REACTION PAPER on GAP

The presentation was very informative, and It opened my awareness on GAP and other Agricultural
practices. In my own field there are few opportunities to learn about these things. However, I am not
that unfamiliar with the industry because I came from a province that the main source of the people
especially while I was growing as young man is from agriculture. In the research I believe that the main
problem is not the GAP reaching out to farmers, but the real problem would be the need for additional
demand. Demand for people to purchase GAP accredited products should increase because farmers
would not bother to have their activities be accredited when people care less regarding that. Also, we
could see that there is a low number of farms that are officially under GAP. I was just thinking that
maybe that is the case because these credited farms may be huge and financially capable, or they have a
market that requires them to be GAP Accredited. Being the case there are a lot of small -medium
farmers that when brought together would be a significant size that do not have access to these. The
marketing Strategy or the strategy that I am looking at for the GAP to be more appealing to farmer is
that the accreditors need to manifest the benefits of a GAP accredited farms. Examples, if you practice
activities that are under GAP you would surely acquired higher yield once you follow certain
instructions, another is you would be able to price your product a little higher than the rest, and
connection to deeper and uncrowded market may be acquired. These examples are great factors that
the farmer would really like and may consider to be accredited. Another idea in promoting gap is to
target the Cooperatives that have a significant number of members. These would be ideal to tap these
Cooperatives because they can influence and help their member to be GAP certified especially with the
help of the government. The need to build up the industry. The agricultural sector, may it be growing,
should look at the problems that always appear and some example of these are: over supply, shortages,
markets, transportation, benefits, financials and many more. In the research, what I realize is there are a
lot of opportunities that we should be capturing but the lack of proper information, systems, strategies,
right educational practices and deeper understanding of forecasting hinders our progress. GAP is not to
be push aside by farmer but rather should be embraced however farmer have their ranks of priorities
and GAP may be the least if problem that were mentioned would not be address. Just a little sharing.
My father was a farmer and I always tag along with him during my weekends throughout my childhood
days. He always visits the farms that he is catering, and I always enjoyed looking over the fields and the
animals that he is taking care of. I was ignorant of the financial part of farming but never the reason, the
joy and the sufferings of it. That is why this industry is very close to my heart and as one of my goals to
someday to be part of it.