Value-chain Challenges for Small Island Agriculture in the Philippines - John Dillon Fellowship
Researchers from the Philippines Cohort of the John Dillon Fellowship are working to understand the unique challenges facing citrus farmers on the island of Homonhon due to remoteness, and lack of infrastructure and advanced agricultural practices.
New light has been shed on a remote island in the south-eastern Philippines as part of a research project by fellows of the John Dillion Fellowship (JDF) program. The JDF is an ACIAR program that aims to develop the leadership and management skills of mid-career professionals particularly scientists, researchers, and economists working in agriculture research for development from ACIAR partner countries.
A current project managed by the JDF Philippines cohort, comprised of researchers from the University of the Philippines - Los Baños and Visayas State University aims to understand how improvements to the agricultural value chain could significantly improve the livelihoods of small island farmers. The research is centred on Homonhon Island, which is located in the province of Eastern Samar and experiences a high incidence of poverty due to its remote location.
The calamansi lime of Homonhon Island
Project leaders Assoc. Prof. Rodmyr Datoon (University of the Philippines – Los Baños) and Researcher Hadasha Bongat (Visayas State University) are looking at the impacts traditional value chain structures have on the island's economy. Particularly in relation to its biggest export, the calamansi lime, a sour citrus fruit often used regionally for preserves and cooking. Although the calamansi produced on Homonhon Island are known for their high quality in terms of size and juiciness, due to production and value chain problems, it is not possible for the limes to reach large cities or other urban markets in the region.
“Historically all agricultural research is undertaken on the mainland, excluding small Philippine Islands. Especially research regarding agricultural development. It's challenging to undertake research in a region that is so isolated. There is no phone signal or internet on the island, transportation is difficult both to and across the island. We feel that the outputs of this project can help this community and other impoverished small island communities.” - Dr Rodmyr Datoon, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology
The role of consolidators and market access
Dealing with these challenges firsthand has enabled the research team to develop an understanding of Homonhon Island and importantly how remoteness, unpredictable weather, and other factors affect the livelihoods of island dwellers.
Smallholder producers are left vulnerable in their reliance on a small number of consolidators that can bring their produce to market. This research has identified improvements that could increase sale prices for the island’s farmers.
“Once the calamansi lime is harvested and sorted, the produce is passed on to consolidators on the islands who then manage the shipment of produce off the island to market. With most producers having no other option for selling their produce, the consolidators often dictate unfair pricing,” explained Researcher Hadasha Bongat.
She continued “connecting farmers directly with the larger markets to give them access to some of the higher value opportunities that exist would have a profound impact on the economic opportunities for those that reside on Homonhon Island. Supporting local farmers to undertake further training and to build facilities that prolong the shelf life and maintain a quality product would allow for farmers to make the most of market fluctuations and safeguard against unmanageable weather events such as cyclones and typhoons.”
With the island continuously facing environmental challenges including seasonality and high tides that make it dangerous and difficult for produce to leave the island, considering how this affects the value chain is a central aspect of the team's research. The research team found that access to larger markets was not the singular factor in improving opportunities for Homonhon’s citrus farmers.
Suggested interventions for production and post-harvest
“The initial assumption was that the lime was not reaching the big cities and that was limiting the earning potential of farmers. Something we did not foresee were the improvements that could be made during production and post-harvest as well as throughout the value chain. We found that from an agronomic point of view that if farmers were to make some improvements to how they are growing the calamansi lime, they could improve outcomes like an increase in yield or the quality of the final product. Most farmers on the island are not trained in how to optimise production with a lack of education around techniques for harvesting, maintaining trees, applying fertiliser as well as ways to transport produce correctly” shared Hadasha.
Researcher Dhenber Lusanta identified three specific areas where these gaps could be addressed. “First, a varietal trial should be done at Homonhon Island to better understand what varieties are suitable. Second, proper planting density of citrus should be employed as most of the existing trees are closely planted resulting in overlapping canopies. Third, soil testing must be done to recommend proper fertiliser application.”
A further issue regarding preference in trees grown from heirloom seed as opposed to grafted trees is at play. Researcher Dr Aileen Lapitan suggests that considerations on seed or grafted trees which influence the longevity of trees and delayed fruit bearing periods could be informed by organised learning groups or trainings coordinated by teams from the state university, local government and relevant government agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Science and Technology.
“Other interventions are highly dependent on the government’s investment in physical infrastructure like ports, an increased stable supply of electricity, and provision of larger sea vessels for transporting people and goods to and from the island,” Dr Lapitan added.
The JDF program builds leadership and management capacities
“The JDF program targets the management of research within organisations, supporting both the fellows and their organisations to increase their capability to perform agricultural research for development effectively, efficiently, and sustainably.
Throughout this project I’ve been able to really experience team leadership for the first time and to experience project management; meeting project deadlines and deliverables. I’ve also been able to understand the human factor of a project and what everyone involved is capable of. What their strengths and weaknesses are - you get to fully understand each member of the team. I’ve been very interested to learn from other fellows and to understand their perspectives.
The current research funding landscape rarely allows scientists the opportunity to pursue research we are passionate about and feel will make a positive impact. It has been clear from our research that the outputs we are targeting are achievable and we are optimistic about what will emerge from this research project. The outcomes can greatly contribute to the betterment of the island growers, and we wouldn’t be able to do that without the support of ACIAR and JDF.” - Hadasha Bongat, Instructor – Dept. of Business & Management at Visayas State University
Director of International Development at the University of New England, Professsor Rebecca Spence, shared that learning to overcome the challenges of cross-institutional collaboration is an integral impact of the program.
“This research project on Homonhon Island required a great deal of trust and adaptive leadership from the fellows. They proved their ability to negotiate and be flexible in the face of logistical, environmental, and other limitations while keeping their project on track and focused on identifying interventions to improve the island’s citrus production. Their research project mainstreamed small island studies and allowed policy makers to understand the unique conditions that face the inhabitants of the island.”