Hybrid Rice Gives Farmers Higher Gross Income Of P116,000/Ha – Where Is The Problem There?


Above are scenes in the Central Luzon Hybrid Rice Derby Field Day & Farmers’ Forum held 15 October at the Central Luzon State University, CLSU, campus in the Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija (DA Central Luzon Facebook sharing 15 October 2020 by Rica Geda Salas). A total of 7 seed companies participated: Bayer, Bioseed, Corteva Agriscience, LongPing, SeedWorks, SL Agritech and Syngenta:

The activity (aimed) to promote to the rice farmers the various cultural management (designs) and practices and the importance of using hybrid rice seeds in achieving a higher production volume as part of the (DA) Rice Resiliency Project of (the) Plant, Plant, Plant Program.

During the Forum, DA Regional Field Office III Director Crispulo Bautista Jr said that during the dry season, average yields were: inbred rice 5.6 tons/ha, hybrid rice 7.8 tons/ha, a big difference of 2.2 tons.

Now then, are hybrid farmers earning much more to make them happier than inbred farmers? Last year, 40 rice farmers in Butuan City served as cooperators of the DA Caraga Hybrid Rice Model Farm Project (ANN, 07 April 2020, “Hybrid Rice Model Farm Increases Yield Of Butuan Farmers[1],” PIA.gov.ph). Butuan farmer Sammy Barneso said his gross income for inbred was P90,000 and for hybrid P116,000, or a difference P26,000., which he said was “a big help for us.” Ah, dear reader, you must note that that P26,000 is gross, not net.

Now, the production cost is P25,000 for inbred rice and P35,000 for hybrid rice. So, you have a problem there with data reality! (coin-rice-mini-hut image[2] from Dreamstime.com)

So, I am not surprised that “Only A Minority Of Farmers Prefer Hybrid Rice Seed[3]” (28 January 2019, Reicelene Joy N Ignacio, BusinessWorld.com). The factors considered in adoption are:

According to IRRI, in choosing a rice variety, farmers consider grain quality, price at market, optimum yield potential and stability over seasons, maximum tillering capacity for weed competition, resistance or tolerance to major diseases, insects and other stresses, the right growth duration to match the season, and resistance to lodging under normal management.

Our farmers are picky in choosing the rice variety to plant!

That paragraph I quoted above is loaded. “Grain quality” is always a factor in choosing a rice variety – I know because I am a farmer’s son. Farmers plant a new variety with the hope they are going to be the first to taste the sweet fruits of their labor – if that variety tastes that nice, pride in being first!

“Resistance or tolerance to major diseases, insects and other stresses” – Filipino farmers would rather plant and then forget it, except to visit the field on calendared schedule for fertilizing, spraying against pests.

“Resistance to lodging under normal management” – I know that “under normal management” usually means to the Filipino farmer occasional and not regular visits to the ricefield. Ha ha.

Because? The Filipino farmer does not
really take pride in being a farmer.
Because? We have not helped him rise
from poverty to prosperity!@517

 


[1]https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1038291

[2]https://www.dreamstime.com/rice-sack-coin-mini-house-isolated-white-background-muslim-concept-zakat-property-income-fitrah-zakat-rice-image182658390

[3]https://www.bworldonline.com/only-a-minority-of-farmers-prefer-hybrid-rice-seed/

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