DILIMAN, Quezon City—As a widely used spice that is packed with nutrition, chili is extensively grown in the country.
Jose and Rossinni Obligacion, respectively an electrical engineer and a nurse by profession, are prominent chili producers in Albay. In a teleradyo interview, they shared that one advantage in chili production is that it can be grown in at least 100 square meters of land and requires minimal care and maintenance.
Fresh chili can be sold at around Php150 to Php200 each kilo at current farmgate prices. The excess produce, on the other hand, do not go to waste as these are being processed into chili and garlic sauce, chili paste, flakes, among others.
The Obligacions embraced farming in 2009. In their less than two-hectare “JoRoss Farm”, integrated-diversified is the system of farming.
In 2017, JoRoss Farm became a certified Learning Site for Agriculture and was upgraded as School for Practical Agriculture in 2020. Since then, they have been active partners in the training programs of the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) in Bicol, especially in organic farming.
Likewise, JoRoss Farm is the first farm in Albay to receive certification from the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines which is a third party certifying body for organic agriculture.
When asked about how their farm business was during the pandemic, the couple said that their sales tripled and that they widened their network by becoming visible on social media and by exploring partnerships with other national agencies. Likewise, they were the only ones to offer online training activities in Albay.
“Our farm advocates for healthy food and high-quality produce,” the Obligacions said.
The couple’s interview about chili on “Agri Asenso” on DZRH was aired last January 14, 2023. The full episode is available for streaming at https://www.facebook.com/ATIinteractive/videos/2140659619657682.
