TO the lumads of Kiamba, Saragani province, the ivory-colored, long fiber abaca is more than just a material, it is “the cord of life”, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The Lumads have been planting abaca since the time of their forefathers.
“It has been our crop and source of income,” says Erdelina Abobol, a member of the Kapate Abaca Farmers’ Association (KAFA).
KAFA sells abaca fibers to a local consolidator. Abobol, however, admits that once upon a time, their production was very meager due to the small quantity of abaca planted and the lack of proper equipment and training.
“Our practice before was to sell our abaca fibers as raw materials produced by our manual strippers. But since it was not of good quality, it was bought for the very cheap price of P35 per kilo,” says Abobol.
“We wanted to expand, but because we were really poor, we could not buy additional planting materials and other inputs to expand production of our abaca plants.”
But when they learned that the DA had given poor farmers financial assistance, they decided to try their luck and hoped to access funding that they had been waiting for. “We thought we would qualify,” adds Abobol.
With the help of the municipal agricultural technician, KAFA prepared their proposal and other requirements and sent them to the office of the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP).
Abaca fiber is known for its versatility, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday.
DA officials said Abaca is used for making bags, rope, tea bags, paper, furniture, hammocks, and world-class textiles. Many people may not know that it is also used to make x-ray negatives, optical lens, wire insulators, and automobile components. [PNA]
