Goals determine one’s actions. Man’s innermost desires dictate his decisions.

The quest for high yield and good quality corn convinced Mr. Edgar de Luna and the Villa Luna Multi-purpose Cooperative to adopt corn technologies, both on-farm and off-farm.

And this decision to invest on modern production and processing technologies has enabled them to preserve the yield and maintain the quality of their corn harvests from the farm to market.

From sea to farm

Mr. Edgar de Luna, “Edwin” as he is fondly called, 54 years old from Cauayan City, Isabela, used to be a sea man. For eight months, he faced the dangers of sea travel. His lingering sea sickness, however, made him realize that this was not the career for him, even though he finished Marine Transportation in college. Seafaring was not his cup of tea, after all.
Back to his roots, he tried farming. When he was an elementary student, he already went to the farm. In high school, he operated afarm tractor, so the experience was not entirely new to him. From being a seafarer, Mr. Edwin became a farmer.

From a farmer to a cooperative

On his own, a farmer faces many obstacles. In a group, he is stronger, more capable and with access to numerous resources and opportunities.
Thus in 1992, Mr. Edwin founded the Villa Luna Multi-Purpose Cooperative with the farmers from Cauayan, Isabela.

Now, with a membership of 150 corn farmers, the cooperative is engaged in various activities like re-lending, contract growing, trading, milling, trucking. The cooperative also provides farm services in various farm operations like land preparation, harvesting, shelling, and drying.

Mechanization and the reduction of corn losses
Farm machines make life easier for a farmer. Not only are farm operations timely,these are also efficiently done. Thus in 2002, the Villa Luna MPC availed of a soft term loan from the Department of Agriculture to mechanize their corn farming, milling and marketing operations.

According to Mr. Edwin, the road to mechanization is still rocked with problems. “There is the labor displacement to think about… But eventually farmers will embrace farm mechanization,” he added.

To strengthen the processing capability of Villa Luna MPC and meet the demand for sufficient, high quality corn, the cooperative uses corn machines like sheller, mechanical ryers and the PHilMech biomass-fed furnace.

Mr. Edwin has this to say: “The corn facilities have lessened postharvest losses of our harvests. Kung may mechanical dryer, maximized ang time sa drying ng mais…Kung hindi maganda ang panahon, maraming nagbebenta ng sariwa at wet na mais na hindi maibilad… Kung walang mechanical dryer, paano ma-a-address ang problema ng farmer ngayon?” The dryer of Villa Luna MPC dries 3 tons/hour of corn grains. The other dryers of the cooperative dry 40 tons per 24 hours. With these mechanical dryers, drying needs ofcorn farmers with 2,000 hectares of corn farms are being served by theVilla Luna MPC.

Meanwhile, to lessen the fuel cost of the mechanical dryer, Mr. Edwin shared their experience: “Binago namin ang furnace from diesel-fed to biomass-fed…Ginawa ko kahoy kasi mas efficient…Kapag rice hull, every hour or 30 minutes, tapon nang tapon ng abo.”

Mr. Edwin also points out that aside from the reduction of postharvest losses, the quality of corn grains is maintained with the use of mechanical dryers. The contamination of corn by aflatoxin, a cancer- causing toxin produced by the molds, Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus , is also minimized .

“…Kapag tag-ulan, mahirap magbilad… Kapag umuulan, masyadong mataas ang aflatoxin level ng mais, nagkakaroon ng molds. Kapag may molds, less P2 to P3 na sa cost ng mais. Lugi na ang farmers…” shared Mr. Edwin.

With timely and proper mechanical drying, the contamination of corn with aflatoxin is minimized to a safe level.

Partnership with PHilMech

The Villa Luna MPC has always been a partner of PHlMech in its research and development activities. This shows the openness of the cooperative to new technologies.

In May 2014, during the celebration of the Postharvest Loss Prevention Week and Industry Day of PHilMech, the Villa Luna MPC received recognition for being an Outstanding Partner of the agency. Mr.Edgar de Luna received the award. And the partnership continues with PHilMech providing technical assistance with regard to its postharvest and processing technologies.

From cooperative to politics?

From 1988 to 1998, Mr. Edwin served as barangay captain of Villa Luna. His achievements were many "rural health unit with doctor, nurse and dentist; high school building, elementary school annex with volunteer teachers, and so forth.

Presently, he is one of the city councilors of Cauayan City, serving as the majority floor leader.
Does he plan to run for a higher elective position? “No,” he said, rejecting outright pleas for him to seek higher position in the local government. He says, he can help people even as a city councilor.

He also looks up to the Villa Luna MPC as his way of helping the farmers, especially in saving their precious harvests.