Agriculture Industry

[cedricabisa]

For a country in doldrums, it always pays to develop the agriculture sector first because it employs more labor creating more jobs... this will have compounding effect on the economy which will be the base for future developments.

We can also do it here but we need at least a decade of sound governance to reap the benefits of it... its doable assuming ang papalit kay GMA is a good president.

[2blue]

What kind of annual return does a farmer or a farm business generate?

[cedricabisa]

It depends on the crops of course and the size of your farm. If your talking of an average farmer tilling an hectare or two of palay, its not much.

[2blue]

Ah ok, of course. Let me turn the question around. What kind of farms are profitable and to what degree? two-fold, three-fold or more?

[cedricabisa]

Well its not the size but the crops you raise... high value crops is more profitable... and one hectare can already give you a gross proceeds of 1M and up. Of course this also requires expetise and relatively high capital outlay.

If you are really interested, you can go to gov't agencies for more info... they can give you specific details like capital etc and they will even give you professional advice and support for free.

[choobeebo]

hi silentmax - thanks for the article on "outsourcing 3rd wave". Insightful.

The choice of partners or investors is very critical. I recall a private group that cleared forest areas in Mindanao purportedly to plant oil palm trees. They never pushed through with the palm plantation. After clearing the land for timber and lumber, they vanished. It appears that sovereign agreements are somewhat better.

[azulgrana]

What are some examples of high value crops?

I recently came into a bit of land, am trying to slowly develop it into a mango/pomelo/mangosteen farm.

[alp]

hi cedric, everyone,

what government agencies gives training/seminar and information on planting high value crops?

[melhins]

"What are some examples of high value crops?

I recently came into a bit of land, am trying to slowly develop it into a mango/pomelo/mangosteen farm."

It might take a while before you can reap the benefits of your farm if you stick to mango/pomelo/mangosteen since these trees will need 5 years at least to bear fruit unless of course they are already there.

Specialty veggies like haricoverts - french beans, asparagus, lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers and a host of others. These crops become more valuable when they are organically grown. It is also best if you are able to deliver these products when they are almost at their peak quality.

[melhins]

"...hi cedric, everyone,

what government agencies gives training/seminar and information on planting high value crops?...

ALP - you may contact Department of Agriculture, DTI - they are really helpful and even DOST. Just google their websites to get an overview.

[azulgrana]

Hmm.. I never actually thought of growing specialty vegetables. Always had my mind set on fruit trees. They are already there, mango trees are 10 years old, pomelo trees are 5 years old, and mangosteen trees are newly planted 1 year old.

I am no agriculture expert. I'm concerned about maintenance,productivity and profitability, as only about half the trees are producing consistently and I lose a lot of profit because I sell them at farm prices

And there's always some kind of pest causing trouble haha

[melhins]

"..And there's always some kind of pest causing trouble haha..."

In agriculture, the worst kind of pests are the ones with two legs who walk upright and complain a lot. 2 important rules to follow when farming.

1. YOUR BEST FERTILIZER IS YOUR FOOTPRINT. When farming, its best to go to the farm as often as possible.

2. SPECIFIC SOIL TYPES AND TERRAIN ARE MADE FOR SPECIFIC CROPS... DON'T CONTRADICT THE LAND. I.E. if a certain terrain is made for rice why plant mango in it...

[mark0205]

hope this article helps for those who are intereseted in agribusiness...

http://archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db ... _id=218298