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Agri Science To The Test: “PH Rice At Any Cost!” – SRO

 

Heart & Earth: “Hearth of Agriculture.” That is my personal title for the mounted art you see above in a photograph I took 29 July 2016 at UP Los Baños. It’s actually a 4-piece sculpture that only now I see symbolizes the agri science needs of the 4 corners of the Philippines.

This essay has been prompted by a Facebook sharing today, Thursday, 15 April 2021 by retired but not-retiring UPLB Professor Teodoro Mendoza stating, “Am reposting this, that means I fully agree.” The author of the straightforward notes shared, Santiago R Obien (SRO), is the founding Executive Director of PhilRice and today is National Technical Adviser on Rice; I reproduce SRO with editing:

Let's Grow Our Own Rice, No Matter The Cost

I have always held the position that the Philippines must produce enough rice for all and keep a reserve for at least a 6-month supply.

Our Target: No reliance on imports for the staple food!

We have the technologies to do it.

What is needed is decisiveness on the part of government to invest.

We must produce rice as our staple food regardless of cost. We do not produce rice to compete with others – we do not sell rice, we don’t compete in the world market.

The Japanese cost of rice production is 3-4 times ours, but still they produce rice to meet their requirements. They don’t sell rice to other countries.

Let’s not bother ourselves too much that our cost of production is high, provided we produce enough for ourselves.

Forget competition. We produce our rice regardless of the cost.

It will be more expensive to import when the price goes up again above $1000 per ton! And again there will be limited supply.

SRO’s recommendation seems reasonable to me. As to the cost of going for rice self-sufficiency, it must not be at the expense of other crops – here’s how we can shoot 2 birds with 1 stone:

The Department of Agriculture (DA) comes up with a national contest among volunteer provincial government units (PGUs) to produce rice for national security. The DA arranges for all assistances: inputs, machineries, loans, everything.

“PH, Rise Rice!” is my name for the contest. After 2 seasons, the DA selects the Top 10 PGUs with the least costs but highest individual yields – and requires the remaining 71 PGUs to follow the examples of the Top 10. Rewards: Top 1 P10M, Top 2 P9M, Top 3 P8M, Top 4 P7M, Top 5 P6M, Top 6 P5M, Top 7 P4M, Top 8 P3M, Top 9 P2M, and Top 10 P1M. Consolation prizes, P500,000 for each losing PGU.

With “PH, Rise Rice!” we will out-compete the other countries in producing Masaganang Ani, Mataas Na Kita (Bountiful Harvest, Bounteous Income).

With Secretary of Agriculture William Dar on top, with state colleges & universities assisting in the science-based national production of rice, and with UP Los Baños as Program Leading Institution, the Hearth will be a new and exciting journey in Philippine Agriculture.

Yes, the best is yet to come!@517

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