Agriculture in Magüey
By Heidy Jose Ferreira
Everybody knows that agriculture is a vital activity in our country. As a result of this activity, we can purchase different kinds of food that are necessary in our daily diet. All of them, for one reason or another, come from products cultivated in farms. Taking into consideration the importance of this activity in our economy and also the importance that this activity has in the life of farmers and workers, Farmers can change their conditions as a result of the benefits from agriculture. Workers could find a way to help their families. They can help people that do not work with them. Products are known in other countries. They are exported to United States, Haiti, and other places. In agriculture, there are three different aspects that are time for crops, crops, and business.
First of all, the time for crops in agriculture is one of the most important elements in agriculture in Magüey. When we say time for crops, we are referring to the time that products need to start to produce. Like everybody knows, everything in the world needs time to start a productive life. Agriculture like other activities, needs to be planned and prepared. When we do an activity following instructions, it is better than when we do an activity without thinking about that. Agriculture seems to be an easy activity, but it is not because it has secrets that only farmers know. One of them is plantation. You cannot sew without preparing the ground. In some occasions, when the ground is not ready for sewing, it is a risk.
We can say that the ground preparation is a very important element in agriculture in Magüey. In this aspect we can include a very important activity. That is to say “Cleaning the ground.” Cutting the grass is part of this activity because you cannot sew with the ground covered with grass. Also, in some farms, there are things that are not necessary in the middle of the farm. It is recommendable to put these things away in other to have a clean farm. Doing this activity implies that we need to use different kinds of tools, such as shovels, wheel barrow, and others, that are necessary for each activity that we have mentioned previously. Agriculture needs to follow a guide for its development. Things in agriculture like in other activities need to be planned following the corresponding guidelines. If you plan every aspect for each activity, everything is better. Also, agriculture needs people that know the field where they work because there are situations that not everybody can solve, just the ones who know this activity.
Technology is present in agriculture. We use equipments that help us with the work. Such as tractors. After you prepare the ground and do all the necessary things, comes the plantation. This is one of the most important moments in agriculture. Plantain, for example, needs 9 or 10 months to start to produce. During this time, the owner of the farm has to invest money, time, and other things, to keep the plantation in good conditions. Yuka roots, needs approximately one year for its harvest. During this time, we have to apply different kinds of fertilizers. In the case of vegetables, we work in a different way because there are vegetables that start to produce in a short term and others take a longer time.
A second aspect is the crop, which is one of the most important moments in agriculture. Farmers have different points of view about crops. For example, some say that this is the most important and the most beautiful moment in agriculture because you can touch, see, and taste the fruit. That is to say, you are in direct contact with agriculture. Others say that, this is the best part in agriculture because you can see the results of you work. Others think that agriculture not always benefits the farmers in the same way. In some cases, you can lose money. In agriculture we have different types of fruits that have different kinds of crops. Plantain is the most cultivated vegetable in Magüey. We need do a lot of things before we start to crop. After you start to produce plantain, you can last from 10 to 15 years. If the ground and the plantations are in good conditions, you can collect plantains every fifteen days. Yuka roots is different because after you seed it, you have to wait for one year approximately. You collect it every year. Vegetables also help workers’ economy because they collect it twice a week. The moment for receiving benefits is the crops because farmers do business with their products.
The third aspect is business which is the most complicate activity in agriculture in Magüey. When we talk about business in agriculture, we have to say that this activity has different kinds of implications, but is necessary to go through a series of activities before we do business with the products that we cultivate in our farms. Also, to do business, with these products, it is necessary to know the problems that can come up. Collectors have to know the job they do because in a plantation, we select the products. We do not collect everything. Another activity is to put the fruits in a place where we can count, weigh, and organize them. Also, they have to be put in the vehicle where they going to be transported to different markets. Here in our country, and also in other countries, the most important worry for the farmers is the price of the products because there are buyers that want to buy the products the cheapest in the market. If you sell the products at a cheap price, you can have economic problems. After, the price is ready, buyers come to our farms by truck or by van and carry the products to the different national markets such as La Vega, Santiago, San Francisco de Macorís, and Santo Domingo. Also, our products are carried to international markets like the United States and Haiti.
To summarize, agriculture is a beautiful and wonderful activity that permits us be in contact with the land, the products, the people, and also it helps us with our economy. Also, it is the most common activity in Magüey. It is important to have information about an activity that develops our own community, our community’s economy, and also our country’s economy. It is important to say that the three said aspects in agriculture are necessary, but the most beautiful is crops because you enjoy your work.
San Francisco de Macorís 2012
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