As a high value commercial crop, lakatan is being introduced by the
Office of the Municipal Agriculturist as a potential alternative
livelihood. An enterprising farmer cooperator in Sta.
Teresita in the person of Mr. Ignacio Bascuña sees the
future of lakatan industry in the locality as he was once a participant
in a field trip in Davao sponsored by other agency. He agreed
to make available his leased one-hectare farm previously devoted to
various field crops to try the new venture.
Aside from the introduction of the alternative crop together with its
package of technology, the conduct of the production showcase aims to
improve the traditional method of growing local varieties of banana and
attempts to eradicate common banana diseases which contribute to very
low production. The spread effect of the lakatan as an
alternative high value crop plus the adoption of the improved
production technology can be expected among neighboring farmers and the
majority of farmers in the long run.
The design of the production showcase is to have a supervised spread
effect of the technology. The original cooperator is obliged
to pay the LGU twice the number of lakatan suckers he planted and
eventually be dispersed to other interested farmers in nearby
location. As a showcase, the original cooperator's
farm including his gained experiences and knowledge will serve as a
learning venue for future adaptors.
Two types of planting materials were used in the project--the use of
tissue-cultured seedlings, and suckers taken from lakatan plantation
originally planted with tissue-cultured seedlings. The tissue
cultured-seedlings (plantlets) were procured in Davao through Mrs.
Rillo of Albay Research Center and raised up to its plantable size in
the cooperator's area. On the other hand, the suckers planted
were purchased directly from DA RFU lakatan cooperator in Calabanga.
The coffee production showcase is an initial attempt to promote
planting of agro-forest crops in the mountain areas of the
municipality. This initiative is aimed at arresting the
continuous degradation of the ecological balance of the upland areas
particularly caused by soil erosion as a result to continuous planting
of crops which require high-tillage cultivation. Coffee as
one alternative crop, would permanently replace in two or three years
crops such as corn, sugarcane, and other annual field crops which exert
too much pressure on the upland agriculture environment.
Intercropping will also be encouraged to provide them income
while waiting for the main crop.
One thousand five hundred hybrid robusta coffee seedlings have been
purchased from a reputable source in Goa , Camarines Sur and delivered
to the initial three cooperators in Caranday and Antipolo.
The initial cooperators who planted the coffee using the Nestle
technology will serve as models to future adoptors.
