Text and Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio
If you want to increase your production, follow the recommendations by the experts. That’s what 44-year-old Mhar H. Baclay is doing. His farm is in barangay New Clarin, about 7 kilometers away from the town proper of Bansalan, Davao del Sur.
New Clarin is the rice granary of the municipality. That’s why he grows the crop on his farm, too. “I plant rice because this is the crop being grown in our community,” he said. “Besides, rice is our staple food. Wherever you go, there is always a market for rice.”
Baclay is one of the beneficiaries of the rice hybridization program of the regional office of the Department of Agriculture. As such, he was given free hybrid seeds of rice and fertilizers.
He made a trial of planting Mestiso 204H – or M20 – in his 0.8-hectare rice field. In his farm, he avoided spraying chemicals like insecticides and fungicides because he believes chemicals would also annihilate friendly insects.
Although his farm was infected with bacterial leaf blight – an important vascular disease in irrigated rice that is difficult to manage and can cause up to 50% yield reduction – he still managed to reach a higher yield.
Baclay was able to harvest 103 bags of fresh palay with an average of about 64 kilograms per bag. The average yield is about 8.2 tons per hectare, according to the agriculture department’s focal person.
The total production is 8,240 kilograms and the prevailing price in the area is P23 per kilogram. The total gross income is P189,520.00.
If the crop was planted without subsidy from the government, his net income would be about P11,520.00. Expenses include labor (P50,000.00) and inputs (P22,000.00).
Since the inputs (fertilizer and seeds) were subsidized by the government, his net income goes up to P139,520.00
Political crop
If there’s a crop that is associated with politics, it’s rice. Every time there’s an election, one of the agenda being talked about is rice. It’s comprehensible: rice is the staple food of Filipinos.
“If we did not have rice, our deepest comfort food, we would probably feel less Filipino,” the late food columnist Doreen Fernandez once pointed out.
Rice plays a central role in Filipino traditional meals. We consider rice as the heart of our cuisine. It’s a versatile ingredient that can be prepared in numerous ways. Besides eating it in regular meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), rice can be made into snacks, desserts, and other related meal products.
“One more rice, please!” This call, which rings at dinner time in all restaurants and small eateries, best sums up the eating habits of the typical Filipino to whom eating is a matter of filling up.
On average, Filipinos consume 114-120 kilograms of rice per capita per year. That’s almost double of the world average of 65 kilograms per capita per year, according to Dr. Eufemio Rasco, Jr., former director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).
The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics reports that Filipinos spend more on rice than any other food.
A survey conducted by the line agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed that Filipinos, especially those from low-income households, are depending solely on rice more than ever for their daily dietary energy supply and dietary protein because it remains the most affordable food in the country.
Rice is a great source of essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, and other vital elements that the body needs for optimal health and well-being. It is also an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, which are essential for providing the necessary energy levels for optimal physical and mental performance.
Nutrition experts say rice contains protein, fiber, iron, vitamin B6, fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, selenium, folic acid, thiamin, and potassium. It is low in fat and cholesterol.
Principal food
“Rice is the principal food for over 60% of mankind,” pointed out the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). It is particularly important to Asia where over half of the world’s population lives.
For thousands of years, rice (known in the science world as Oryza sativa) has been part of the human diet. Historical evidence suggests that rice may have been produced and consumed up to 10,000 years ago.
Unlimited rice is very popular in the country. This makes the Philippines one of the largest rice consuming countries in the world. In the 2022/23 marketing year, the Philippines consumed about 16 million metric tons of rice, according to Statista Research Department.
If rice alone is taken, a person can eat at least 300 grams. One kilogram reportedly can serve six to eight people. Another source said 30 kilograms can feed 90 people while 40 kilograms is enough for 120 people. One bag of rice (50 kilograms) is good for 150 people.
The Philippines ranked eighth in world rice production in 2018, the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported. It is behind China, Indonesia, India, and other Southeast Asian nations.
Average annual production is 26 metric tons and the average yield is 3.83 tons per harvested hectare. Rice is widely grown in Luzon, Western Visayas, Southern Mindanao, and Central Mindanao.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the average cost of producing palay was P14.98 per kilogram in 2022. On the national level, the average cost of palay production in 2022 was P54,373 on a per hectare basis.
For every P100 a farmer spends, he can earn P140, studies have shown. A net revenue of P600,000 to P800,000 can be expected from a 10-hectare farm annually, provided the farmer grows a popular rice strain and has four planting cycles a year.
Not all rice produced, however, are eaten by Filipinos. Dr. Flordeliza Bordey, PhilRice program leader for Impact Assessment Policy Research and Advocacy, reported that every Filipino wastes 14 grams of milled rice per day, which is equivalent to about 3 tablespoons per person per day.
Not enough rice
Curiously enough, the Philippines could not produce enough rice for its growing population. So much that it has to export rice from other countries.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its report, “Grain: World Markets and Trade,” said the Philippines imported 3.8 million metric tons of rice “for marketing year 2023-2024.”
With such a record, the Philippines toppled the previous top importing country, which is China. Importing 2.8 million metric tons, China is now ranked second. Indonesia settled for third place with rice importation of 2.5 million metric tons.
Most of the rice that the Philippines imported came from the neighboring countries, particularly Vietnam and Thailand.
Filipinos eating rice is as old as rice cultivation itself. “The history of rice cultivation in the country dates back at least 3,000 years,” wrote Dr. Gelia T. Castillo, an academician and national scientist. “The building of rice terraces came a bit later.”
However, it was in 1576 that an account of rice cultivation was recorded. By 1668, someone wrote that “rice usually does not last longer than the time it takes to harvest, since the rest they pay in tribute or sell to get the cash to pay the tribute.”
Rice production constraints
The Philippines has been planting rice since time immemorial. The world’s leading rice institution – the International Rice Research Institute – is located at Los Baños, Laguna. And yet, most Filipino farmers who grow rice are still poor.
Like most farmers, they face several constraints. One of which is insufficient water availability and unadjusted water levels, as well as uneven field levels in wet rice fields. For another, rice is susceptible to various pests and diseases.
These days, “high agricultural costs, rising food prices, and an over-reliance on imports are pushing farmers toward poverty,” said thenewhumanitarian.org.
The PSA reported that during the first phase of October last year, a kilogram of regular milled rice had an average retail price of P45.33 at the national level. These days, the price goes up to P50 or more.
“While reports indicate that there is enough food to feed the country, many Filipinos continue to go hungry and become malnourished due to inadequate intake of food and nutrients,” FAO said in a report. – ###
