But the Levees are Dry!
I don’t want to appear a Kontrabida but “Rice self suffeciency by 2010”, appears to be grandiose projection if not wishful thinking. State can only try. I think the projection is divorced of realism. Even if State pours all available resources towards that goal, the earliest that rice self sufficiency can be attained in this country is probably decades away.
Miracle rice was developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Laguna in the time of President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It’s been all IR-Series Miracles since then. The Thais learned about rice in Laguna, Philippines. I agree, maybe we have not seen the mother of all Miracles by IRRI yet.
Meanwhile, with our rain forests gone we are experiencing water shortages. What good are levees that are dry? In most part of the country, mechanized irrigation has to be employed by the time of the second cropping. We have that situation in most part of Negros Island. And I saw the same situation in Palawan as early as the mid 1990s. With rain forests gone and many rivers and or tributaries dry in summer, third cropping has become impossible in those places. In places where there is no assurance of a successful second cropping, farmers are prompted to plant corn or others, after the first crop. The situations could be nationwide.
[Well, if you have read the report on the Billion-peso dam and irrigation system built in Bohol where there is no adequate river system. This reminds me of the old joke about a politician who swore that he will have a bridge built in place if elected. His aide whispered to him "Boss, there is no river in this Barangay." "In that case let's promise to build them a river first later", said the politician. This billion peso dam that started as a P300 Mn public work contract, which cannot be filled with water, is not really funny!]
The press release by DENR Secretary Lito Atienza that central Luzon’s Rice lands won’t have water problem this year sounds very warm optimistic. But as we all know, Angat dam has got its perennial problem of critical low water level so that rationing between agricultural and other uses has been usual, and so that farmers have ceased to air their dissatisfactions.
The State has been a dismay in protecting our rain forests. Rain forest takes time to re-develop even if something is done to regenerate them. With big corporations backed by Malacañang eying our denuded forestlands for Cassava and Jatropha Curcas, re-forestation now appears to be remote if not a forgotten objective. These programs could be indirectly poised against sustainable agriculture and rice production program.
Now it appears Mr Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., formerly with the DENR, has something to be thankful he is now nowhere driving away squatters in public lands just to push this Jatropha program.
Biofuels, sustainable agriculture, natural environment, economic exploitation of forestlands, not to mind graft and corruption and social conflicts that may ensue from all them; I think we have a very complex and conflicting situations there.
Jatropha curcas as “Reforestation”? They are no more forest than Hagonoy shrubs that took over when rain forests were gone. Let alone by themselves, Hagonoy will naturally kill those Jatrophas! IF the issue is environmental protection, Hagonoy chosen by Mother Nature herself, is no doubt better than Cassava or Jatrophas that cannot defend themselves.
The oppositions to biofuels program citing it as counter productive might be hyped or bloated but I think the fears are not without basis. By some twists, I think, biofuels program could be indeed counter progressive. And we, Filipinos, are staring with that eyeball to eyeball right now! We have a situation in this part of the world.
Meanwhile, on with rice self sufficiency at all cost. Are we really serious about it? Let’s do it, just do it!
Filed under: Agriculture and Biofuels, Environment, Politics | Tagged: agriculture, Politics | 2 Comments »


