Rice renaissance

For most Filipinos, rice has always been and will continue to be the bedrock of every single meal. Worryingly, though, the Philippines has grown more dependent on rice imports to meet the population’s food needs.

The nation’s self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) was said to have hit a two-decade low of less than 80 percent in 2022, putting it at risk of food insecurity — highly vulnerable to worldwide price swings of the staple grain.

Amid this bleak scenario, the National Food Authority (NFA) is contemplating increasing its purchase price for locally produced palay or unmilled rice. This move, no doubt, is intended to encourage farmers to sell palay to the government at the competitive pricing it seeks to offer.

Against the tendency of middlemen to buy rice at the lowest possible price, the NFA offering rice pricing above that of the private market should incentivize farmers not only to sell to the government but also to grow more rice instead of planting other cash crops.

Increasing local production eases reliance on imports, posing many potential problems, including being at the mercy of the vagaries and unpredictability of global rice prices.

Extreme price spikes in rice, caused by factors such as political unrest, trade disputes, and droughts in key rice-producing nations in the face of the El Niño dry spell, can strain national budgets and even lead to food inflation.

Reduced production and continued reliance on imports result from local farmers’ struggles to compete with foreign rice — a Goliath-versus-David contest, as foreign producers of the staple grain are invariably subsidized by their respective governments.

Continuing to be reliant on imported rice compromises the very food security of the Philippines. Natural catastrophes and other worldwide disruptions are factors that could make imported rice supplies scarce or expensive during times of crisis.

There is more than one way to achieve full rice sufficiency. However, everything hinges on the government prioritizing the welfare of Filipino farmers.

While offering competitive palay purchase prices is a significant step, extra measures, such as subsidies for agricultural inputs like insecticides and fertilizers, are absolutely necessary to reduce production costs.

If farmers have easier access to loans, they can certainly invest in equipment and technology essential to their operations. Likewise, infrastructure investment is crucial.

Improving irrigation systems guarantees year-round production without having to rely on the seasons. Also, reducing post-harvest losses and improving farmers’ access to markets are primary objectives that are served by the construction of more farm-to-market roads.

Innovation is also crucial — an understatement — as money invested in research and development can result in rice varieties that are resistant to diseases or cultivars with higher yields.

Achieving rice self-sufficiency, however, appears to be a mission impossible for the Philippines despite its long history of rice production, fertile soil, and an agricultural workforce that is both talented and dedicated.

Somehow, many Filipinos have learned to cultivate the idea that rice self-sufficiency is far from the minds of those engaged in the grain trade, as imported rice serves as their way of controlling rice prices, including for locally produced grain.

So there we have it: A nation once known as the “Land of the Golden Grain” may find itself begging for scraps from the global rice table. The answer, as always, lies not in handouts and imports but in empowering our own farmers.

What we need is a rice renaissance that throws open the government checkbook for fair pricing, research, and infrastructure. Is it ambitious? You bet. But is it more ludicrous than relying on the whims of foreign rice czars? No.