An appraisal of the rice industry in the context of agricultural development in the Philippines
Date
1973
Authors
Canlas, Pacifico M
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Publisher
Canberra, ACT : The Australian National University
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.
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Thesis (Masters sub-thesis)
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