GLORIA RICE IS MISLEADING THE FARMERS
Letter to the Editor

The Gloria Rice Program launched by the Palace a few days before the campaign period officially started is misleading the Filipino rice farmers. Gloria Rice's promised yield of 200 cavans per hectare is only attainable under the most ideal farm conditions. Farmers who were able to harvest more than 200 cavans are but a handful whose rice farms are in exceptional condition. Unfortunately, for most of the Filipino rice farmers, this is not the case.

Hybrid seeds need ideal conditions such as fertile soil, ample irrigation, sufficient amount of sunlight and warm temperature and the application of plenty of pesticides. Only then could it attain its promised yield of 200 cavans per hectare.

However, years of chemical intensive farming under the Green Revolution program three decades ago rendered the farmlands unhealthy and unproductive. High-yielding varieties (HYVs) of seeds are tied to fertilizers and pesticides that created a dependency on chemical inputs. Farmlands were abused and overloaded with chemicals and were no longer fertile enough to give off good yields.

No wonder the national average of rice harvest is only 3 metric tons per hectare. The Green Revolution program crippled the farmers and their land. It caused severe indebtedness, health problems among farmers and deterioration of the land's nutrients and fertility and many other environmental problems.

The government should stop misleading the farmers with seed varieties that promise high yields but perform otherwise. It should address first the rehabilitation of the land to bring back its productivity. And while the government promises to provide support and assistance on irrigation and post-harvest facilities, they should not overlook the fact that the hybrid seeds are useful only for the first planting. Afterwards, the farmers are forced to buy again bags of seeds which small farmers cannot afford.

The government should support sustainable agriculture initiatives which allow farmers to focus first on the rehabilitation of the soil fertility and choose the seed varieties which are appropriate to the characteristics of their land. Even without the use of chemicals, farmers harvest decent yields by using organic fertilizers and by maximizing the biodiversity in their farms. More importantly, sustainable agriculture allow small farmers control over resources and technology.

IGMEDIO FACUNLA
Chairperson
Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG)
Los Baños, Laguna