Innovation in the vegetable sector in Northern Philippines

Highland farmers in Benguet and Mt.Province [Philippines] cultivate very small parcels for vegetable production. With limited land resources, the more probable option to increase productivity and income is through innovative farming practices. Solimen (BSU) [Benguet State Univ., La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines] studied the innovative production methods adopted by vegetable farmers in the highland municipalities of Atok, Baguias, Kibungan and Mankayan in Benguet and Baoko in Mt.Province. The study involved 165 vegetable growers with potato, cabbage, carrots and sweet peas as major crops planted. More than half of the sample vegetable-grower respondents in five municipalities utilized less than 2,500 sq m in growing various types of vegetables. The predominant vegetables raised consisted of potato (74%), cabbage (66%), carrots (45%) and sweet peas (13%). The use of new varieties, new inputs, improved land preparation, new planting method, new harvesting method, organic farming and adoption of greenhouse technology were among the innovative farming practices adopted by the farmers. In potato production, the farmer respondents adopted the following innovations: new varieties (59%), new inputs (47%), improved land preparation (35%), new planting method (28%), new harvesting method (21%) organic farming (11%) and adoption of greenhouse technology (4.5%). The sources of information on these innovations were: neighboring farmers (77%), government technicians (60%), input suppliers (56%), media (53%), training attended (48%), own or family idea (55%) and to some extent, R and D [research and development] institutions (7%) and customers (5%). All respondents cited that their innovation effort improved their total production, income, market share, production process and product quality. Seventy six percent (76%) of the respondents claimed that the innovation they adopted contributed at least 30% to total production. Close to 50% of the respondents claimed that it contributed about 70-100% improvement in their income. Most (98%) of the farmers marketed their produced wholesale but 83% also practiced vegetables retailing. The farmers consider linkage with wholesalers as very important source of cash advances for their production inputs. Results of the study showed that highland vegetable farmers' yield and income could be increased through innovative production practices. However, the study did not include quantitative information on the production and income level as well as the actual improvements in the farm household's well being as a result of innovative efforts adopted.