Open AccessStakeholders' Reactions to the 'Whiteboard' Timber Information System: Insights for Linking Smallholder Tree Farmers to the Market
Author(s) -
Maria Anabelle Gerona,
Arturo Pasa,
Eduardo O. Mangaoang,
Rotacio Gravoso
Publication year - 2008
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0119-4909
DOI - 10.47773/shj.1998.081.2
Subject(s) - whiteboard , business , information flow , newspaper , marketing , tree (set theory) , agriculture , locality , computer science , advertising , geography , world wide web , mathematics , mathematical analysis , philosophy , linguistics , archaeology
Two whiteboards were installed at the office of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Maasin City, Southern Leyte, as a tool for improving the flow of timber marketing information. The boards contain list of registered tree plantations, including theri location and the estimated volume at harvest and list of buyers in the locality. Focus group discussions with timber dealers, agricultural technologists and CENRO personnel indicated the potentials of the whiteboards for improving timber information flow. It established a link between farmers and buyers, and farmers are encouraged to register their trees so that their names would appear in the list. Buyers, on the other hand, are able to locate the farmers and the tree species they have available. According to the extension workers, the whiteboards made the monitoring of tree farms easy. Considering the utility of the information contained in the whiteboard, farmers suggested that each barangay be provided with the same list on bond paper. Alternative means suggested to improve dissemination of timber marketing information is through the local radio station, local cable television channel, newspapers, and through the extension workers.