Being elected as the chairperson of Cambacan Integrated Farmer’s Association (CIFA), Mr. Efren Bacsan, 42-year-old from barangay Badiang, Sikatuna, Bohol, with his overarching role in providing leadership to the 25 members of the association, challenged himself to lead from the front. The group members are individually cultivating the vegetables provided by the Department of Agriculture – Special Area for Agricultural Development (DA-SAAD) Central Visayas in 2023 in a 7-hectare consolidated farming area. Said venture allowed them to participate in Sikatuna’s first Sandugo Agri-Fair. 

Read further details here https://saad.da.gov.ph/2023/08/cifa-farmers-earn-php16k-after-participating-in-sikatunas-first-sandugo-agri-fair-2023. 

From the knowledge and skills he and his members acquired from the training provided by SAAD, and with vacant area for more crops to grow, out of curiosity on which among the eggplant varieties are climate-resilient, Mr. Bacsan tried cultivating three (3) hybrid eggplant seeds at the same time – calixto, morena, and fortuner varieties. Aside from the training, he also learned these things from watching youtube videos about profitable farming and sustainable vegetable production.

In his journey, given Bohol’s climate which is generally dry, with maximum rainfall between the months of June and October, it became a struggle for farmers in the area. However, for his part, Mr. Bacsan discovered that the calixto variety – the most marketable and as a customer’s preference, has a shorter life span lasting 7 to 8 months only and is more susceptible to drought. Morena, on the other hand, with height that reaches more than 6 feet, also yields more crops but its market value is lesser during the dry season when its fruits show greenish lines which indicate wilting. Lastly, he found out that the fortuner variety is high yielding and is more resilient even during dry season, thus, giving more harvest as compared to the other two varieties.

According to Mr. Bacsan, farmers like him are scientists trying to discover new and effective farming methods through actual experiences in crop management and solving problems using the trial-and-error method. He highlighted that one of the difficult parts in his vegetable farming is during dry seasons where he would water his plants manually by fetching water from a nearby well twice a week for 5 to 9 hours during night time. 

“Ang ako always buhaton, mag trial and error ko. Mag-try ko pagpananom ug lain–lain nga crops unya mag-try ko ug apply sa mga kinabag–o nga farming techniques. Ug unsa ako makita sa online nga murag pwede ma-apply sa akoang pagpananom, ako gud buhaton kay basin diay muepekto pud,” shared Mr. Bacsan.

(I always do the trial-and-error method. I try planting a variety of crops and applying modern farming techniques. I just watch online videos and then apply it to my farming to see if it would work, too.)

“Sa akong own experience sa trial and error, akoang na-observe nga kung magsari–sari ka ug tanom lisod kayo ikontrol ang mga peste ug mananap. Lahi–lahi nga tanom, lahi–lahi nga mananap, therefore, problema kayo. Wala nako ni–utro pag intercropping,” he added.

(Based on my own experience through trial-and-error methods, I have observed that if you plant a variety of crops, pest control and mitigation become a struggle. Since then, I did not do intercropping again.)

Mr. Bacsan became the inspiration of the association members who are adapting his farming techniques. With a regular harvest of more than 100 kilograms (kgs) of eggplant every week and earning an average monthly net income of Php 20,000, his friends and other FA members were motivated to replicate what he did.

From his income, he was able to support his wife in her graduate studies in Manila. Aside from that, he bought farm tools such as wheelbarrows and knapsack sprayer. Now, he plans to save at least 5% of his monthly income to buy a high pressure sprayer and drip irrigation materials which would help in controlling pests and watering the plants. 

Also, the non-marketable vegetables during his harvest were given to his neighbors and other laborers in the area for consumption. 

Expanding his farm area this planting season, he started to plant the bell pepper seeds given by SAAD in a 6,000 square meter land owned by a close relative. Ten (10) percent of his profit, minus all the expenses, goes to the landowner. 

Meanwhile, as a group initiative, once every month, the FA members would meet to discuss and share each other’s best practices in order to improve their way of farming, tackle issues and concerns related to planting vegetables and would visit each other’s farm area for monitoring. CIFA plans to establish an agricultural supply store, which would offer farm goods and agricultural products at a lower price to help not just the members but also the residents within their community.

Being an active leader of CIFA, Mr. Bacsan initiated a fundraising scheme for the association. For every kilogram of vegetable crops sold by the SAAD beneficiaries, 50 centavos goes to the FA’s fund. Aside from this, an annual Php 1,000 savings fund is collected from each member which they plan to use in purchasing other needed farm inputs and equipment such as water pump and land tractor. As they start planting the seeds from the Program, the farmers are very eager and hopeful that their income will increase in the next few years. 

“Dako kaayong tabang ning SAAD. Nagpasalamat mi kay murag na ignite ang amo passion sa pagpananom. Dili pa mi tanan maayo sa gardening pero gina–train kami so daghan na mi nakat–unan” (SAAD is really a big help. We are thankful enough because it has ignited our passion in farming. We are not yet knowledgeable enough when it comes to gardening, but they provided training, so we have learned a lot), Mr. Bacsan said, expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the Program. 

CIFA, led by Efren Bacsan, is among the recipients of the high-value crop production-related projects implemented in the seven municipalities in Bohol for the SAAD Phase 2. ### 

Writer: Jessica R. Alvero, DA-SAAD Central Visayas Information Officer
Source: Grace C. Quisto, DA-SAAD Bohol Area Coordinator