Philippines to import rice again? Can Phil reach rice sufficiency?

It is more fun criticizing

Philippines |  January 21 2014



Rice is headline again.  Rice smuggling, that is.

And that there will be increase in price of rice due to shortage.

There are some said news of impending rice shortage, and importation again.  I was told that the rice shortage or conditioning our minds that there is a shortage and that the only solution is a ruse for some quarters to make money from this crisis.  It is not clear whether the crisis is real or not.  But according to sources, money is made several ways:

Making a killing on a crisis

1.  license to import rice cost millions

2.  bidding of rice from the govt agency;

3.  disposal of "rotting rice" which may be not rotting, or mixed with good rice.

Plus the purchase of fertilizer, the farm inputs, subsidies to farmers.

Being an RM awardee/hero, could be done by anyone

Social and political criticisms

The RM awardee on agriculture who helped double the productivity of farmers by employing technology should inspire everyone to adapt new methods of farming.

The seeds, fertilizer, and technology are available.

A seeds company (it was strama paper) in GSC sells corn seeds that ups yield of corn farms from 4tons@hectare to l6 tons;  Henry Lim, sells seeds that yields 300 cavans@hectare vs 100 cavans from existing IRRI rice strain. The SL - 8

Why are they not being used?

l.  Lack of access/knowledge by farmers;

2.  The usual thing -  lack of credit

3.  And then the closed mind.  Change is a painful process to implement.  Resistance.
We have done this way ever since.  Those were the days my friend.

But no one, or very few remember the farmers;  their names are used for scams and graft and corruption.  Let us lift them up like Mr. Davide, the RM awardee who helped farmers.