By Lauren and Alan
This farmer is part of an irrigation co-op who gain access to a tractor and thresher each season for the cost of 2.5 sacks of rice per hectare they reap.
Most do it the old fashion way with draft animals like this carabo.
Each year farmers harvest four to six crops
and a harvest has just finished here.
Most rice is grown on small family farms averaging in size from 0.5 to
4.0 hectares and many Filipinos rely of this livelihood. It's difficult to believe that they are one of the largest importers of rice in the
world.
According to the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI) there are three main factors for the importing of rice. The amount of suitable land for growing is
only 43,000sq kilometers (the total land mass of the Philippines is 300,000sq
kilometers). Combined with the current
population, estimated at 97 million and a growth rate of around 2% (among the
highest in the world); the current production can’t keep up with the growing
demand. Finally, infrastructure is poor;
ranging from irrigation to transportation. The good news is there is a
potential for increased production with an increase in infrastructure.
Don't forget the cost of fertilizer and pesticides.
Rice is laid out on bamboo mats and dried in the sun.
The collective market share the mills achieve allow them to gain the
competitive edge and set the selling price.
Most farmers take their rice to large mills in order to get a better price. Their payment usually isn’t in Pesos but in product. These mills act as a co-op for the smaller farmers.
Depending on the type of seeds used (most use the older rice varieties that produce less per hectare compared to the certified or hybrid seeds), 2.75 Metric Tons - 6.5 Metric Tons can be produced per hectare. What does this mean, those that produce at the low end will have 36 bags of un-milled rice while those at the higher end will have 86 bags of un-milled rice. Most bags are 45-75kg as seen in the picture above.
Rice moves towards our municipal center located along the coast line. It travels down this main road and rarely goes the other way up into the mountains. Lack of access to a market further impoverishes those living in the farthest barangays.
