ABSTRACT
Several studies reported that corn farming was successful but there are still unheard laments and unspoken cries the corn farmers have. This study aimed to determine farmers’ level of satisfaction towards price checkoff of corn yield in the market. This study utilized the mixed qualitative-quantitative descriptive method. Fifty-two randomly selected corn farmers from the municipality of Ajuy answered the five scale researcher-made questionnaire–checklist. Mean and t-test were the statistical tools used. To warrant ethical issues, the researchers of this study consulted research ethics experts. The result of the study showed that farmers were dissatisfied of the price checkoff of corn yield in the market. Attention should focus on Local Government Unit and other government and non-government agencies partnership as well as intervention and provision of market material and issues concerning grain buying, farming financial aid/assistance/subsidy, corn farming loan and regulation of price checkoff in the market. Therefore, local government of the municipality of Ajuy must see to it that there should have proper program and policies superseding on the problems meet by corn farmers. A partnership with other private institution providing assistance to those helpless corn farmers can be of great relief. However, farmers should secure their selves with proper farming understanding and knowledge in framing through personal efforts to equally indemnify the government trust and equity.
Keywords: Corn, Corn Farming, Corn Marketing, Corn Buying Business, Price Checkoff
INTRODUCTION
Corn production is scattered geographically over various parts of the country and one of the most fruitful growth is found in the province of Iloilo.
Farmers sacrifice a lot in farming from finances to efforts just to stretch labors and earn from corn farming. Climatic variability, pests and diseases are among of the challenges confronting local farmers (Reyes, 2009). Congruent to trials that devastated the corn farm, there are these genetic modifications to resist against pests, low production, low farming cost and other farming problems (Afidchao, et al, 2014; Liang et al., 2017; Ray et al., 2018). There have issues on the transportation cost and system (Rossouw and Young, 2013). These are just some of the issues and concerns identified by former researches.
Several studies reported that corn farming was successful but there are still unheard laments and unspoken cries the corn farmers have. Despite of the adversities that the corn farmers suffered during the planting to harvest season, farming endeavor continues. Although corn has a price floor with the National Food Authority, farmers are at the mercy of traders who buy their corn, and they cannot complain if the buying price gets too low. They consider low corn prices as a crop failure, and most of them have experienced it. In fact, it has gone as low as P7 per kilo, as reported by the farmers. With the low price, they cannot recover the amount spent during the entire cropping season and would have a negative net income for that season. Mostly, farmers have buying agreements with traders they borrow from, so even if the price floor is higher than the buying price of the trader, the farmers still receive a lower price (Manuel, 2018).
The premises contained above arouse the interest of the researchers to study on the farmers’ view on the corn market. Hence the research will be conducted to solicit the perception of the corn farmers on the level of satisfaction towards the check off of corn grain yields in the market.
Generally, the researchers aimed to determine the farmers’ level of satisfaction towards the price checkoff of corn yield in the market.
Specifically, this study aimed to answer following question: (1) What are the farmers’ levels of satisfaction towards the price checkoff of corn yield in the market when the farmers are classified according to financing type, length of farming practice and seed input size? (2) Are there significant differences on the farmers’ levels of satisfaction towards the price checkoff of corn yield in the market when the farmers are classified according to financing type, length of farming practice and seed input size?
This study was anchored on the theory of “Requirements for Effective Grain Marketing” as used by Watson (1996) in the related study in business and marketing. The theory focused on the pricing, marketing, buying and selling arrangements, grading and quality assurance of the grain product specifically the corn grains. This theory also encompasses the financing type seed input size and the knowledge of the corn farmer in farming which refers to the length of farming Several studies reported that corn farming was successful but there are still unheard laments and unspoken cries the corn farmers have. Anent to this, the researchers would like to know the farmers’ levels of satisfaction towards the price checkoff of corn yield in the market in the municipality of Ajuy, Iloilo
METHODOLOGY
This study utilized the descriptive method of research. Descriptive research describes a certain present condition. The technique that was used under descriptive method was the normative survey approach and evaluation, which is commonly used to explore opinions according to respondents.
The respondents of this study were fifty-two corn farmers selected using simple random sampling. They were taken from the different barangays, specifically, the places with corn plantation, in the town of Ajuy. The respondents were classified according to financing type, length of farming practice and seed input size. When the farmers were classified according to financing type, there were seven (7) or 13.46% under the group of personally financed and forty-five (45) or 86% under the group of financed by others. When the farmers were classified according to length of farming practice, there were twenty (20) or 38.46% under the group of below 10 years and thirty-two (32) or 61.54% under the group of 10 and above. When the farmers were classified according to seed input size, there were forty (40) or 76.92% under the group of below 3 bags and twelve (12) or 23.08% under the group of 3 bags and above.
The five scale researcher-made questionnaire–checklist was used in this study. For reliability and internal consistency of the instrument, Cronbach’s alpha of .864 was obtained in the test that showed that the data gathering instrument is reliable and consistent.
Mean was used to determine the farmers ‘level of satisfaction towards the price checkoff of corn yield in the market when the farmers are classified according to financing type, length of farming practice and seed input size. t-test was be used to test significant differences on the farmers’ levels of satisfaction towards the price checkoff of corn yield in the market when the farmers are classified according to financing type, length of farming practice and seed input size.
To guarantee impartiality, integrity and to warrant ethical issues, the researchers of this study consulted research ethics experts.
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