Trias stimulates biological agriculture in the Philippines
Worldwide the prices for fertilizers and crop protectors are rising. The Philippine farmers’ cooperation PDCI, partner of Trias, wants to safeguard the family income of its members by supporting a switch towards biological rice cultivation.
© Trias
PDCI sees organic rice cultivation as an opportunity to contribute to a more sustainable environment and the economical situation of the small scale farmers. Biological farmers do not have to invest in expensive fertilizers and pesticides. Furthermore they will be able to ask a higher price for their products.
Still the average farmer in the Philippines is not eager to switch to bio. “They adopted a wait and see attitude: seeing is believing", says the local Trias-employee Elvie Gayosa. It also needs to be said that the switch to biological agriculture is all but simple.
In the First two to three years after the switch the farmers need to take into account a decline in yields up to 60 percent. Despite the lower production costs their income will decrease significantly during that period. PDCI relieves that pain through cultivation information, loans for seeds and fertilizer, the purchase of rice at interesting prices and support during certification.
“Farmers that succeed to get through the period of change are usually very satisfied”, says Gayosa. “The reason for this satisfaction is the lower production costs combined with the guaranteed purchase organized by PDCI.” Since its establishment twenty years ago the cooperation had a little over 400 members. Recently it has been decided to open the cooperation to new members.
The demand for biological food in the Philippines is constantly rising. This happens mostly under the impulse of the somewhat increaesd purchase power of some layers of the population, which are prepared to pay a higher price for bio. In 2006 PDCI shipped 12 tons of biological rice to the capital Manila, while during the first eight months of 2011 this already amounted to 375 tons.
Still, the market of the biological food products is unstable. Whenever the prices of rice are increasing, the biological segment will be the first to feel the consequences. “The market fluctuations are an important challenge for PDCI, just as quality control and obtaining sufficient operating funds to purchase the rice from its members”, concludes Gayosa.
Trias works besides the region Camarines Sur also in the areas Antique and Larger Manila and is furthermore contributing to the development of micro-companies. Thereby the access to efficient micro credits is an important lever. In 2010 Trias, with its programme in the Philippines, has helped 71.217 small entrepreneurs and farmers.