Bayer Kubo organic farm opens in Taguig

MANILA, Philippines —  German pharmaceutical and agricultural firm Bayer has put up an organic farm in the busy city of Taguig as part of efforts to promote sustainable farming.

Located in Pamayanang Diego Silang in Barangay Ususan in Taguig, the 200-square meter urban garden called Bayer Kubo is intended to  contribute to meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)  of zero hunger by 2030.

Bayer Philippines Inc. managing director Vinit Jindal said urban agriculture is important in achieving food security amid the Philippines’ growing population.

 The Taguig farm is just the first of the many planned urban agriculture programs of the company.

Bayer will supply all the needs of the urban farm from seeds to technical-agronomic assistance to training of people.

Upscale hotel Conrad Manila, which traditionally sources its supply of vegetables and herbs from the local market, has committed to buy its goods from Bayer Kubo.

“We know the produce will be of high-quality with this partnership with Bayer and the community,” Conrad Manila general manager Laurent Boisdron said.

The project’s memorandum of agreement also includes the local government of Taguig and civic group Rise Against Hunger.

“Direct participation from the Pamayanang Diego Silang and the presence of a direct market in Conrad Manila are major factors to sustainability,” Rise Against Hunger executive director Jomar Flores said.

“We put up our first food bank (food storage centers for free distribution to urban poor) in Taguig City. Food banks will only succeed if it’s in an urban area, not rural. The food manufacturers are there (as food supply sponsors),” he said.

The Bayer Kubo program will train 30 registered volunteers from Pamayanang Diego Silang on preparing organic concoctions, fermented fruit juice as plant growth enhancers.

While it is difficult to organize scattered people in the boondocks, urban areas have the human density, the urban poor consumers who need food and jobs.

Rise Against Hunger has 12 day care centers in Taguig City where it regularly feeds children. It also has 500 member-families in its food bank.

Earwin  Belen, licensed agriculturist of Rise Against Hunger, said the Bayer Kubo program uses organic practices in the vegetable and herbs farm.

“We’re using organic practices.  We use vermicast as fertilizer from worm (waste).  We are training the resident-farmers on how to grow vegetables together with the DA (Department of Agriculture),” said Belen.

 The aquaponics system that Bayer Kubo program is using is also efficient in both fish and vegetable production. It uses a one cubic meter tank to grow lettuce producing 75 heads per cycle (5-6) weeks.

The vegetables are supplied with nutrient by the waste of the fish from the same tank that can grow 30 kilos of tilapia at a time.

Vegetables and herbs planted in the Bayer Kubo facility are eggplant, tomato, pepper, medicinal plants roselle, taheebo, gotu kola, tarragon, gotu kola, serpentine, basil, lemongrass, and Thai garden tea.

Registered farmer-volunteers in the urban farm are 30 Pamayanang Diego Silang residents in medium-rise building community in BCDA Housing, mostly senior citizens or retirees.

A multi-sectoral partnership supports the success of the program even as Taguig City itself has long been known to sustain its large tracts of profitable farm land despite urbanization.

“We have large tracks of land-- hundreds of hectares for farm that have long been farm areas. We have a big production of melon in Taguig.  We have kept our rice farms,” said Felix Catigay,  Taguig City environment officer.

Taguig City naturally has urban greenery program—containerized fruit-bearing trees and urban gardens in idle areas identified by the city assessor’s office.

   What makes the program more holistic is Bayer is making Bayer Kubo an urban poor multi-program center.

The consumer health and pharmaceutical divisions of Bayer Philippines will also supply free-of-charge medicines, contraceptives and related products to the community that will support health and population control.

It will provide training on family planning where Bayer has long been involved in successful community work even in other countries where it operates.