A thirst for knowledge and a desire for an improved way of living served as the driving factors for a vegetable growers association to rise above their olden ways.

The Nasipit Vegetable Growers Association (NAVEGROWA) is made up of 35 vegetable growers with 80% of their members coming from the highland areas of the municipality.

Association President Raquel Alaman shared that before they were organized, they only followed the traditional ways in farming which they learned from either family or other farmers.  

“We used to spend so much on seeds and fertilizers because we lacked awareness of the new technologies in farming,” Alaman said.

It was an Agricultural Technologist from the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of Nasipit, who encouraged them to organize themselves into an association. Realizing that there is much to gain in belonging to an organization, it was then that they formed the NAVEGROWA in the year 2018.

The interventions then started pouring in, starting from the Local Government Unit through the MAO helped them in strengthening their association and providing technical assistance.

The Department of Agriculture – Caraga, meanwhile, assisted the group through the provision of farm inputs such as vegetable seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides as well as plastic mulch, knapsack sprayers, plastic drums, and HDPE pipes. There were also trainings and technology demonstration on vegetable production conducted late last year.

According to Alaman, the techno demo was like a turning point for them. “We really appreciated the conduct of the techno demo because we learned so much from it. Through the techniques taught to us, we realized that we can do vegetable production with minimal expenses but gain a big income,” she narrated.

According to Alaman, they earned around P40,000 from the demonstration area which only measured 1,500 square meters which is way higher compared to her own personal experience of earning P70,000 from a one-hectare production area.

Alaman added that now that they are knowledgeable on the new technologies and convinced of their efficiency, they are leaving behind their old farm practices. She said that they have started to apply what they have learned on their individual farms.

She also said that they were also taught about organic farming which they are now practicing. She said that they have chosen to adopt organic agriculture since it is less costly and it is also not harmful to consumers. 

For now, the group is planning on renting an area for another round of techno demo which will also serve as their communal garden.

They also plan on expanding their areas so that they can also increase their production. Further, the association plans on establishing a “bagsakan” which will serve as a consolidator for vegetables in Nasipit.   

Alaman said that although they are relatively still a young organization, she is optimistic that they will really prosper because everyone is eager to learn and willing to cooperate. (Vanessa P. Sanchez / DA 13 – RAFIS)