Assessment of the needs and problems of vegetable farmers in Rizal [Philippines]: Basis for policy formulation and design of a functional extension program
2010
Mateo, N.F. | Brasos, R.G. | Abines, E.S. | Cruz, A.P. | Marquez, A.I., University of Rizal System Main Campus, Tanay, Rizal (Philippines). Coll. of Agriculture
This study was conducted to generate information on the farmers' problems associated with marketing, support services, and other issues and concerns as well as on farmer training needs in vegetable production and postharvest technology hopefully to serve as basis for teh formulation and design of a functional extension program. Survey questionnaire was obtained to collect data from vegetable farmers. The municipal/city agriculturists were interviewed as in depth case to fulfill more information. Problems encountered by most of the farmers asociated to marketing of products including low farm gate price, no established market channels, limited access to information on supply and demand and distribution of vegetables, high competition of vegetables produced within the province and those from other provinces/regions while those attributed to support services were focused on credit, trainings, farms tools and equipment, irrigation system, poor farm to market roads, storage facilities, source of good seeds, and high cost of inputs. Polluted irrigation water, high cost of labor, and inadequate reading materials were limiting factors for successful vegetable production and non-membership to farmers' organization constraints farmers' access to government support. Significant number of the respondents expressed their need to be trained on the different aspects of vegetable production such as planting and cultivation, fertilizer usage, pest control and management and also harvest and postharvest technology. Addressing these problems and training needs through the formulation of a sensible policy and design of a functional extension program are deemed necesssary to improve vegetable farmers' productivity in the province.
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