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The National Onion Growers' Cooperative Marketing Association Summary
Philippines: National Onion Growers' Cooperative Marketing Association (NOGROCOMA) www.nogrocoma.com
NOGROCOMA was founded in 1954 with the simple goal of sustaining the Phillippines' self-sufficiency in onions. The 206-grower cooperative is based in Bongabon, a town of 70,000 people and 28 barangays (small villages) in the province of Nueva Ecija, 100 miles north of Manila. More than 60% of all Philippine onions are grown in this area in seasonal rotation in rice fields in the dry season, from November to February, after the first crop of rice has been harvested.
Unlike many commodity cooperatives, NOGROCOMA does not get directly involved in the production of its core crop; it instead purchases onions from member farmers and focuses on marketing them. For every kilo of onions sold to NOGROCOMA, a farmer-member receives an immediate cash “patronage” of 1-2 pesos (US $.02-$.04) over the market price. NOGROCOMA uses its collective purchasing power to help members purchase seeds at a reduced price, provides them with access to microcredit and low-interest loans, and has invested in cold storage facilities in Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac, Pangasinan, and Metro Manila allowing the cooperative to sell at points throughout the year when prices are high. The members who benefit from these services primarily come from villages surrounding Bongabon and range from from farmers to traders. Each member pays an annual membership fee of PHP 500 (US $10.50), which helps underwrite the cost of these services.
NOGROCOMA engages in political advocacy and technological assistance to improve the livelihoods of small farmers. It has helped develop national grades and standards for onions that have standardized and streamlined the industry, and its focus on education has provided the opportunity for member-farmers to travel to Taiwan and Japan, major onion exportation competitors of the Philippines, as well as to the United States, to study farming techniques and improve their competitiveness. Although the onion farming is still dominated by men, NOGROCOMA works to promote the advancement of women in this industry. “women are better at handling the product with TLC, good at selling, and are better marketers than men,” notes Dulce Gozon, a female agricultural leader the organization’s current chair and CEO.
