Conventional rice transplanting remains to be one of the primary concerns of seed growers in Amucao, Tarlac City. Why? Because it involves social cost such as availability of labor and elaborate labor arrangements.

Knowing how mechanized rice transplanter can ease the toil of the manual rice transplanting, the Amucao Seed Grower Agro Industrial Cooperative (ASGAIC) members proposed this technology in one of their meeting with Tarlac Governor Victor Yap.

“Tinanong kami ni gobernor kung ano ang primary concern namin sa pagsasaka. Nabanggit namin yung pagtatanim kasi dito sa amin, mabibilang mo sa daliri mo ang mga taong nagtatanim. Sa lawak ng aming tinatamnan, nagpupunta kami sa aming nearby communities para makakuha kami ng manananim. Nahihirapan kami at ang alam namin na puwedeng makakatulong sa amin ay yung mechanization na sinasabi natin (The governor asked about our primary concern in farming. We told him about our problem in rice transplanting, how we used to import manual labor from the nearby communities to facilitate rice transplanting in our farms. It was hard for us and we believed that mechanization can help us.) ” Alfredo Castro, Chairman of ASGAIC said.

Gov. Victor Yap helped the farmers by approaching Dir. Andrew B. Villacorta of Department of Agriculture ��" Region 3, to include transplanter machine in the roadmap of the rice mechanization program in the province. Consequently, the DA-Region 3 together with the dealers of transplanters provided training for all the recipients of the region.

“Ganon lumabas yung walk-in type transplanter at nagkaroon na nga ng product training. So after the training, sinubukan na namin dito. Makikita mo yung output, bagamat di diretso yung tanim kasi bagito pa kami. Within two hours natapos yung 0.7 hectare na usually kapag tao e marami ang kailangan (That’s how walk-in type transplanter came and right after, they (government) provided us product training. When we tried it, it was not straight planting because we are still amateur in the use of mechanical transplanter. However, we finished the transplanting activity for 0.7 hectare in just two hours.) ,” Chairman Castro added.

Corporate seedbed preparation

Like other beginners, ASGAIC members experienced difficulties in using the mechanized rice transplanter. They learned how to use it through trial and error. However, the difficulties didn’t discouraged the farmers. Instead they pushed for full mechanized rice transplanting in their farm.

“Kung minsan kasi yung theory kung pag-uusapan ay napakaganda, pero kapag gagawin mo you will encounter some difficulties along the way. At least yung mga difficulties na iyon ay nacocombat namin. Magagawan namin ng paraan at intervention para at least maayos namin at magawa namin ng buong husay yung aming gustong gawin with the equipment (Sometimes theories seem easy, but when these are actually done, you will encounter some difficulties along the way. At least we overcome our difficulties and we are able to use the equipment),” Castro said.

“Plano naming gawing corporate yung aming preparation ng seedbed. Ang susi kasi ng magandang operation ng mechanical transplanter ay nandoon sa seedling preparation. Gaano man kaganda yung equipment kung nagkamali ka sa seedling preparation hindi pa rin niya maibibigay yung effective design as expected (We are planning to make the seedbed preparation corporate because the key for the effectivite use of the mechanical transplanter is in seedling preparation) ,” the chairman added.

And to make it possible, the cooperative designated Benedicto D. Tiamson, one of their members, to be the focal spokesperson in transplanter. He will lead all the activities involving the transplanter including attendance to trainings conducted by the DA regarding the right preparation of seedbed, and on the proper maintenance of the rice transplanter machine.

According to Tiamson to have a corporate seedbed they have to follow the 4:1 components. Four parts of topsoil and one organic and it should be 300 trays per hectare. The seed bed will be prepared for 12 days with proper sun exposure.

Strong partnership with DA

“Naging very strong partner namin ang DA, sila ang buhay namin. Dapat kaakibat nila kami. Gaano man kalakas ang grupo kung walang total support from DA hindi rin kami masyadong mabubuhay (DA has become our very strong partner. They are our life. Even though the group is strong, without the total support of DA, nothing will happen),” Castro said.

The partnership started when ASGAIC received one unit of flatbed dryer in 2009 through the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), an agency of DA.

“Nang ibigay sa amin yung flatbed dryer, hindi ganyan yan, nagkaroon ng modification yung itaas. Ito yung unang facility na bigay sa amin. Kaya kung ano ang pangangailangan nito ay ibinigay namin. Hiniling namin ito sa DA (When we received the flatbed dryer, we made some modifications on its upper part. This is the first facility given to us that was why we provided for all its needs. We asked this from DA) ,” Castro said.

Then he added, “Sa pagbibinhi kasi lalo na at mataas na uri, mahirap makatuyo kung walang FBD. Kung mayroon kang FBD maisasalba mo yung mga butil kahit na tag-ulan. Mahalaga iyan sa amin (Drying of high quality seeds is very hard without FBD. With FBD we are able to save our seeds even during rainy season. This is very important to us).”

The cooperative also received warehouse and multi-purpose drying pavement (MPDP), and seed cleaner through the 85%-15% scheme under Rice Mechanization Program. DA also granted another unit of flatbed dryer to their cooperative.

“Alin man sa mga natanggap namin ay magiging parte na ng aming buhay. Dahil sa warehouse, hindi na kami magkakanya-kanya ng silid para pag-imbakan ng mga seeds. Hindi na kami kung saan-saan makikilagay. Mayroon na kaming isang paglalagyan na safe for storage (All of the facilities that we received is already part of our life. Because of the warehouse, we now have safe storage for our seeds.),” Castro proudly said.

Future plans

ASGAIC originated from the group of farmers Samahang Nayon, organized for the MASAGANA’99 program during the Marcos era.

“Dati kasi mayroon kaming samahang nayon dito sa amin. Pero hindi ito nag-succeed. Nagkaroon ng problema. Nangutang sila, nagpautang sila. Hindi nakabalik yung puhunan. Kaya nung binabalikan ako ng mga kasama ko, sabi ko ayoko na. Pero natuwa ako sa initiative nila kaya nahikayat din ako sa huli at tinayo nga namin ang ASGAIC. So we re-established our cooperative on September 7, 2004 (Before we are part of Samahang Nayon. But it didn’t succeed because of the issues in giving loans to its members. That why I have a second thoughts in organizing the ASGAIC before.),” Castro said.

He also added that ASGAIC started with 19 cooperators, all bonifide seed growers in their barangay. But they later expanded it to Tarlac City, and now in Region 3 as they realized the needs of the seed growers. Today, they already have 72 members including associate members.
According to the group, the ASGAIC provides basic services to their members like production loan but in minimal amount. They also assist the needs of the government through seeds.

“Ang success ng isang kooperatiba is not quantity members, quality members ang dapat. Marami man kayo sa bilang kung hindi naman kayo magkakaugnay, wala rin (The success of the cooperative is not quantity members, it is quality members.), ” Castro said.

Asked about their plans, the chairman said, “Pangarap naming magkaroon ng rice processing complex (We wanted to have a rice processing complex).”

According to the members, having a rice processing complex will help them in providing rice hull for their two flatbed dryers. With this complex, they will no longer buy rice hull for their furnace which cost five pesos per sack.

“Ang isa pang by-product nito ay yung rice bran. May darak ito sigurado. Iba’t-ibang klase. Yung CRH namin, saka yung rice bran, lagyan na lang namin ng chicken dung with the PhilRice technology, organic fertilizer na (Another by-product of the project is rice bran. It will produce different kinds of rice bran. So, with CRH, rice bran and chicken dung we can make organic fertilizer using the technology of PhilRice),” Castro said.

The cooperative is also planning to tie-up with the barangay officials and other community leaders to recycle the bio-waste generated in their community by making organic fertilizer that they need for seedbed preparation.

“Sinisimulan na namin ito. Yung mga kitchen waste hindi na namin itinatapon kung saan-saan. Ipapakita na namin dito na kaya natin. At ang magiging resulta noon ay organic fertilizer na magagamit namin sa seed bed namin. Yun ang gusto naming gawin para makatulong kami, nakita nman natin ang nangyari noong habagat. Alam namin na malaking tulong ito (We already started the project. We now collect our kitchen waste to show the community that we can make organic fertilizer out of it. That’s what we wanted to do to help the community specially during habagat.),” Castro said.

The cooperative also plans to buy another unit of mechanical transplanter to cater to all the needs of the members and to totally mechanize their rice transplanting practices.

“Kulang sa amin ang isang 1.5 hectare/day capacity na transplanter. Kung gagamit kaming lahat, nakapag-ani na yung iba, hindi pa kami tapos mag-transplant. Kaya nag-usap-usap kami na kapag nagkapondo na, bibili kami ng isa pa ( A 1.5 hectare/day capacity transplanter is not enough for our cooperative. If we all depend in the use of our transplanter, we are still transplanting while others are already reaping their harvest. So if we already have funds, we will purchase another unit) ,” the chairman ended.