Mr Corn Farmer, Have You Found Your Super Friends Yet? They’re Close To You!
“’Briefing And Consultation On FAW’ Kicks Off In The Town With Sweetest Banana In Asia[1],” the news said from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, BARMM (Facebook post). FAW is the fall army worm that attacks corn disastrously. There were almost 50 farmers from barangays of the town of Amai Manabilang, Lanao del Sur who attended 23-24 June 2020, in Barangay Punud. The farmers were members of either the Land Owners Producers Cooperative, Punud Bumbaran Agriculture Cooperative, or Ranao Ibaning Indigenous People’s Association. Yes Sir, Cooperative is the name of the Game! (image of 3 friends from Friends Group[2])
But ANN (Author Not Named) mixed sour corn news
with sweet banana news in Amai Manabilang – and, later in the text, mentioned
the farmers’ expressed request for a farm-to-market road, FMR. I see that this is
really a mixed-up report that does not try to empathize with the farmers’
problems except to report them all.
Mixed signals is typical of PH journalism –
no wonder audiences suffer from astigmatism!
First, the occasion was a briefing on corn
farming and the worm. The lecture included “in-depth lecture(s) on corn
production technologies, land preparation, water management, integrated
fertilizer and pest management, harvesting, and marketing.”
As an agriculturist, I note from all of the
above that the lecture on corn production was complete. Now, why the emphasis
on the FAW when its population was supposed to be controlled by pest
management, never reaching the level of infestation? That suggests the lecturer
somehow was in favor of chemical control of the FAW!
Second, ANN said that the proper
identification of the FAW was “aimed at empowering the farmers” just in case
their corn was infested by those worms. It would have been more value-adding to
hear the lecturer point out what practices could be resorted to by the farmers
in order to prevent the FAW from increasing its population to the level of
infestation. I know that these practices include trap cropping, multiple
cropping, and intercropping.
Third, what about the FMR? The farmers said
they needed it because of “the difficult and costly transportation of their
products.” That is like saying the FMR will solve their problems in
transportation and marketing!
No Sir! Instead, the corn farmers need to be educated and
empowered to be their own entrepreneurs!
And I recommend, as I have been
recommending since 2014, that trainings and assistances be carried out by a Super Coop to which farmers are members.
Assisted by the Department of Agriculture, and private investors, the Super
Coop will manage the affairs of the members from production to marketing,
taking care of inputs, loans, tools & equipment, harvesting, drying,
warehousing when necessary, up to marketing. To banish the need for 5-6 loans
by farmers, the Super Coop will offer farmer-friendly loans of any amount any
time for any purpose, with the expected or actual harvest as collateral.
The Super Coop is the Super Friends farmers never had!@517
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