Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
After shelling, drying, and milling, similar to the situation with rice described
above, he is left with 157.95 kg, which would return P3159 ($60.10), which pales
against the estimated average production cost of P12,727.34 ($242.15) for both
fields. As with rice Donio does not sell his maize because it is used for food for the
family. Maize farming, therefore, is also a losing proposition for Donio.
M
AIZE FOR
S
NACKS
. There have been times when Donio sold maize while it was
still green for tilaub (boiled maize with the husk still on for snacks). This is usually
done when the rains are heavy and constant and thus adversely affect crop growth or
when the crop is attacked by worms. Selling maize green for tilaub seems profitable
because it minimizes labor cost. Donio stopped doing this because he was not paid
in cash.
Donio's farming does not yield a profit, although it does produce food for his
family. However, his farming is not an overall sustainable food production system.
1.1.1 Question of Survival
Farming is a losing proposition for Donio, but he and many others like him never
bother to see whether they are making money from farming. Farming is the only
thing Donio is capable of doing; it is his life. Whether gaining or losing, he has no
other option.
In 2005, the daily cost of living for a Filipino family of six was P534.80 ($10.18).
2
Donio receives only P150 ($2.85) a day from his nonfarmwork and no profit from his
farming. How do Donio and family survive then?
While he may not make money from farming, Donio ensures the food needs of his
family by not selling his produce. The average per capita consumption of Filipinos is
about 115 kg of rice a year.
3
With five members, Donio's family needs 575 kg of
grains. Extra grain is shared with other family members. If they have a shortage of
grain, they eat cooked banana and root crops grown on the edges of fields, see Figure 1.6.
1.1.2 Other Survival Strategies
While energy food is secured, how can Donio and family meet their other food and
basic family needs such as clothing, children's education, and the like?
They accomplish this in many different ways, mostly involving working on other
farms and doing nonfarmwork. Donio, Sita, and two older children (Nano and
Genedina) weed on other farms, and family members get real cash when they work
on other farms during planting season.
During threshing, Donio and Nano work in threshing groups. At times Donio
works as an assistant in carpentry and construction in the poblacion (town center).
Getting to town he could ride a habal-habal (motorcycle for hire) which costs P7.00
($0.13), however, he walks starting at 5:30 a.m. so that his daughter can ride to the
school in the poblacion, Baybay.
