Baco - Agri Profile

AGRI-PROFILE: BACO

Agriculture / Agricultural Profile / Baco

Baco, Oriental Mindoro

Baco, officially the Municipality of Baco, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 37,215 people.

Crop Production and Land Utilization by type

Twenty nine percent of the total agricultural area of the municipality is devoted to rice production, and twenty barangays are considered as rice producers. Only four (4) barangays: Mangangan I, Mayabig, Bangkatan and Alag have access to Communal Irrigation System (CIS), thus making barangay Mayabig and Mangangan I as the highest rice producers. The remaining sixteen (16) barangays are dependent on other sources of irrigation such as water pumps or shallow tube wells.

42.50 % of the total rice area or one thousand eighty nine hectares are still dependent on heaven for irrigation, thus the need for irrigation support and the rehabilitation of existing irrigation canals which have been neglected for almost a decade.

To support the rice production program, the local government unit has procured and distributed inbred and hybrid seeds, organic and inorganic fertilizer for the implementation of balanced fertilization strategy and conducted farmers field school (FFS) for rice production.

Vegetable seeds (OPV and hybrid) and corn seeds (registered and certified) were given out to farmer growers by DA RFU IVB.

Vegetable seeds were distributed to farmer beneficiaries under the 50-50 scheme.

Banana being the OTOP of the municipality was included in the priority program of the Provincial Agriculture Office. A half hectare demo farm on lakatan production has been established in barangay San Ignacio, organic fertilizer and planting material (tissue culture) has also been provided.

PCARRD-DOST has established an eight (8) hectare demo farm on saba production in barangay Dulangan 2 and San Ignacio and a two (2) hectare demo farm on latundan production in the same barangay. Farm inputs and technical assistance were provided by the agency for three (3) years. Lakbay aral activities were conducted in the area by farmer and student groups from different provinces. The project aims to showcase the application of package of technology (POT) on banana production to achieve higher yield.

Existing Major Agricultural Crops by Area, Production and Market, 2009

Major Crops	Area			Production
Major Crops	Barangay	Hectares	% Total	Volume (MT)	Value	Current Yield/ha.
1. Rice	20
1st cropping
Irrigated		1473	16.83	5,838.20	87,573,000.00	3.96
Non-Irrigated		1089	12.44	3,702.20	53,928,750.00	3.30
2nd Cropping
Irrigated				6,253.70	93,805,500.00	4.20
Non-irrigated				3,833.70	57,505,500.00	3.50
2. Banana	27	1368.52	15.63	10.072.30	70,506,100.00	7.36
3. Coconut	27	4,626.00	52.86	3,199.38	47,990,700.00	0.69
4. Citrus
-Calamansi		266.34	3.04	1,731.21	17,312,100.00	6.5
-Zsinkom		29	0.33	145.00	1,450,000.00	5.00
5. Vegetables and Corn	27
a. Vegetables
including legumes		50.87	0.58	292.54	4,388,100.00	5.75
b. Corn		115	1.31	134,158.00	2,683,160.00	1.16
Total		9,017.73	100.00	157,422.72	419,830,810.00
Source: Municipal Agriculturist's Office

Rice is the major agricultural crop of the municipality, Table above reveals an increase in rice production area and this ca be attributed to the conversion of areas devoted to banana, citrus, and camote and the silted, swampy areas of barangay/s Dulangan I, Dulangan II, Tagumpay and Bangkatan, these areas were utilized for rice production. Mangyan reservation area has also been utilized by the IP’s for rice production.

Majority of the rice farmers use inbred rice varies which they get from the local seed grower.

Shallow tube wells and water pumps are the common source of irrigation. Water pumps can be rented from enterprising farmers at the rate of P700.00 per hectare and hand tractors can be hired at the rate of P2500.00 per hectare.

A significant increase in the volume of production of banana despite a decrease in the area devoted to this crop can be attributed to the adoption of the latest farming technologies like the use of tissue cultured meri-plants, proper cultural management practices like deleafing, desuckering, stem and mat sanitation and establishment of drainage canal.

Saba variety is grown extensively in the municipality. Banana has been identified and included in the “One Town, One Product” program of the Department of Trade and Industry. The LGU of Baco has provided funding support for banana development program and banana processing.

Banana and gabi are being considered as an important source of cash for farmers and cassava for upland farmers. These crops are commonly planted in their backyards or grown as part of their farm.

An increase in coconut production can also be attributed to the farm input assistance like fertilizer provided by the Philippine Coconut Authority.

The provision of registered and certified seeds by DA RFU IVB contributed to an increase in the volume of production of corn.

The Provincial Agriculture Office and DA RFU IVB provided vegetable seeds, for the farmers to earn additional income and support nutrition program thru improved production and consumption of vegetables.

Agricultural crops like rice, banana, vegetables and camote planted in flood prone barangays were severely affected by the onset of heavy rains and flashflood.

Despite the occurrence of calamities, the increase in the volume of production of various crops can be attributed to the adoption of the latest farming technologies and the promotion of organic farming.

The Municipal Agriculture Office conducted trainings, information dissemination on the latest farming technologies in coordination with other agencies like the Provincial Agriculture Office, DA RFU IVB, ATI, PCARRD-DOST and MINSCAT.

Comparative Agricultural Crops & Rootcrops,Areas and Production (Y1-2008, Y2-2009)

Major Crops	Area			Volume of Production
Major Crops	Y1	Y2	Increase/ Decrease	Y1	Y2	Increase/ Decrease
1.Rice
1st cropping
Irrigated	1,282	1,473	increase	4,695.05	5,191.70	increase
Rain fed	860	1,089	increase	3,049.50	3,595.25	increase
2nd cropping
Irrigated	1,282	1,473	increase	5,191.70	6,253.70	increase
Rain fed	863	1,089	increase	3,076.20	3,833.70	increase

2. Banana	1,436.21	1,368.52	decrease	8,617.26	10,072.30	increase
3. Coconut	4,626	4,626		Copra: 3,199,050	Copra: 3,199.38
				Nuts: 9,597,150	Nuts: 9,598,160
4. Calamansi/Zsinkom	344.93 38	266.34 29	decrease decrease	2,242.04 247	1,731.21 145	decrease decrease

5.Vegetables/corn
a. Vegetable including legumes
b. Corn (white)
1st cropping	50.75	90.5	increase	55.031	96.016	increase
2nd cropping	98	115	increase	106.383	134.158	increase

6. Rootcrops
a. Camote	30	13.2	decrease	150	66	decrease
b. Gabi	70	72.2	increase	1,050	1,083	increase
c. Cassava	16	33.36	increase	80	166.8	increase
Source: Municipal Agriculturist's Office

Table above reveals an increase in the volume of production of various crops despite the heavy rains and flashfloods that occurred in the municipality, except in low lying areas, and this can be attributed to the adoption of the latest farming technologies that are being introduced by the Municipal Agriculture Office in coordination with other agencies like DA RFU IVB, Provincial Agriculture Office, PCARRD-DOST and MINSCAT.

However, other areas devoted to various agricultural crops like citrus, banana and camote which were affected by the onset of pests and diseases due to abnormal weather condition were converted to rain fed rice production While siltation of swampy areas in barangay Dulangan 1, Dulangan2, Tagumpay and Bangkatan contributes to an increase in irrigated rice area.

Mangyan reservation area has been utilized by the IPs for rice production and this contributed to an additional area for this crop. Mercy Link and San Lorenzo Foundation negotiated with concerned agencies for the use of Mangyan Reservation area for crop production.

An increase in the volume of banana production is attributed to the adoption of the latest farming technology on banana production like proper cultural management practices such as desuckering, stem and mat sanitation, and deleaging to protect the banana from insect pests and diseases.

While an increase in coconut production was due to the fertilizer support and technical assistance by the Philippine Coconut Authority.

An increase in corn production was attributed to farm input assistance like registered and certified seeds from DA RFU IV-B.

Comparative Agricultural Crop Areas and Production, 2008-2009

Major Crops	Area, ha.			Volume of Production, ton
Major Crops	2008	2009	Increase/Decrease	2008	2009	Increase/Decrease
1. Rice
1st cropping
Irrigated	1,276	1,473	increase	4,695.05	5,838.2	increase
Rain fed	860	1,089	increase	3,049.5	3,595.25	increase
2nd cropping
Irrigated	1,282	1,473	increase	5,191.7	6,253.7	increase
Rain fed	863	1,089	increase	3,076.2	3,833.7	increase
2. Banana	1,436.21	1,368.52	decrease	8,617.26	10,072.30	increase
3. Coconut	4,626	4,626
Copra				3,199.05	3,199.38	increase
4. Calamansi	344.93	266.34	decrease	2,242.04	1,731.21	decrease
Zsinkom	39	29	decrease	247.00	145.00	decrease
5. Vegetables/ Corn
a. Vegetables/ Including Legumes		50.87			292.54
b. Corn(White)
1st cropping	50.75	90.5	increase	55.031	96.016	increase
2nd cropping	98	115	increase	106.383	134.158	increase
6. Rootcrops
a. Camote	30	13.2	decrease	150	66	decrease
b. Gabi	70	72.2	increase	1,050	1,083	increase
c. Cassava	16	33.36	increase	80	166.8	increase
Total	8,804.14	9,136.49		31,759.21	36,507.25
Source: Provincial Agriculturist's Office