Sustainable Agricultural and Natural Resources Management Collaborative Research Support Program North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Adoption of Integrated Vegetable- Agroforestry (VAF) System among Smallholder Upland Farmers in the Philippines Adoption of Integrated Vegetable- Agroforestry (VAF) System among Smallholder Upland Farmers in the Philippines ANTHONY M. PENASO, JUDITH D. INTONG MARIA EMILY S. DAMAG, ROBIN MARSH MANUEL R. REYES January 23, 2009, BSU, Malaybalay City

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University RATIONALE  World population is about 6.5 billion (Levine, 2005) and is estimated to increase by 73 million people per year. Levine, 2005Levine, 2005  About 800 million people are hungry, of whom 95% are in developing countries (Future Harvest Centers, 2004a). Future Harvest Centers, 2004aFuture Harvest Centers, 2004a  In East and Southeast Asia (SEA) about 1.7 billion persons are living on less than US$ 1/day (CIMMYT, 2001). CIMMYT, 2001CIMMYT, 2001

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University RATIONALE  Furthermore, available resources such as land and water have been rapidly diminishing. This project seeks to alleviate poverty, food scarcity, and reduce environmental degradation in SEA by combining economically-viable and resource- conserving technologies, and gender friendly socio-economic policies that benefit and reward stakeholders in a watershed, especially small- scale farmers both women and men (SSFWM).

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University RATIONALE  The hypothesis to be tested is ‘integrating vegetable production in the agroforestry system on small farms will help to alleviate poverty and enhance environmental protection, sustainability, and ecosystem biodiversity in SEA watersheds.’

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University RATIONALE  Another closely related hypothesis is ‘integrating agroforestry in a vegetable production system on small farms will help to alleviate poverty and enhance environmental protection, sustainability, and ecosystem biodiversity in SEA watersheds.’

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University PHILIPPINE SITE: LANTAPAN, BUKIDNON

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University  Lantapan is considered the vegetable basket of southern Philippines. The municipality of Lantapan is located in a river valley that is crossed by Mindanao’s major north-south highway some 15 km south of Malaybalay, Bukidnon’s provincial capital, and 100 km southeast of Cagayan de Oro City, the closest city and port.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University  The left bank of the Manupali River bounds Lantapan on the south, and a major protected area, the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park (MKNRP) on the north. Lantapan is wholly contained within the Manupali watershed.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University  In 1992, the Manupali watershed was declared “critical” by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), making it subject to restricted development and conservation.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University  Lantapan has a total land area of 35,465 hectares. Of this, 21,215 hectares are classified as alienable and disposable lands, while 14,250 hectares are public lands. Lantapan has an average elevation of 600 m, which increases as one proceeds northwest to MKNRP to a maximum of 2,938 m.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University  About 70 per cent of the area has slopes greater than 10%. Soil types are generally classified as Adtuyon and Kidapawan clays, which are mostly well drained. The average annual rainfall is 2,470 mm.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University  Lantapan’s population has been rapidly increasing. It was projected that the 2000 population would triple by Lantapan has an agriculturally based economy. Up to the early 90’s, ninety per cent of the households have been dependent on smallholder farming.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University  However, this changed since two large corporations started banana production in the late 1990s. It is estimated that about 60 per cent of the total labor force of Lantapan are now employed in commercial agricultural enterprises.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University  The on-going shift to large-scale commercial agriculture pushed the smallholders to farm smaller plots in less productive and more environmentally fragile areas.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University  Lantapan’s pattern of agricultural expansion involved the replacement of forest and permanent crops by annual crops. The spread of vegetable cropping is common in high altitude and steeply sloping areas.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University TECHNOLOGY  Develop economically viable and ecologically-sound integrated vegetable- agroforestry (VAF) systems to increase farm productivity and income, and reduce vulnerability and risks

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Technology: V – Vegetable AgroforestryV – Vegetable Agroforestry I – Introduction of new vegetableI – Introduction of new vegetable varieties and indigenous varieties and indigenous vegetables vegetables D – Drip IrrigationD – Drip Irrigation I – Integrated Pest ManagementI – Integrated Pest Management N- NoTillageN- NoTillage

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University VAF ADOPTION STUDY  The general objective of the study is to determine the adoption behavior among smallholder upland farmers in Barangay Songco, Lantapan, Bukidnon, Philippines towards integrated VAF system and to establish feedback mechanism between farmers and technologists.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES  Specifically, it aims to: (1) monitor technology adoption rate and innovativeness of smallholder upland farmers. and (2) identify problems met in technology adoption for immediate feedback to the SANREM technology team.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University PROJECT DURATION START: October 1, 2007 October 1, 2007END: Sept. 30, 2009 Sept. 30, 2009

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University METHODOLOGY  Participatory monitoring and evaluation using a semi- structured monitoring form is employed where fifty (50) farmer cooperators selected in the baseline study do self- recording and reporting of pertinent information relative to adoption of integrated VAF system.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University METHODOLOGY  Monitoring by researchers is done twice a year (per cropping season). In addition, information received is communicated in timely fashion to the technical field staff to facilitate adaptation to account for farmer adoption constraints.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION STATUS  Conducted participatory monitoring and evaluation for the second cropping period, CY 2007 (June – Dec 2007) last January 2007

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION STATUS  The second round of monitoring and evaluation for the first cropping period, CY 2008 (Jan-June 2008) – on-going

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Preliminary Results Mean age: 47 years old Sex:66% males Mean household size: 7 members Education: 66% attended &/or graduated 66% attended &/or graduated elementary education elementary education 14% attended &/or graduated 14% attended &/or graduated tertiary education tertiary education Ethnic origin: 51% Talaandig 37% Visayas group of islands 37% Visayas group of islands Farmer-cooperators

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Preliminary results TechnologyYear of Awareness % Not aware Year of first practice Irrigation Drainage Use of drainage Hand watering19705 Sprinkler irrigation Drip irrigation Innovativeness

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Preliminary results TechnologyYear of Awarene ss % Not aware Year of first practice Soil conservation/soil fertility management Composting Mulching Contour farming Organic farming Innovativeness

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Preliminary results TechnologyYear of Awareness % Not aware Year of first practice Vegetable- agroforestry system Tree spacing19607 Agrisilvicultural Agrisilvipastoral Hedgerows Alley cropping Contour farming19809 Natural vegetative strip Silvipastoral Innovativeness

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Preliminary results TechnologyAdoption rate (%) Irrigation Drainage Hand watering75 Sprinkler irrigation73 Drip irrigation25 Adoption behavior

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Preliminary results TechnologyAdoption rate (%) Soil conservation/soil fertility management Composting64 Contour farming59 Mulching9 Adoption behavior

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Preliminary results TechnologyAdoption rate (%) Vegetable- agroforestry system Agroforestry61 Alley cropping 61 Natural vegetative strip 55 Hedgerows 46 Adoption behavior

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Preliminary results ProblemMean score Descriptive rating High cost of inputs3.93High Low vegetable prices3.91High Fluctuating vegetable prices3.86High Drought3.38Moderate Unavailability of inputs3.18Moderate Lack of adequate food3.16Moderate Lack of money for children’s education3.13Moderate Less access to credit3.11Moderate Soil infertility3.11Moderate Less access to market2.91Moderate Problems encountered

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Preliminary results ProblemMean score Descriptive rating Poor health and health care conditions2.88Moderate Weeds2.66Moderate Lack of off-farm jobs/wage labor2.63Moderate Lack of security of land tenure2.59Moderate Unavailability of technical information2.56Moderate Soil erosion2.52Moderate High cost of labor2.36Low Unavailability of labor2.27Low Problems encountered

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University CONCLUSION Farmer-cooperators are male-dominated, middle-aged, literate farmers with big household size; Farmers have been aware about drainage/irrigation, vegetable-agroforestry system and soil conservation technologies in early 80s Some farmers have applied the technologies almost at the same time that they are aware of their existence; It needs more time for farmers to apply agroforestry technologies than the other technologies; Farmers exhibit moderate adoption behavior towards the technologies under evaluation, and Input-output market poses the biggest problem among farmer-cooperators.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University The End