Farming realities

LANZONES STARTS TO RIPEN;

FRUIT BATS POSE PROBLEM

While my Rambutan fruit trees were a disappointment this season as the fruits cracked and fell to the ground, the seedless Longkong Lanzones which I planted 20 years ago are starting to produce the sweet golden fruits.

Yesterday, I was delighted to discover that several trees already had ripe fruits while the others would be due for harvest by early September.

The fruiting this season is not as profuse as it was three years ago when I harvested about 20 tons.

In 2015, when the El Nino hit the country, the trees yielded nothing. The fruiting now is the first since 2015.

Now, that fruits are starting to ripen, we have to prepare and contend with our traditional competitors, the Fruit Bats.

Fruit Bats would swarm at the time when the fruits start to ripen and feast on the sweet Lanzones.

Today, we will hoist fine-meshed nets in between the rows of the Lanzones to prevent the Fruit Bats from swooping in.

It is, of course, added expense but it’s the only option to be able to harvest the fruits.

This is one of the realities of farm life.

#BuhayMagsasaka!

#FarmingRealities!

(Photos were taken by Arnold Vido in my farm in Kidapawan City yesterday.)