Building agripreneurship
In 2019, 19-year-old Jayrald Martin and his friends from Nueva Ecija established a 4-H Club in their local community in Plarider, Llanera to engage in agriculture.
Jayrald became one of the participants of the Provincial Training of the Binhi ng Pag-asa Program (BPP) in the province in 2021. He received a pair of goats but the male one died. He tried his best to keep it alive, took it to veterinarians, and gave the appropriate amount of prescribed medicine. However, the goat did not survive.
Since then, he became cautious about taking care of his livestock. The female goat already produced a kid (which he sold for Php 4,000) and now expecting another offspring next month. He bought 20 Rhode Island chicks form the first goat production income to venture into poultry farming. He is now raising them near his house.
Jayrald’s interest in Oyster mushroom production sparked when his friends encouraged him. Realizing he has so much free time, he focused on learning about producing the edible mushroom.
Strengthening relationships
As a participant in the BPP training, Jayrald shared the learning with his 4-H Club members. He also encouraged them to actively participate in different seminars to benefit their organization.
Meanwhile, the group capitalized on each other’s abilities to manage agricultural ventures, especially mushroom production. They meet every Monday and Saturday to work on the farm site for a whole day, and each has a specific role in the production process.
Like any other organization, the group had problems that led to disbanding and almost stopping production. As beginners in entrepreneurship, one of the group’s main struggles is a poor financial or budgetary system. Fortunately, the group recovered and applied strict management of cash flow by focusing on every detail.
The organization also encountered members who were losing hope for not profiting. Jayrald never stopped encouraging his friends to stay and explained that they will reap what they are sowing now.
Believing in the potential and the opportunities that everything will be worth it, Jayrald made his friends stay. The trust and confidence in the group continuously improved.
“Agriculture is not hard, and at the same time, not easy. But it is a fun thing to do with friends and we feel more productive. Somehow, we inspire our fellow youth in our community who are venturing into agriculture to also create a deep connection with one another,” he shared.
Earning six-digit income from mushroom production
The group started from a capital of Php 10,000 from the members’ own pockets. Now, they are earning around Php 100,000 to Php 120,000 monthly from Oyster mushroom production.
Although there are times the group earns low, for Jayrald and his co-members, stopping is not an option.
“Sometimes, you win. Sometimes, you lose. What matters to us is we enjoy the company and the relationship of every member,” he shared.
Getting support from family and government
Jayrald’s parents are also proud of him. They did not hesitate in financially supporting his agribusinesses and never doubted his abilities as his father is also a farmer.
Also, the Municipal Agriculture Office of Llanera is supportive of the group, giving them assistance whenever needed.
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