Gabby Retuya, a farmer from Pangasinan, Philippines, never imagined he’d return to farming after college. Born into a family of farmers, he grew up helping his parents and siblings in the fields. Yet, Gabby had different aspirations, pursuing a degree in criminology and envisioning a life outside of agriculture. After graduation, he took on various jobs, from being a mall salesman to working as a fast-food crew member. But despite his efforts, he struggled to make ends meet and soon realized that the city jobs didn’t provide the income he needed to support his family.

In 2005, with a child on the way and faced with the pressure to earn more, Gabby made a pivotal decision to return to farming, joining his parents on a rented one-hectare plot where they grew rice and corn. But he quickly saw that these crops didn’t bring in a strong profit, pushing him to explore other options. In 2008, a friend introduced him to vegetable farming, and he began experimenting with yard long beans and bitter gourd. However, the yields were low, and Gabby soon found himself depleting his savings and borrowing from family and friends to keep going.

At this critical moment in Gabby’s life, East West Seed came in and introduced him to their hybrid vegetable varieties. During that time, he had already tried a lot of seeds offered by other companies, but he was surprised with the yield of East-West Seed’s hybrid bitter gourd (‘Galaxy’ and ‘Mestisa’) and hybrid hot pepper (‘Django’ and ‘Red Hot’) varieties. 

“The yield was high, and the fruits looked very appealing to the market,” Gabby recalls. 

With market demand for his bitter gourd and hot peppers increasing, he saw his income grow substantially. He has continued using the East-West Seed varieties and also benefited from the technical seminars provided by the company. From these seminars, he learned about sustainable and profitable farming practices. 

From starting on a small rented plot, Gabby has now expanded to an 8-hectare farm that he owns. He also runs his own agricultural supply business, selling East-West Seed products to fellow farmers. The combined income from farming and his business has allowed him to build a home, purchase vehicles, and set up a greenhouse. Most importantly, he’s now able to provide a secure future for his family, which has grown to include three children.

Gabby with his three kids. As a nod to his farming success, he named two of his children “Seed” and “Sophia”- the latter after one of East-West Seed’s pumpkin varieties that he grew on his farm.

Inspiring other Farmers 

Determined to uplift other farmers in his community, Gabby shares his experiences and knowledge. Through his agricultural supply business, he promotes East-West Seed’s high-yield varieties, even offering seeds on credit to farmers who pay after harvest. He partners with East-West Seed to hold free seminars, passing on the techniques that helped him succeed.

Gabby and his wife Cynthia proudly standing in front of their agricultural supply store.

Because of his success, neighbors often joke that he “found gold” in his backyard. Gabby simply smiles and responds:

“The gold is in the fruits of my bitter gourd and hot peppers.”

From once being the only vegetable farmer in his area, Gabby has encouraged many others to follow in his footsteps. Today, around half of the farmers in his village are now growing vegetables, inspired by his story and support.