EMPLOYED CHEM TECH TURNS TO CORN SILAGE PRODUCTION; FINDS IT A VIABLE ENTERPRISE

It is typical for businessmen and entrepreneurs to have a wide array of questions in mind before venturing into a certain enterprise. Queries like: “Will I earn profit from it?” and “Will the consumers patronize it?” are just some of them.

After contemplating the answers, many eventually opt out. They fear failure and losing their capital.

But not Isagani Cajucom, 38, a chemical technician employed in a company at Clark Freeport who resigned and became a fulltime farmer-entrepreneur in Barangay, Parista, Lupao, in Nueva Ecija. He did entertain different perspective in answering the common question in venturing into a rare and never tested business undertaking. He took the courage and boldly made a decision to venture in corn silage production.

It is for buffalo feed.

It all started when a project “Commercialization of Grass/Forage Corn Silage for Dairy Buffaloes through Technomart” was introduced to him in 2013. The project was launched by PCC in cooperation with PCAARRD. The project lasted until 2015.

 “I knew then that the buffalo raisers will surely need ready-to-acquire animal feed, thus, I took the risk to try corn silage production,” Isagani said.

Corn silage production involves the job of chopping corn plants and then sealing them tightly in a silo or container and then fermenting them for three weeks. It is a nutritious feed for buffaloes, as it is a good source of energy and protein for the animal.

Prior to the Technomart project, Isagani ventured in growing napier grass on his farmland. He was one of the 14 farmers who participated in a series of trainings on silage production conducted by PCC.

On the first year of the Technomart project, he sold his harvest to PCC and earned Php13,000 for his napier grass silage and Php20,000 for his corn silage.

In his second cycle of planting and ensiling of corn, he harvested 34,000 kg from his onehectare farm. He observed that if it is very hot and the standing crops were not irrigated, the harvest could only be 23,000 kilograms at most. But if it is irrigated, the harvest could reach 38,000 kg.

He added that he harvests his corn crop at 75 to 80 days and places it in silo bags. He then waits for 21 days to complete his ensiling process. Isagani, has proven the potential of corn silage production in the market. During one cycle of planting and harvesting, he produced 54,729 kg of corn silage in his two-hectare lot and sold them at approximately Php190,000.

He gained a net income of Php66,661.60 after deducting the costs for labor, planting materials, pesticide and herbicide, irrigation, materials for chopping, and transportation, among others.

In a span of two years, Isagani has earned approximately Php582,000 from four cycles of planting and harvesting.

The main advantages of corn silage production, he said, are: it is not season-dependent as it can be done any time when there is forage abundance; it does not require sophisticated equipment, the shelf-life and quality of silage remain stable under longer storage time, and it can be prepared easily under small or commercial scale.

With the help of his farmworkers, he is now capable of producing an average of 100 tons per cycle. On peak season of selling his product, he disposes off at most 380 tons of silage that goes as far as Pangasinan for his constant client there.

He now sells his product at Php4.00 per kg which has to be picked up by the buyer from his place.

As regards his former work as a chemical technician, he said, he harbors no regrets in leaving it and taking the risk to plunge into a rarely heard business venture.

Why should he regret about it? His gains in silage-making are multiple when computed.