Why Rice?

The government says that there is no rice crisis. However, the price per kilo of rice had risen to as high as 40 pesos from the previous mid-twenty-peso level. This is mind boggling. If there is enough supply, a slight mark up in price would be the worst situation. If the price is too high, as the present situation exists, either there is a real shortage of rice, or somebody is making a killing by hoarding them rice! Hmmm, only in the Philippines! Certainly, some people are holding the key to the solution and explanation of this phenomenon. Is the government and some lucky private businessmen profiting from this weakness of our people?

Rice is our staple food. It is staple precisely because it is abundant and available in our country. When it becomes expensive and sourced from outside the country, it becomes very alarming. Some people are toying with the feelings and survival instincts of the citizenry. The country and its people are being hit at their very weakness. The situation is analogical to the experience of one of my servant in the church. One lay minister approached me one day and told me how his wife hurt him so much one Sunday. This lay minister had made a commitment to serve a particular mass every Sunday. He finds great fulfillment and happiness in serving God through his ministry. His wife knew that passion and commitment. On that Sunday, the wife was asking him to schedule a trip for them abroad. He said he was not available because there were a lot of things to do in the office which he can not delay. The wife, frustrated at the response, told him that she would not go to church with him. It was very painful for him. He told me that his wife knew where to hit him most. He was very sad and reluctantly stayed home with his wife. Similarly, the rice "crisis" is the crisis we needed in order for us to be severely hit.

As an agricultural country and because of the availability of many arable lands, we do not have any reason to have a rice shortage much more a rice crisis. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the world's institution for rice studies and research is right here in our country. In fact, they claim that the Filipinos are the best farmers in the world. The combination of available lands and expert farmers should make us the best in terms of rice production. So, where did we go wrong? What is happening to us? Why are we being enslaved by our own expertise?

It is not actually hard to see why we are in this predicament. Agriculture is not a priority in our country. That is the sad fact. While other countries such as the United States, Europe, and neighboring Asian countries are investing greatly in agriculture, the Philippines just treat agriculture very lightly. Food security is national security. Food products are the best produce everywhere, anywhere, anytime! Lack of government support to agriculture is the foremost reason (unless it is deliberate so as to have the opportunity to import and thus open up possibilities for corruption!). Farmers find it hard to engage in productive farming because they lack the necessary support which can only come from government like; farm to market roads, irrigation water and facilities, crop insurance, fertilizers, processing facilities, and farm implements. Other countries have all of these available so that their farmers will be inspired and dedicated to work in the farm. Here, our farmers are on their own. We can not help but think that if there are allotted funds for these, they are even not fully available because of corruption. Short term benefits are more important than long and lasting ones. If only full support would be given, we can generate food production that would be enough to give all of us the progress we need. Add to this the effect of climate change. Farmers are now very tentative and afraid to plant because they are not sure when it will rain. The timing of the rain is crucial both in planting and harvesting.

Because of the uncertainty of the situation and lack of support, farmers are forced to abandon their farm and sell their land. For every farmer doing this, lots of metric tons of rice are lost. This will necessarily lead to a certain shortage and will force us to import rice in order to sustain our need. Gone are the days, in the eighties, when we are the exporter of special quality rice to Thailand and other Asian countries. We have lost that position and worse, we are now importing from them. We have the technology. We have the experts and the farmers. But we do not have the support and logistics. We can turn it around if we want. But that is the billion dollar question; why are we not turning it around? Why are we not throwing full support to agriculture the way we are throwing support to the military and other departments? Everything is to be gained once we go full force in agriculture. Our survival depends on the progress in agriculture. But it seems nobody is moving. Meanwhile, other countries are happy because we had become an avid customer.

And I ask. Why rice? There are other things they can tamper or play with. Why rice? Why? Let us pray fervently that people who are responsible for this will have a change of heart. It is not worth it. This is just too much.