MANILA, Philippines–What if someone in real life is executing what you’re doing at FarmVille?
That’s precisely what FarmOn.ph will do for you–a real-life application of the online game that used to be extremely popular on Facebook before Candy Crush came in.
“It’s like Farmville on Facebook but it’s real. You can really farm and harvest just like a real farmer,” said Teodulo Otoman II of the Sproads Website Solution, the brains behind the FarmOn.ph application. Otoman said the concept of FarmOn.ph started with the idea of helping and inspiring entrepreneurs to go back to farming.
“We wanted to inspire overseas Filipino workers (OFWS), city people and young entrepreneurs to go back to farming,” he said.
What is FarmOn.ph?
According to Otoman, the application revolutionized farming by providing a virtual space for people to invest in, manage and experience real-life farm. FarmOn.ph is a farm management system that reintroduced farming to people by providing them a virtual world to a real-life experience in farming.
Real-life Farming
Interested entrepreneurs will have the chance to design their own farm using the Internet. One needs to register on FarmOn.ph, which was only activated last June 15. There is a button in the website where interested entrepreneurs may join. The virtual farmer can choose the land size of his farm. In designing his own farm, the virtual farmer will choose the crops or livestock that he wants to have in his farm. He may choose from a variety of vegetables, fruits and livestock such as swine, goat and chicken. A group of local farmers will then execute the design the virtual farmer wants for his farm. From planting stage up to the harvesting stage, the farmers will take charge of the farm. Agriculturists will also look after the farmers to teach them with latest innovations on farming. Virtual farmers can update their farm anytime through the Internet and the real farmers on the actual farm will execute it for you. As their crops and livestock grow, their virtual farm in turn will also be updated. If the virtual farmer has any concerns regarding his farm, a chat box is available on the application wherein his questions and concerns will be addressed. A live video will also be provided for live updates to monitor the farm. Otoman said a return of investment is guaranteed for virtual farmers. “This is really for people without access to farms but want to be entrepreneurs,” he said.
Location
A two-hectare land in Santiago City, Isabela, will be used as the place for the farm but will be expanded as needed. Otoman said the location was chosen because it does not easily get flooded during the rainy season since it is surrounded by mountains.
People behind FarmOn.ph
FarmOn.Ph was developed by Sproads, a website developer. “FarmOn.ph is socially and community-driven. It is not only the virtual farmer that benefits but the whole community by helping local farmers to have a job,” Otoman said.
How to join?
In order to join, interested entrepreneurs may visit FarmOn.ph and register for a fee. The number of registrants is limited to only 200 initially. A sample return of investment is posted on the website. While registration is ongoing, virtual farming will formally start in September. Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
