Clustering works for agriculture

The concept of clustering in agriculture works. Take the case of the Bukidnon Lettuce Cluster, the first ever industry cluster in Northern Mindanao. Five members of the Northern Mindanao Vegetable Producers Association took the challenge of organizing themselves for the common good and topworked productivity.

Through the effort of Joan Uy, the five farm-members of the lettuce cluster are now sharing their produce of lettuce to fill up a 20-foot refrigerated van with
3.5 tons weekly shipment to Metro Manila. Each member farm has the following allocation – Green Haven Farm (Impasug-ong): 1,550 kg; Vallet Fresh Farm (Manolo Fortich): 1,000 kg; Tri Q Farm (Sumilao): 250 kg; Friendly Farm (Baungon): 250 kg; and Atlantis Farm (Baungon): 200 kg.

The creditable performance of the Bukidnon Lettuce Cluster have been achieved with farming technologies, shared experience and market access to their institutional markets in MetroManila.

With some help from agri-friends, the project is bound to accomplish many things and flourish. With the assistance of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry and the USAID-funded Growth Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, they are connected with San Miguel Packaging Products Inc. with San Miguel's nestable plastic crates and CRYO/RVSI for reefer van, the Bukidnon Lettuce Cluster is able to lessen products defects and bring down the cost of transport fees.

Since May 2002 when their first shipment of lettuce to Metro Manila, they continue to supply without let-up every week.

According to Joan Uy, who is credited with institutionalizing the cluster system in the region, they supply 40 percent of the requirements of its markets in Metro Manila with 60 percent coming from sources in Benguet.

The Bukidnon Lettuce Cluster maintains a business intermediary in Metro Manila who oversees the commodity landing in Manila, receives the shipment and turns over the goods to buyers. The business intermediary collects pyments and remits to the lettuce cluster. The person provides feedbacks, too, for improved post harvest handling and packaging by farmers.

The cluster's own coordinator takes charge of operational system: shipping, receiving and transferring of payments to each grower and facilitates interaction among farmers for a well-rounded marketing effort.

To be sure that the vegetable from different growers have the same temperature before they are placed inside the refrigerated van, the vegetables are pre-cooled at the Mincool cold storage facility in Cagayan de Oro City.

With the success of the clustering project, the BLC is expanding its lettuce production and is going into expanded farming of other vegetables. The Northern Mindanao Vegetable Producers Association to which the BLC belong is also planning to form five clusters for sweet corn, bell pepper, salad tomato, broccoli and carrot.

Encouraged by the inspiring success of the BLC, other industry associations in the region are contemplating on forming other new clusters. Among them, members of the Chamber of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries in Northern Mindanao.

With the way things are turning up for Bukidnon Lettuce Cluster, the system can be a big thing in the future and show the way for other farming groups.w