A Profile of Cutflower Growers and Women Participation in the Cutflowers Industry of Three (3) Davao Provinces

The study was undertaken to: a) describe the profile of the growers of cutfiowers in the provinces of Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, and Davao Province, b) determine gender labor distribution in the activities and, c) identify the problems of the gpwers in the three provinces. Findings revealed that ail of the growers were beyond the age of 30. Majority were female, college graduates, government employees, had 5 to 8 household members, had an annual income of P 100,000.00 or less primarily obtained from employment and farming, and have been cutflower growers in their own land for more than ten years. The growing of cutflowers is essentially a woman's activity in the growing of chrysanthemum, anthurium, roses and orchids. However, the husbands in Davao Oriental participate more actively than the husbands in the two other provinces. Their children were not actively involved in their parents' activities in the growing of cutflowers. The growers have identified a number of problems in the growing of cutflowers, namely: lack of proper diagnosis and control of plant pests and diseases, constrained access to new technologies and planting materials, increasing cost of input, inadequate information on the postproduction technologies for the packaging and transport of flowers, and the influx of imported flowers during peak periods.