ICA Japan - Philippines 1999

Philippines Technologies for Alternative Agriculture Income Generation January 2000 - March 2000 About 80 % of the Municipality of Santa Fe is hilly and mountainous, leaving little space for rice production. Vegetables such as tomatoes are grown continuously on steep slopes. There is fear that the demand of fertile soil and the population increase promote deforestation .
Project Overview
	2. Even on steep slopes, cash crops such as vegetables are produced. Farmland expansion often causes deforestation. To grow cash crops the secondary forests are frequently burned. We feel great pain when we observe scorched trees and hillside in such severe condition.
	3. The continuous cropping of tomatoes as a high value vegetable is carried out. Due to continuous cropping of vegetables and soil erosion, the fertlity of soil is very low in the slopes. The resultant decline of soil fertility promotes the use of fertile soil in the forest. The deforestation amplifies the vicious cycle.
	4. A nursery for the barangay Sinapaoan. To prevent dryness, the seedlings are covered by a net and given water almost every day.
	5. A part of the seedlings for barangay Sinapaoan are grown at the nursery of Mr. Dulnuan, a Tiger Grass and Rattan expert.
	6. Transplanted Tiger Grass seedlings in barangay Sinapaoan. Tiger Grass prefers to grow on sunny sloping open lands. It is also useful to prevent soil erosion.
	7. Tiger Grass can be inter-cropped with other crops. Here it is inter-cropped with sweet potatoes and taros. Together with Tiger Gras, the rootcrops are also useful for stabilizing the soil as ground cover.
	8. On the slope, Tiger Grass is inter-cropped with roots crops, and rice is produced in the flatlands. The complex farming system corresponding with the ecosystem is forming a unique landscape.
	9. A stump of Tiger Grass after harvest. New suckers appear in some weeks and can be harvested again after a year.
	10. Harvested and dried Tiger Grass are stored in thebundles of beer bottle size. They are used to produce brooms.
	11. Several years before, other plants such as giant fern, rattan,and orchids had also been planted for Agroforestry development with the assistance of Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
	12. The stems of giant fern are strong and can hold much water due to highly porous construction. They are used as decorative stocks for orchids.
	13. The stems of giant fern are sold at local souvenir flower shops as decorative stocks for orchids.
	14. A nursery in barangay Balete. By putting the seedlings under the shade of a huge rock and trees, care is taken to retain moisture. Mr. Dulnuan (left) is giving advice on nursery management.
	15. The seedlings transplanted on the edge of a slope in barangay Balete. They are useful for preventing soil erosiuon in the slopes.
	16. The seedlings of Tiger Grass transplanted in barangay Balete. They are inter-cropped with taros. The soil where rootcrops and Tiger Grass are grown contains much organic matter.
	17. The mother plants of Tiger Grass growing on a slope. They are kept carefully as the mother plants, important source of propagation.
	18. Tiger Grass inter-cropped with tomatoes on a steep slope. Because tomatoes are the most profitable vegetable at the moment, even very steep slopes are used for its production. It is expected that Tiger Grass is useful for preventing soil erosion.
	19. A training was held to improve broom making technique of the villagers. Mr. Dulnuan, Imai, Ms. Cadang, and Nishiumi are watching the training.
	20. By using strings made from rattan, Tiger Grass is woven into a broom. Because intensive manual work is required, even a master can hardly make more than 6 brooms a day.
	21. A lecture was given by Mr. Dulnuan on production management of Tiger Grass, weaving and marketing of brooms.
	22. The villagers are enthusiastically listening to the lecture of Mr. Dulnuan.
	23. Brooms are sold at the souvenir shops located along the national highway. Since the national highway is connecting Manila and major cities in Luzon Island, Santa Fe is favorably located.
	24. The federation of the cooperatives has a plan to rent a part of former local governmental office to store Tiger Grass and brooms.
	25. Since revenue can be increased by adjusting the sales period, the provision of storage facility is indispensable.
	26. A group of visitors in the project sites of Santa Fe. From the left: Mr. Dulnuan(Tiger Grass expert), Ms. Cadang(Manager of CREATE) , Mr.Padilla(Mayor of Santa Fe), Ms. Nishiumi (ICA Japan), Mr. Gauuan(President of Aldersgate College), Mr. Imai (ICA Japan).

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Philippines Technologies for Alternative Agriculture Income Generation

January 2000 - March 2000