Don’t Import Yet! Use Solar Wells, Hybrid Seeds In Areas Near Lakes, Marshes

In the face of this impending world rice supply crisis, Importation by the government may not be the wisest option for the Philippines.
First, there is not much rice supply in the world market as India, which accounts for 40% of the traded rice in the world, has banned exports, a situation made worse by projections that many of the rice exporting countries in Asia could be hit by climatic aberrations.
Second, the world market price is so high now (latest was $650/ton FOB Vietnam) that it would hardly relieve consumers from the pain of high rice prices.
Third, any plan of government importation will send wrong signals to both the established importers and the local farmers whose intentions to import and plant may be dampened by fear of financial losses.
The best option is still to come up with quick and decisive programs to boost local production and here is one of my major recommendations.
The Regional Offices of the Department of Agriculture must submit an inventory of low-lying areas with shallow water table which are not planted to rice because of the absence of irrigation.
Offhand, I could cite four specific areas namely, the periphery of Liguasan Marsh in Central Mindanao with an estimated area of 250,000 hectares, the areas surrounding Agusan Marsh extending towards Butuan City where hundreds of thousands of low-lying areas are not irrigated, the areas surrounding Lake Lanao and Lake Mainit in Caraga Region.
These areas alone could have at least 300,000-hectares of prospective rice production areas which would only need Solar-Powered Shallow Tube Wells capable of irrigating between 5 to 10 hectares per unit.
Using high yielding and modern Hybrid Rice Seeds, the 300,000 hectares could easily produce 4-metric tons per harvest twice a year.
That means a projected harvest of 2.4-million metric tons in two croppings which could yield 1.44-million metric tons of milled rice.
It only takes less than a month for a Solar-Powered Shallow-Tube Well to be installed and Hybrid Rice Seed companies have an existing inventory sufficient to supply the seed requirements of 300,000 hectares.
The 1.44-million metric tons rice production is almost half of what the country imports now and will save the country an estimated P50-B.
The estimated expenses in establishing Solar-Powered Shallow Tube Wells to irrigate 300,000 hectares is only about P24-B which with the cost of seeds and fertilizer estimated at P6-B would only total P30-B.
There is, however, a serious issue which must be addressed: This cannot be effectively implemented by government because of its bureaucratic processes.
This is a program which could be led by the private sector, or even individual farmers themselves, supported by loans and financing by government lending institutions.
I have prepared a Blueprint for this program, which along with the Upland Rice Farming Advocacy which we are launching in North Cotabato tomorrow, could help our country produce more rice.
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
#FarmersKnowBest!