Environmental and socio-economic impact of selected farming systems in the Quiaoit River watershed in Batac, Ilocos norte.

Date

1994

Abstract

A study in two barangays of the Quiaoit River Watershed System was conducted to determine the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the three dominant farming systems from May to December 1993. The different descriptors of farming system and the indicators that influence their adoption have the following relationships : land use descriptors such as cropping intensity index (CII) was significantly affected by number of parcels and family size; percent area cultivated to tobacco was negatively related to farm are and operator's age. Labor use descriptors which include : percent hired labor was positively related to the number of parcels and farm area but negatively related to operator's age and family size; percent unpaid family labor was positively related to family size however, negative to farm area, number of parcels, years in school and number of adults with non-farm occupation; percent non-farm labor was positively related to years in school and number of adults with farm occupation. The percentage of expense due to fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides was negatively related to operator's age. The output descriptor such as percent income from crop and livestock production were positively affected by the value of workstock/tools and by the number of adults with non-farm occupation, respectively. Income was significantly affected by total land area cultivated, area planted to tobacco, household size and the number of animals raised. Decisions on farm operations were primarily from the husband but in some cases the wife and older children are involved. An in depth study of the 3 dominant farming systems : FS1 (rice-tobacco-corn+livestock and poultry), FS2 (rice- tobacco/garlic-corn+livestock and poultry) and FS3 (rice-tobacco-fallow+livestock and poultry) showed that cropping pattern was dependent on the availability of water. Majority of the respondents were share tenants tilling an average of 0.75 ha which are in scattered small parcels, 2-200 m away from their residence and from the river. Respondents in FS1, FS2 and FS3 has an average age of 44, 45 and 44 years, respectively. On the average, each farm household had 5 members. Each farmer in all the 3 farming systems were farming for an average of 21 years. All had formal schooling with majority reaching elementary level only. On a per hectare basis, FS3 had the highest net farm profit. Though FS2 had lowe income, farm practices were minimizing environmental degradation, so when considering profitability and ecological impact, Fs2 was the most sustainable. Perceived/observed negative impacts of the continuous use of HYVs, commercial fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides were rapid depletion of soil nutrients, higher incidence and worsening of plant pests and diseases; soil hardening and drying up; disappearance of beneficial insects and birds and; the perceived more and higher incidence of chemical related human/animal accidents and diseases. The production and profit had also become unstable. It can be concluded that the existing farming systems and accompanying technologies had brought problems and constraints such that alternative crops and technologies must be looked into to minimize ecological degradation while producing the needs of the people.

Document Type

Master Thesis

Degree

Master of Science in Environmental Science

College

School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM)

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