Mountains and Water

MOUNTAINS AND WATER:  The Traditional Agricultural System along Southcoastal China

Antonio C. Antonio

January 8, 2013

The case cited by Mark Sutton and E. N. Anderson in “Introduction to Cultural Ecology” reminds me of the integrated farming system being used in Central Taiwan.  When I was serving government as the Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator of Tarlac, I was fortunate to have been invited by the Taiwanese Agriculture department (unofficially though since we do not have any diplomatic relations with Taiwan) to observe agricultural practices there sometime in 1990.  We wanted to introduce this farming system for Bernabe “Ka Dante” Buscayno’s People Livelihood Foundation in Capas, Tarlac.

On a 3-hectare farmlot, the Taiwanese farmers were enjoying 3 harvests per year, were living comfortably, had comfortable amenities (a house, a complete range of household appliances, a tractor, a car, etc.), and managed to send their children to school.  The area allocated for rice farming was irrigated as a basic government support. 

The “Integrated Farm” was complete as the various components of the farm complimented and supported each other in a unique supply chain system.  It had:

1.     A Poultry Farm – Egg production was sold to buy feed and feed supplements for the chickens.  Chicken manure is collected, sun dried and used as fertilizer to the Vegetable Farm and the Rice Farm.  The drinkers and feeders tailings were collected and fed to the pigs at the Pig Farm.  Culled chickens are brought to the Slaughter House.

2.     A Rice Farm – Chicken manure is used as organic fertilizer.  Harvested palay is sold to rice millers/traders to buy high-yielding rice variety for the next cropping cycle.

3.     A Pig Farm – Pigs are raised, slaughtered and sold to buy feed, other necessary food supplements and piglets for fattening.  Feeding is supported from the tailings collected from the Poultry Farm.  Pig manure is directed to a Biogas Digester. 

4.     A Vegetable Farm – Garden vegetables are planted and fertilized using chicken manure then sold to purchase (in return) seeds for the next planting cycle.

5.     A Biogas Digester – Produces methane for use in boiling water at the Slaughter House.  Methane is stored in truck innertubes for use in the Slaughter House.  The Biogas Digester drains out to the Waste Water Treatment Plant.

6.     A Waste Water Treatment Plant – This plant clears and purifies sludge from the Biogas Digester then drains out to the Fish Pond.

7.     A Fish Pond – A local variety of fish is produced and sold for fish feed.

8.     A Slaughter House – Pigs and culled chickens are slaughtered, dressed and sold.

The farmers are organized into cooperative-like associations where they are provided common services such as veterinarians, agriculturists, etc.  Marketing of their produce is also organized by marketing agencies for them to get the best value for their products.  Earnings derived from this business enterprise model employs around 15 farmhands and gives the farmer profitable returns.

Just my little thoughts…