multipurpose tree species research for small farms: strategies ... - part

demanded by consumers and the payment of a
normal returr to those who perform the
marketing se.: rvics, that is, without excessive
profits.
The need to integrate the concept of efficient
marketing in social/community foiestry is
importar.t because of the unique environment of
the forest Iwellers. They comprise the most
underprivi -gcd and impoverished sector with
limited opt ortunities for participation in the
Philippine economy. The uplands are
characterized by marginal farm productivity due
to low adoption of technology and soil
conservation measures, lack of access to
yield-increasing inputs, and disincentives arising
from land tenure insecurity.
The inefficient marketing system is
manifested in terms of low farm prices, high
marketing costs, and the dependence of forest
dwellers on enterprising middlemen for the
marketing of their agroforestry produce. These
problems generally result from inadequate
farm-to-market roads, storage, grading and
processing facilities, market information, and
market facilities where buyeis and sellers can
interact and transact business in a rc!atively
competitive manner. These conditions lead to
market imperfections that allow buyers to
exercise exploitative control on prices at the
expense of small-scale farmers. Thus, market
power is wielded by the buyers and the farmers
do not receive sufficient incentives to
participate in marketing activities or to adopt
appropriate technologies for increasing
production. Their output and income remain
ow and they barely rise beyond subsistence.
Production and marketing are interrelated
activities. There can be no sustained output to
meet the expanding demands for food, fodder,
fuelwood, and timber in the absence of efficient
markets. Efforts in market development must
be pursued in the context of a broad-based,
integrated and comprehensive approach to
address the problems of the forest dwellers.
Presently, the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) of the Philippines
is preparing a twenty-five year Master Plan for
Forestry Development (MPFD). A major
component of the plan is the development of
markets for the efficient delivery of inputs to
farmers, and agroforestry produce from
production to consumption points.
44
The Upland Environment
T,e growing 1-uman population in forest
areas results in land use conflicts 5etween
agriculture and forestry. Upland dwellers now
comprise one-third of the Philippines'
population. At an annual growth rate of 2.59%,
the upland population will reach 24.7 million by
the year 2000 (Cruz et al. 1988). Unless
employment opportunities become available on
a sustained basis, this trend will mean
intensified human activities in the uplands in
search of food, resulting in further degradation
of forest resources. The current rate of
deforestation, or the conversion of forested
areas to alternative uses, is estimated at
119,000ha per year (Donovan 1989).
Environmental protection and upland
development should aim to stabilize land use
practices, eventually eliminating shifting
cultivation, and enhance the productivity and
profitability of land already occupied. An
efficient marketing system can potentially
improve farm prices and provide incentives for
greater productivity.
The low income of upland dwellers, estimated
at P10,000-P15,000 per year (US$1 = P22), is
attributed to low farm output of agroforestry
products due to marginal productivity (Calanog
1989). Rosegrant (1987) reported that crop
yields of upland farms are much lower than
those of lowland irrigated farms. A summary of
average yields and a comparison between
upland and lowland yields are presented in
Table 1. The estimate for rice yield is for the
Buhi-Rinconada area of Bicol (FORI 1980) and
corn yield data is from the uplands of Cebu
(Cruz et al. 1988).
With farms ranging from 1-3ha ard family size
averaging six members, the marketable surplus
is very small, with 70%-80% of the farm output
earmarked for home consumption. In general,
ihe farmers do not get proper prices for the
remaining 20%-30%.
Potentials of Agroforestry and Better Markets
Scientists and planners refer to agroforestry
as a rational land use for social/community
forestry with considerable potential for meeting
environmental and equity goals for the upland
dwellers. Tropical agroforestry systems have
been identified including crop rotation and
intercropping. Generally, it integrates the
planting of agricultural crops and raising a few
head of livestock and poultry with perennials