Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
other villages. Logging activities competing for labor time, local inferior soil condi-
tions, destruction of crops by goats, and sufficient space on outside farms are some
of the explanations given by farmers. There is, however, much potential for timber,
fuelwood and perhaps fodder production which, if implemented, will at the same
time help to curtail the illegal extraction of wood from nearby forest and restrain
uncontrolled grazing, given some form of fencing is being practiced.
From the economic point of view, there is clearly potential to raise the gross
income from homegardens to higher levels, even surpassing those from outside
fields on a per-one-hectare basis. In a recent financial analysis of the Kerala home-
gardens in India (Mohan et al. 2006; see Table 2.9), the average net income for
small-sized homegardens up to 0.26 ha were estimated at Rs. 57,971 (US$1,233)
per household. The homegardens in this study, with minimal or no (cash) input
costs and an average size of 0.10 ha, yield a gross annual income averaging less
than six percent of the net income of the Kerala homegardens (only PhP 3,739 =
US$73 per household; median: PhP 1,385 = US$27), i.e., an income more compa-
rable to those reported for homegardens in Indonesia and Bangladesh (see Table
2.9). A raise in financial garden output can be achieved by concentrating one part
of the garden on few relatively high-yielding crop and livestock species like mango,
banana, ginger, eggplant, squash, pig and goat and by boosting production through
more efficient use of space, and hence, light, water and nutrients.
Likewise, management practices clearly need more attention although various
institutions have been active, such as, the Department of Agriculture with programs
on organic fertilizers, seed distribution and mango and vegetable growing in Moldero,
Baliuag and Malibabag and international and local non-governmental organizations
like PLAN International and Payoga active in organic fertilizer production, nursery
set up and livelihood programs in Namnama and Dy Abra. Seed and seedling quality
still leave much to be desired, particularly if market production is to be improved. The
poor quality is partly due to a lack of funds to purchase certified seed and partly a lack
of knowledge and information channels to reproduce and exchange better quality
seed. Likewise the production and use of organic fertilizers including compost are
inadequate, with most organic materials being burned and lost and the omission of
separating degradable and non-degradable materials. In the hilly lowland and upland
villages, where lack of water hampers production during the dry season, the installa-
tion of simple water storage techniques to capture and retain excess water during the
rainy season can meet part, if not all, demands for supplemental irrigation. Where
implemented, it can significantly increase homegarden production.
2.7 Conclusions
Although the homegardens are small in size and mainly subsistence-oriented,
they form an important component of a larger farming system, complementing
livestock, farm agriculture and other components of a farm household. When
moving from the thinly populated upland zone towards the densely populated
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