An appraisal of the rice industry in the context of agricultural development in the Philippines

Abstract

Rico, the principal staple crop of the Philippines (dating as far back as pre-historic times, thrives on a favourably endowed geographic base in the largest rice-producing and consuming region of the world. The industry has increased its output by about 3.5 times from 1910 to 1960, but this period has been characterised by low national average yields and a slowly evolving technology. Imports of rice to fill shortages in the country have been recorded as early as 19O3. The national efforts to attain self-sufficiency in the cereal seemed to be rewarded in 1968 when the country did not have to import rice, but was able to produce enough for local requirements with a surplus for export. In recent years, however, the industry encountered problems of inclement weather, disease infestation, and civil disturbances. Central Luzon rice lands were adversely affected by the first two problems, while production activities in Southern Mindanao were curtailed to a certain extent by the third. The Philippines belongs to a group of countries in Southeast Asia where progress in attaining high yields had been slow. An agrarian structure, which had evolved over many decades, and is characterised by a significant proportion of farms under the share-tenancy system, is identified as a factor hampering the industry's advancement Inclement weather and deficiencies in the marketing system, particularly in the storage and processing facilities of the industry, are other problems where the country may continue to encounter difficulties, if the appropriate measures are not taken to protect both producers and consumers.Certain forces promoting the growth of the industry have fortunately been generated. The adoption and spread of the new high-yielding varieties developed by the International Rice Research Institute, together with the full support of the government in its self-sufficiency program, have significantly contributed to the increased output of rice since the late 1960s. The country's efforts to implement a land reform program, although beset with inherent difficulties, have achieved some encouraging advances in recent years. The development plans of the country continue to give high priority to promoting further progress in the industry. The need exists to attain further production increases to match a rapidly growing demand for the cereal, caused particularly by a high population growth rate. The industry's future hinges on its capacity to sustain increases in output through the promotion of conditions similar to those which produced a rice surplus in 1968. The achievement of higher yields appears to be the remaining alternative to expansion of more land for rice production, since the so-called 'land frontier' has apparently closed, even in Mindanao. While the prospects for maintaining self-sufficiency in the country are favourable, it is unlikely that a steady flow of export surpluses could be generated within the next decade. A crucial task lies ahead in rectifying the existing deficiencies, inducing a faster pace of progress, and providing greater economic and social well-being for a substantial sector of its population.