Sampaguita Production and Marketing in Sta. Cruz, Laguna

Date

1-2021

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Melodee Marciana E. De Castro

Committee Member

Melodee Marciana E. De Castro, Rachelle A. Mariano, Atty. Cherry Lou R. Nuñez

Abstract

This study primarily looked at the production and marketing of Sampaguita in Santa. Cruz, Laguna, the only municipality in Laguna where Sampaguita farming still thrives given the dwindling production in San Pedro, Laguna. Furthermore, the study aimed to provide a glimpse on how production and marketing are carried out in the municipality and to discover the problems and issues farmers and farmer traders encounter in both business functions, not commonly delved into by past researches on Sampaguita farming in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

In relation, the following areas were investigated: 1) production and marketing practices of farmers and farmer traders; 2) problems and challenges that farmers and farmer traders face; and the 4) strengths, weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats to Sampaguita production and marketing in Santa Cruz. These information were used as basis to craft strategic recommendations for the improvement of the local production and marketing of the delicate and dainty flower.

To collect information on the production and marketing of the flowers in the study area, a structured questionnaire was used. Using complete enumeration, a total of 37 farmers and farmer traders were interviewed. These are the people who plant Sampaguita in Santa Cruz. The only difference between the two is that the latter also do the bulk of the marketing of the flowers.

Socio-demographic characteristics of the key players interviewed show that their average age is 51 years old, there is no gender divide in farming, and they have spent an average of around 13 years farming Sampaguita. Majority of them also said that they ventured into Sampaguita production due to influence of other farmers. For them, Sampaguita farming

and marketing is a way to augment their income, which primarily comes from rice farming. For the production practices of the farmers and farmer traders, this study was able to reiterate the fact that there was no available recommended standardized practices available for Sampaguita. Practices employed remain traditional, i.e. production practices that they have been doing since the start of Sampaguita farming are still the same. This lack of innovation hindered them from pursuing other market opportunities.

To elaborate further on the marketing aspect of Sampaguita flowers, Sta.Cruz to San Pedro fixers and the buyers in San Pedro were also interviewed. According to them, the Sampaguita production in Sta. Cruz, Laguna could not meet consumer demands. This affected pricing of the Sampaguita flower buds during the peak and lean months. As a matter of fact, prices of Sampaguita buds went up to Php 250.00 per container when the production volume was low and dropped as low as Php 5.00 per container when production volume was high. One container of Sampaguita is 1 liter in size and could contain around 1,232 flower buds. Peak season of Sampaguita in the study area was from April to July, while the lean season was from November to March. For the 2018 production, yield was lowest during the month of February – highest price was also recorded during this month. Sampaguita harvested in Santa Cruz are only brought to San Pedro.

Problem Tree and a SWOT Analysis were also conducted to help in the crafting of strategic recommendations for the improvement of the local Sampaguita sector of Sta. Cruz. Based on the problem tree analysis, a core problem that emerged is what the farmers and farmer-traders faced with regards to the production of the flowers, that is, the unstable harvest which heavily influenced the pricing of the flowers primarily set by the fixers. Similarly, when it comes to marketing, the said pricing of the fixers becomes the major problem of the farmers and farmer traders. As prices are highly dictated by them, farmers and farmer traders have low bargaining power due to their limited marketing skills and limited access to the market that may be attributed to their lack of training.

Philippines having a tropical climate makes Sampaguita farming ideal for Filipino farmers. There is a high potential because of emerging markets for Sampaguita products. For example, medicine, cosmetics, and perfume industry use Jasmine as their products’ main ingredients. Sampaguita growers in the country could also supply flowers to these industries. However, there are still a lot of improvement that needs be done for the local Sampaguita production and marketing to grow and be at par with other Jasmine exporting countries like India and China.

For this, it is recommended that farmers and farmer traders, along with the government, work on the improvement of the local Sampaguita production and marketing. First off, farmers and farmer traders, along with the Municipal Agriculture Office, should come up with a program or a plan that could boost production and marketing of Sampaguita in Sta. Cruz. Support services should always be available to farmers and farmer traders.

Value adding should also be taught to farmers and traders, along modern with farm management practices that could not only elevate their harvests but could also shield them from the adverse effects of the changing weather that influences production. Aside from this, it is also recommended that a cooperative be formed in the study area. As an organized group, farmers and farmer traders could buy inputs, learn new processes, and acquire entrepreneurial and marketing skills. Agricultural support services could also be more accessible with this.

The government, too, should play a part for Sampaguita production and marketing. The Local Government Unit (LGU), for instance, could further promote Sampaguita farming by distributing initial planting materials like stem cuttings. They could also approach a Research Development Institution (RDI) and come up with a highly needed research or extension project for farmers and farmer traders. Until now, there are no recommended practices or even packages of technologies available for the said flower. A research could be done on this area that could potentially help not only Sta. Cruz producers, but also all the other producers in the whole country.

Lastly, but probably, one of the most important is that, support from the National Government should be called upon. Money or budget should be allocated for the overall improvement of not only Sampaguita production and marketing, but the whole Cut Flower Industry of the Philippines.

Language

English

LC Subject

Farm produce, Marketing

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993 2021 M17 S26

Document Type

Thesis

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