Oton: the country's Watermelon town

By ZAC B. SARIAN

January 7, 2011, 10:21pm

Jimmy Guadeong poses with his bountiful harvest of Sweet 16 watermelon from a 7,000-square meter area that he and his team planted in Brgy. Bantod, Tigbauan, Iloilo.

 MANILA, Philippines – Oton town in Iloilo is considered the watermelon capital of the country. No less than 700 hectares are planted to this high-value crop every year in the town alone, according to Celsa Sorongon Suarez, the municipal agriculturist. In addition the Oton watermelon farmers go out to other towns and rent farms on which they also grow watermelon.

Oton Mayor Vicente Flores Jr. says watermelon has been planted by farmers as early as he can remember but no one seems to know who really started planting the crop in the town. Anyway, watermelon has become a very important crop for Oton farmers as well as the traders who ship out the harvests to Manila, Cebu and many other places.

Watermelon planting in Iloilo is quite unique. Instead of individual farmers growing their own crop, it is not uncommon for teams of workers and their financiers to grow watermelon on a joint venture basis. Just like the team of Jimmy Gaudeong and his two assistants.

We visited Jimmy and his team last December 2 when they harvested their joint venture project in Brgy Bantod, Tigbauan town. Jimmy is an Oton native but like many other growers, he goes out of Oton to look for suitable farms on which to grow watermelon. One should not grow watermelon on the same field year after year to avoid build up of disease organisms, according to him.

The crop they harvested was a joint venture with their financier who advanced the cost of seeds, land preparation, fertilizers, pesticides and labor rendered by Jimmy’s team. Oh yes, the expenses of the team members on food and even cigarettes are all recorded and when the harvest is sold, all the expenses are deducted and the remainder is shared half-half between the team and the financier.

In that particular crop, the production team planted 4,300 hills on 7,000 square meters. Jimmy estimated that their harvest could easily reach 50 kaings. Oh yes, the harvest is reckoned in terms of “kaings” but it is not the kaing that you and I know. Kaing among the Iloilo growers means 45 fruits that are three kilos each or more. Usually one kaing may weigh from 200 to 250 kilos.

At that time the price per kaing was P2,700 so the harvest was at least worth P135,000. It could be more because the estimate was very conservative.

One knowledgeable fellow in the group said the harvest could easily reach 70 kaings in which case the total value would be P189,000.

Anyway, the total expenses was P78,000 according to Jimmy. So it is obvious, there is money in growing watermelons. The growing period for Sweet 16 is just about two months from planting.

The planters don’t have to plow the field for planting. They just clear a small area where the seeds are planted. The plants are really taken care of on a daily basis. In fact, the members of the team stay in the field. They water the plants every day. And every two days, they mix fertilizer with the water which is drenched on each hill. The plants are also sprayed with the appropriate pesticide.

Source: Manila Bulletin