Greenhouse project boosts Isabela farmers’ income amid oil crisis
ROXAS, ISABELA—A greenhouse farm in this town is helping farmers generate alternative income by growing high-value crops, such as honeydew, lettuce, melon, eggplant, onions and other vegetables year-round, even during rainy or dry seasons, officials said.
“We have been distributing free seedlings of high-value crops and vegetables to farmers and assisting them with supplies and materials as they learn greenhouse farming,” Rainhart Marquez, the farm keeper, told the Inquirer in a recent interview.
The greenhouse has also been creating job opportunities for farm workers, with the number of positions varying over time, Marquez added.
With the majority of Roxas’ 66,593 residents engaged in farming, the town government has launched the initiative to ensure that farmers can plant high-value crops regardless of seasonal changes, Mayor Benedict Calderon said in a separate interview.
“Using greenhouses, low tunnels and irrigation systems will further increase farmers’ income, especially now that we are facing an oil crisis,” Calderon explained.
He cited honeydew melon as a prime example: the 2-hectare greenhouse farm is expected to generate P240,000 per cropping, and the crop has already begun producing fruits.
Funding
The initial greenhouse project received P2 million from the town government, supplemented by P2 million from the provincial government and another P2 million from the Department of Agriculture regional office.
An additional P3 million has been earmarked for the upcoming planting seasons to ensure the farm’s continuity.
Marlon Menor, a local farmer, said the initiative would “be a big help” in cushioning the impact of the oil crisis.
“It means a lot for us farmers as we explore crops beyond the traditional palay and corn,” he added.
