According to the data gathered by the Cooperative Enterprise of True Economic Reform (Center), the biggest cooperative in the Municipality of Guimba has 15,000 hectares of farmland dedicated to rice production. Ninety-nine percent of these lands are irrigated and can produce seven tons of rice per hectare during the dry season. This is higher than the national average of 4.5 tons per hectare.
Despite high production, persistent challenges plagued the rice farmers of Guimba, such as declining palay prices, increasing cost of fuel and fertilizers, and rising production costs. Added to these are problems of drought and strong typhoons, which are brought about by climate change.
To address these challenges and foster collaboration among the local stakeholders in the area, the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) and Center met with representatives of the provincial Department of Agriculture, the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), the hybrid seeding company Corteva and the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) on March 21 at the Myriad Farm School.
PEF, CENTER, Corteva, and PhilRice are currently involved in a field trial project to test rice varieties that can produce higher yields.
Meanwhile, the regional, provincial and municipal agricultural offices assist people’s organizations and cooperatives enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture through programs that provide access to loan facilities, subsidies for fertilizer and seeds, and outlets for farm produce that are bought at a higher price.
PhilRice Business Development representative Hazel Afon presented the concept of industrial symbiosis wherein land and labor productivity can be optimized to increase the income of rice farming households.
“The idea is that we could have successful development models, documented and replicated to other parts of the country,” PEF Chair Senen Bacani said.
