |
| Ampalaya | 450 | 80.00 | 36,000.00 |
| Kamatis | 148.5 | 70.00 | 10,395.00 |
| Camote | 66 | 20.00 | 1,320.00 |
| Kalabasa | 252 | 25.00 | 6,300.00 |
| Okra | 50 | 40.00 | 2,000.00 |
| Upo (sold per piece) | 250 | 20.00 | 5,000.00 |
| Mungbean | 50 | 100.00 | 5,000.00 |
| Watermelon | 300 | 35.00 | 10,500.00 |
| Subtotal | 3,238.5 | 164,630.00 | |
| Grand Total | 32,884.5 | 1,317,167.50 | |
Note: FY 2021 data only include the first-quarter report of the farmers.The earnings of some members were used for paying the school fees of their children, repair and construction of their houses, and buying some of their daily needs.
The remaining income was saved for the group’s available fund.
“Karamihan po sa amin ay nakakapag-paaral na ng aming mga anak, nakapag-paayos ng bahay at nakakabili ng mga gamit sa pang-araw-araw mula sa mga pinagbiling gulay,” Jonathan stated.
(Most of us managed to support our children’s education, renovated our houses and we also managed to buy our daily needs from our vegetable harvest.)
Meanwhile, the occurrence of typhoons is one of the problems encountered by the members of the association.
To prevent further losses, each member insured their crops to the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) where they also received financial assistance in 2020, after the severe damages brought by the typhoon.
Jonathan also shared that there are instances they have excess vegetable harvests which they planned to process into value-adding products.
On February 19, the association initiated a trial-making of processed vegetables such as squash molido, squash halaya, veggie empanada, and salabat in barangay San Pedro, which was assisted by the SAAD Area Coordinator, Ms. Elia Kim E. Longcayana together with the Agriculture Technician in San Pascual, Mrs. Chona E. Villapane.
To date, some of the association members are already selling empanada while preparing for the next planting season. ###
Writer: Jay A Ogaya – SAAD PPMSO Information Officer
Source: Elia Kim E. Longcayana – SAAD PPMSO Area Coordinator
Photo Source: Jonathan B. Gemino
