They are actually Gmelina trees but they are better known as “Soul Trees” as far as the St. Peter Group of Companies is concerned.

The St. Peter Group, which is into memorial parks and life plans nationwide, has contracted the Green Earth Legacy Foundation to help farmers plant Gmelina trees in their own farms.

For this purpose, St. Peter has set aside P10 million for a five-year program of planting Gmelina trees in San Nicolas and Batac City in Ilocos Norte.

Under the scheme the agriculturists and foresters of Green Earth Legacy, produce the Gmelina seedlings which are given free to farmer cooperators in San Nicolas and Batac. Aside from the free seedlings, the Green Earth technicians also provide the necessary fertilizers as well as the technical advice in taking care of the trees.

The Gmelina trees are usually ready for harvest in 7 to 10 years after planting. St. Peter will have the option to buy the timber at prevailing prices. At 7-10 years, the trees will usually attain a diameter of 30 centimeters. One tree could yield 65 board feet which currently fetch P33 per board foot. Which means that one tree could be worth at least P2,000.

Manuelito Calventas, a senior agriculturist of Green Earth Legacy, says that the farmer cooperators have a free hand in harvesting and selling their trees. Although St. Peter expects to have the priority to buy the trees, the farmer may sell them to other buyers that can offer a better price.

The Soul Trees project is a win-win situation for the farmers as well as St. Peter. The project could assure St. Peter a continuing source of wood for making caskets. Right now, one barangay in Apalit, Pampanga, is making caskets for St. Peter. The company has a current requirement of 35,000 board feet a month.

The company will need more supplies of wood because it plans to open a new casket factory in San Fernando City in La Union soon.

In its third year of operation, there are 89 farmer cooperators in San Nicolas and 29 in Batac City. The smallest number of trees a cooperator has planted is 50 trees. But there are others who have planted thousands of trees.

Calventas said that in Batac, Ignacio Asuncion of Brgy. San Pablo has already planted 1,600 trees in 2010, 1,400 in 2011 and more in 2012. His trees are well maintained, and for additional income, he has planted some papayas in between the Gmelina trees.

Another planter, this time from Brgy. Bungon in Batac, is Isidro Gumayagay. He has already planted 312 trees.

What is good about Gmelina is that the tree does not die after cutting the main trunk. New shoots will arise from the stump and two shoots may be allowed to develop into full-grown trees.In another seven years, the trees could already be harvestable again.

Recently, the technicians of Green Earth Legacy attended the National Mango Congress in Mandaue City in Cebu. They are Manuelito Calventas (agriculturist), Antonio Garvida and Delmar Caluya, both foresters.

They said they also wanted to learn about the improved techniques of mango production so that they could also help their farmer cooperators in taking care of their mango trees.

They said that their farmer cooperators also have mango trees of their own so they could also benefit from whatever technology the three had learned from the mango congress.

The Green Earth Legacy members have previous experience in establishing forest trees. Caltex had hired them for a tree planting project called “Roots.” In 15 years, they were able to establish 500,000 Gmelina and other trees in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte; Pugo, La Union; Baguio City and Lobo, Batangas.

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SOMETHING NEW — One fellow who is in the plant business told us that there is a new papaya variety in Thailand that produces small fruits (one kilo) with yellow flesh that has an unusual taste. This is often called mango papaya because the yellow flesh tastes like that of a mango.

We were told that the seed company that has developed it is reluctant to commercialize it because of its yellow color. It is said that in Thailand the preferred color for papaya is red. We believe, however, that in the Philippines this should click. The Filipino does not care whether the flesh is yellow or red. What is important is the taste. Of course, what is also important is if it is resistant to certain diseases.

Meanwhile, we have been told that a seed company is eyeing Brazil as a big market for its papaya seeds. Brazil is said to be the biggest papaya producer in the world, and if the company’s variety will click there, it will hit a real jackpot.