In a bid to boost productivity, farmer groups in Benguet and Mountain Province are embracing greenhouse technology through fund support from the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP).

With the primary aim of augmenting farmers’ income due to the onslaught of typhoon calamities five years ago, 14 farmer groups were able to implement and sustain their micro-enterprise subprojects on vegetable and cut flower production under greenhouse technology.

“Production areas including existing greenhouse structures were damaged by typhoon calamities in 2015. Henceforth, micro-enterprise subprojects were implemented under the PRDP’s I-REAP component to provide sustainable income generating activities to farmers whose livelihoods were affected by typhoon calamities,” said Jocelyn W. Beray, I-REAP component head of the PRDP in the Cordillera.

Greenhouse structures were established to support the seedlings, vegetables, and cut flowers production. For some farmer groups, greenhouse materials such as polyethylene sheets and GI pipes along with other materials were turned over to them to rehabilitate their existing greenhouses.

While other farmer groups proposed the establishment/rehabilitation of greenhouses, some opted to propose other livelihood enterprises such as farm mechanization, cattle fattening, and swine raising among others.

Aside from providing assistance to rehabilitate/restore farmers’ production areas, Beray said that the establishment of greenhouse structures also seek to increase food security and improve food productivity.

“Farming under greenhouse condition will help farmers sustain their production all year-round and protect their crops from adverse climatic conditions and insects and diseases,” she added.

Liby Ngaseo, farmer and the manager of Bosigan Farmers Multi-purpose Cooperative (BFMPC) said that the greenhouse materials they received from the PRDP has been of great help especially in ensuring the safety of their crops during extreme weather conditions. BFMPC is the proponent group of the existing micro-enterprise subproject on tomato production under greenhouse condition.

The Lower Buyacaoan Multi-purpose Cooperative (LBMPC) on the other hand, is the proponent group of a micro-enterprise subproject on lettuce seedling production using greenhouses. The construction of two greenhouse structures for the operations of the enterprise were completed in 2017. However, they just received the other materials such as soil media and seeds to finally jumpstart their enterprise.

Benjo Segundo, farmer and manager of LBMPC said that the production expenses of greenhouse farming is lower as compared to open-field farming.

“Idi nalpas ti construction na dagitoy greenhouse three years ago, minulaan mi nga dagus ti lettuce, patatas, womboc, celery ken daduma nga nateng uray ti purpose na kuma ket for seedling production. Nakita mi nga dakel ti epekto na ti gastos ti farmer ti panag produce ti nateng isunga agpasalamat kami ditoy naited nga project kanyami (when the construction of these greenhouses were completed three years ago, we immediately planted lettuce, potato, chinese cabbage, celery and other vegetables even if the greenhouses were purposely established for seedling production. We observed a difference in terms of production expenses that is why we are grateful to this project that was given to us),” he said.

Segundo added that the benefits of using greenhouse technology is that there is an absolute guarantee of increased crop yield and minimal external threats.

“We usually spend around 30 thousand pesos for input and labor expenses for open-field production and harvest around 1,500 kilograms of vegetables. With the greenhouses in place, we now harvest higher yield and earn higher income as compared to open-field production where we hardly earn above 40 thousand pesos per cropping,” Segundo added.

Further, Jelalyn Maximino of La Trinidad Cut flowers and Ornamental Growers Association (LaTCOGA), proponent group of a micro-enterprise on chrysanthemum production under greenhouse condition said that flowers grown under greenhouse condition are different in terms of color and of quality as compared to flowers that are grown outside.

“The flowers are protected inside the greenhouse and they look more vibrant,” Maximino added.

Meanwhile, the construction of greenhouse structures for the production and marketing of potato tubers in Sadsadan, Bauko, Mountain Province were finally completed last March. A similar enterprise was also recently approved to be established in La Trinidad, Benguet. These enterprise subprojects intend to provide a sustainable supply of planting materials for farmers in the top potato producing municipalities of Benguet and Mountain Province. Constraints on limited supply of quality and certified planting materials, limited local seed producers, illegal entry of seed production, and lack of seed production support facilities are expected to be addressed.

Accordingly, the PRDP, which is now in its sixth year of implementation will launch development initiatives under the proposed 2^nd Additional Financing that aims to address gaps in the food supply chain and logistics and generate jobs in rural communities under the new normal. This was pronounced during the recently concluded 10^th World Bank Implementation Support Mission to the PRDP last June 2020. ### ELVY S. TAQUIO (DA-PRDP RPCO-CAR InfoACE Unit)