Harvest in flower farms meets ‘kalag’ demand

All Souls’ Day is a peak season for flower growers in the mountain barangay of Babag, Cebu City.

Delicate white asters sell for P20 per bundle to direct buyers. When it reaches Carbon market, a bundle is sold for P50 or more.

Chrysanthemums at P70 per dozen costs over P100 by the time customers get them in local markets.

“Flowers are almost always in demand so the return of our investment is faster,” said Ellen Bonghanoy, 21, whose family harvests blooms every two two three months.

The year-round demand for flowers has convinced many upland farmers to shift from crops to high-value cut flowers.

“If we plant crops, sometimes  neighbors just ask for it for free,” she said.

Flowers are almost always in season and easier to sell, said Bonghanoy.

Aside from the Kalag-Kalag celebration in November, where families crowd  cemeteries to honor their departed loved ones, flowers are in high demand during January for the Sinulog celebration and in April to decorate carrozas for the Holy Week.

In May, the demand is driven by weddings and fiestas as well as Christmas parties in December.

A one-hectare farm lot land in sitio Lamacan in Babag 1 is converted into flower beds to grow chrysanthemum, aster, yellow star gladiola and varieties known as “jaguar” and “BSU”.

OUT-OF-TOWN BUYERS

Sometimes local supply becomes scarce because flowers are snapped up by out-of town-buyers. from provinces of  Ilo-ilo, Leyte, Bohol, Dumaguete, Samar and as far as Masbate.

“We prefer to sell flowers to out-of-town buyers who come to the mountains to pick up their purchase because we no longer have to transport them to the city,” said Lorena Bonghanoy in barangay Pung-ol Sibugay.

In November last year, a buyer from Samar ordered P50, 000 worth of flowers from her.

Harvests for bulk orders started Oct. 27 and continues until the eve of Nov. 1, All Saints’ Day and Nov. 2, All Souls’ Day.

Any excess is is sold to local flower shops or urban market vendors.

With at least P4,000 as capital, Lorena says she tills four flower beds, spending mostly for fertilizers and pesticides.

Ellen said she needs bigger capital to hire two to four men at P100 per day to help her  plant, water and even harvest their flowers.

Once the blooms are ready, growers make sure they start tilling empty flower beds to prepare the next batch in two to three months.

(They started planting chrysanthemums last week in five flower beds to prepare for the Sinulog in January.)

The hot weather is better for the blooms than the rainy season.

“We prefer growing flowers under the sun because all we have to do it is  constantly water them.  The flowers die when there is continuous rain,” said Marina.

Cut flowers can last two weeks if properly cared for.

The bundles are tied with nylon string and the stems are soaked in water for at least two minutes before they are placed in a corner to dry.

Limotan said it’s best to keep the petals dry to prevent breakage when they are packed.

Then when they are displayed at stalls, a spray of water makes them look fresh again. /Doris C. Bongcac, Chief of Reporters