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Sustainability Evaluation of Diversified Model Farms of the "Redireksyon" Program of the Local Government of Santiago City, Philippines
Abstract:
The sustainability of the high value crops farming system of the diversified model farms established by the local government unit and the existing monocrop rice, monocrop corn and rice + tilapia farming systems in Santiago City were evaluated using the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. The effects of economic, ecological, technological, sociocultural, institutional, and political viabilities on SWOT index of farming systems sustainability were assumed to be equal.
The SWOT index of farming systems sustainability were assessed using two approaches: (1) analysis of strengths and weaknesses alone; and (2) analysis of strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats.
The rice + tilapia and the high value crops farming systems were consistently the most and the least sustainable, respectively, in both approaches. The sustainability index of the monocrop corn was higher than that of the monocrop rice farming system. The index of ecological viability of high value crops farming system was higher than that of the monocrop rice farming system. The index of economic viability of monocrop rice, monocrop corn and high value crops farming systems, and the indexof institutional viability of rice + tilapia system increased when their opportunities and threats were considered. The overall SWOT indices of sustainability of all farming systems slightly increased when the opportunities and threats were included. In both approaches, the ranking of the farming systems sustainability did not change.
The strategies needed to enhance the sustainability of the diversified model farms are (a) monitoring of prices and volume of high value vegetables at the Santiago City market for proper production timing, (b) integrated pest management to reduce pesticide application and soil fertility assessment using soil test kit (STK) for proper fertilizer application, and (c) on-farm trials on local seed production of some high value vegetables.
A semi-quantitative assessment of SWOT index of sustainability needs to be developed to facilitate farming systems development planning and management.