Agripreneur in Focus: Victor Mauro

Mr. Victor Mauro Sr., member of Bulacan Local Farmer Technician Association is from Brgy. Encanto, Angat, Bulacan, born on April 11, 1960 and graduated in Central Luzon State University with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Major in Animal Science. He was married to Mrs. Amelia Dizon, Municipal Agricultural Ofiicer in Angat, Bulacan and they have 3 sons namely, Victor Mauro Jr., Melchizedek Mauro and Jonathan Lorenzo Mauro.

Mr. Mauro started as a conventional farmer in 2009 and shifted to organic farming in 2012. He decided to employ organic-based farm practices in his 1.8 hectare farm in Marungko, Angat, Bulacan as he believes that this is one of the better ways to secure the health of his family and the people who patronize his products. Three years hence, he attended the second batch of training on “Organic-based Farm Practices, Social Enterprises Development, and Farmer-Clustering” which was conducted by the Sustainable Agricultural Technicians (SAT) of Lifebank Foundation, Inc to gain knowledge on sustainable agriculture. His shift to organic-based farm practices is not only motivated by the opportunity of gaining higher profit and higher productivity but also by his desire to advocate for healthy living and sustainable agriculture .

He uses different farm practices such as multiple cropping, alley cropping, intercropping and crop rotation. As of the moment, the outstanding crops are rice, corn, banana, turmeric, lemongrass, papaya, and malunggay. He uses vermicompost, fermented plant juice (FPJ), and fermented fruit juice (FFJ) as fertilizers and uses botanical pesticides made from oregano, chili, turmeric, acapulco, and madre cacao to prevent harmful organisms from invading the crops. Mr. Maura observed that over time, the soil condition of his farm had improved. The soil became more fertile and friable while its holding capacity is increased, which is not the case when he was still practicing conventional (chemical) farming. He also noticed the soil is easier to plow even if left fallowed (unplanted) for some time after land preparation.

Mr. Mauro’s shift to organic-based farm practices enabled him to avail different machineries and equipment such as water pump, hand tractor, grass cutter, knapsack sprayer, and even a tricycle that made his farm operations more efficient. He regularly sells his produce to the retailers at the local market, Bayani Brew, the municipal staff, and the Gawad Kalinga Community in Angat, Bulacan.

Mr. Mauro aims to continue his sustainable agriculture advocacy by promoting organic agriculture practices that he himself has tried and tested on his own farm. Currently, he is preparing to apply for organic certification to assure his buyers that his produce is free from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.