Ex-Agriculture Usec pushes adoption of high-density farming

One of my former bosses at the Department of Agriculture, Ernesto Ordonez, wrote a column at the Inquirer recently pushing the adoption of high density farming in view of limited land and increasing global competition. Ordonez now chairs Agriwatch.

For this to happen, he said, “we must harness our underutilized scientific community, which had been correctly used by our neighbors– Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam– but unfortunately not here in our homeland.”

He said the continuing productive meetings with the science and technology-based Coalitiion for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines (CAMP) headed by former UP President Emil Javier is one indication of this direction.

Commodity Boards have recently been organized. Private sector concerns per commodity will be submitted every month to Laurel for immediate action.

“For each commodity, science and technology will be harnessed so that we are not left behind by other countries. As an example, we discuss here the high-density farming technology as applied to mango, which is currently losing its global market share,” Ordonez reported.

He mentioned the World Bank’s observation on “high-density farming to boost crop yields without increasing the space required for planting.”

Another study entitled “Ultra-High Density Plantation (UHDP) of Mango” by Shayam Singh, Payal Jalswal and Anyant Kumar states that “UHDP is a new and proven technology, commonly practiced for mango cultivation worldwide.”  Sadly, this is not yet being done in the Philippines.

“When we talk about agriculture development, we often mention Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. But there is very much to learn from India, which should be a key model to follow,” he said.

The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI), comprising 48 agriculture subsectors led by Danilo Fausto, has been discussing with the Indian Embassy here about more active transfer of technology—including UHDP.

Conventional planting has 70 trees per acre (about two-fifths of a hectare). High-density planting (HDP) has tripled with 200 trees while UHDP has 10 times more with 700 trees. UHDP trees are below 7 feet, but they require attention, irrigation, and fertigation (adding soluble fertilizer to irrigation water). It is well worth it.

Some of the advantages are: (1) the farmer can maintain the tree and handpick the fruits, without depending on labor; (2) 90 percent of the fruits are of export quality; and (3) there is a 50-percent reduction in irrigation water used.

Here is a comparison of UHDP, HDP, and conventional planting with respect to mango.

“Much of the success of UHDP is due to the close collaboration of the farmers with a university or learning institute to provide technical support for optimal mango production and sustainability. This link to science and technology is very important,” Ordonez said.

A sad example of the absence of such a link is the failed high density planting of okra in Hi Las Corp., president Ram Amores’ farm as the necessary technical guidance was not given him.

Amores cited three reason for the okra planting failure: a) not enough sunlight because of the suboptimal canopy; b) higher incidence of pests and diseases because of the resulting humidity; and c) plant competition for the inadequate nutrients.

These same factors are relevant for mango planting. Therefore, for each commodity board, not just for mango, there should be an identified science and technology resource person.

On a wider scale, this link is being spearheaded by Assistant Secretary Napoleon Juanizo of the Department of Science and Technology and Ramon Escueta of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Ordonez concluded: “With our limited land and the need for globally acceptable quality products, high-density farming is a must.  But to be successful in this and other new technologies we must implement to survive and prosper, the private sector working with the science and technology community is an absolute requirement.”