Tree farming, which is now officially an agricultural acitivity just like planting Cacao, is now spreading like wild fire all over the country as farmers realize how.much money they would make by planting trees.
The latest convert to tree farming is Bataan Governor Albert Garcia who on Tuesday expressed his desire to start a 100-hectare a model tree farm in his province.
In response, I have personally committed to Gov. Garcia at least 1-million full-grown Falcata seedlings which will be shipped from Agusan to Bataan so these could be planted in time with the rainy season.
During my visit to Agusan del Sur last week, tree farmers in the province showed how much money they were making by planting Falcata trees which is a pulp and paper species and could also be used in making wooden palletes.
For a 5-year-old tree, farmers earn at least P2,000 which means that with 500 trees per hectare, farmers would earn P1-million.
A 10-year-old tree could fetch as much as P12,000.
Under the new DAF program, tree farming will be integrated with other crops like coffee, cacao or Abaca.
The DAF tree farming program will be mainly focused in areas with denuded mountains to ensure the protection of water sources for sustainable agriculture.
(Photos by Mayette Tudlas and Alan Jay Jacalan.)
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