Production and Marketing of Indigenous Cash Crops: The Experience of Women Farmer-Entrepreneurs in Mountain Province, Philippines
Abstract
This study focused on the production factors and marketing mix of five indigenous cash crops cultivated by 67 women farmer entrepreneurs in the municipalities of Tadian and Lower Bauko in Mountain Province, Philippines. The study used descriptive statistics and applied profit analysis in the analysis of its findings. Results of this study show that the factors that limit the respondents’ production are limited access to transportation, rainfed irrigation, and limited access to agricultural inputs and loans. In marketing their produce, it was found that the respondents have limited knowledge on processing, packaging, labeling, promoting and financial record keeping. They can hardly bargain for a higher price as the suggested retail prices (SRPs) for indigenous cash crops are not set. In terms of income per hectare, pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) records the highest income annually of PhP 292,505 (USD 5,850). Overall, the income of the respondents remains below the poverty threshold for Filipinos in 2018, which was PhP 10,727 monthly. It is recommended that a market system be adopted by the local government in partnership with concerned agencies. In designing the system, it may be good to include a policy on crop production calendar where planting of crops is done per cluster, plan on setting SRP to regulate the prices, create a procedure on centralized distribution system, and identify a strategy in designing agricultural loans.
