PRODUCTION AND MARKETING PRACTICES OF BUNCHING ONION (ALLIUM FISTULOSUM L.) FARMERS IN PANGIL, LAGUNA

Bunching onion cultivation is becoming a popular enterprise in the 4th District of Laguna. A survey was conducted to evaluate the production and marketing practices of bunching onion farmers in Pangil, Laguna. A total of 200 managers and caretakers of bunching onion farms in the study area were identified through purposive sampling. Questionnaire with a combination of close and open-ended questions was used in the interview. Chi- Square was used for testing the correlation and association.Results show that majority of the respondents, who have an average age of 51 years, indicate that bunching onion production is their primary source of income and they have been in farming for no less than 15 years. Less than 50% of the respondents have an average farm size of .5 hectare and majority of them are tenants. Most of the producers were not able to go beyond secondary education and majority, and has no affiliation to any farmers organization. Also, majority of the respondents have not attended any seminar on bunching onion production.Apart from the demographic profile, the respondents production and operation management of their bunching onion farms were documented. Marketing management, which includes pricing and selling, was recorded. Results reveal that both growers and viajeros are the ones who decide on the price of bunching onions.Based on the data, an average income of Php 436,450.00 can be earned from .5 hectare in one cropping. Return on Sales (ROS) of 90.93% shows that every peso earned from the sale of the product there is a corresponding Php 0.91 centavos net return. Return on Investment (ROI) of 10.02% shows that for every Php 1.00 invested there is a corresponding Php 0.10 centavos net return.The study revealed that the level of yield and profit per hectare per cycle isinfluenced by the educational attainment, household size, and farm size, but are not influenced by age of the respondents. The major problems of the bunching onion farmers are the high price of seeds, insufficient capital, insect pests and diseases. Data revealed that growing bunching onions is profitable and a considerable income can be obtained in 2 to 3 months. Conduct of similar studies on bunching onion production in other towns is recommended to compare the profitability and the practices. Encouraging the farmers to practice companion cropping or any cropping system with higher biodiversity on order to enhance productivity per unit area is likewise recommended. Further, the bunching onion farmers must be organized and be extended with applicable trainings and assistance by concerned agencies and entities in order to improve their status and productivity.