How a Bag of Seeds Changed a Couple’s Life

The transition was difficult. The couple invested all their money in growing melons, but the plants did not thrive as expected, and the returns could not feed the family. PJ and Thea were close to returning to Manila and their former jobs as call center agents.

One day PJ attended a farmers’ seminar. He felt desperate. Earlier that day he had lit a candle in church and asked God what to do. At the seminar, PJ won a bag of corn seeds in a raffle. “That was the make or break, really,” he says.

On his way home, he held on to the corn bag as if it could save him from drowning. For PJ and Thea, it did. Today, they oversee a medium-sized farm in the Philippines, where corn is their main crop. They now employ six farmhands and can invest in tools and further expansion of their farm. 

The couple’s progress reflects their hard work and perseverance. They also say Bayer’s Support Team on the ground provided expert advice from the beginning, including guidance on sowing corn and treating the plants to support a strong harvest. “You can really see how they assist you with any question,” Thea says.

The result: Already in their first year, their corn plants grew well, and the ripe cobs were long and full of large kernels.

Neighboring farmers noticed the strength of PJ’s and Thea’s corn plants and the size of their harvest. They became interested in learning from the couple, who readily share their experiences and farming knowledge. “We've converted every farmer here; the neighbors are now also sowing Bayer seeds,” they say.

Nowadays, PJ and Thea are happy with their lives as farmers and are thinking about the future. “What we are doing today is our contribution for the next generation to harvest,” they say. “That's why we also have to teach them how to take care of whatever we have started.”