In the Philippines, vegetable farmers generally have only small land holdings.
Because of this, plus an apparent lack of financial capital, it is difficult for
smallholder farmers to meet the large volume demands imposed by institutional
buyers and wholesalers. The small volume and the large variation in quality puts
smallholder farmers at a significant disadvantage when it comes to arranging
transport and marketing. However, smallholder farmers can engage in collaborative
cluster farming in order to meet the demands of the market and to bolster
production volume. In the cluster, the farmers carry out production planning and
marketing activities collectively. Utilizing the case study method and the 8-step
clustering approach formulated by the Catholic Relief Services, this paper will
present key success factors and several challenges faced by the Small Farmers
Association of Quirogpang (SFAQ) in Marilog, Davao City, Philippines. At the same
time, it will identify important institutional supports and strategies that may
enhance the success of this and other clusters. The paper highlights key success
factors such as the social connections shared by the cluster members and leadership.
In this case, these commonalities exist because it is an area-based cluster which
includes neighbours and relatives who all practice one religion and speak the same
language or dialect.