The implementation of the mechanization component of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Program (RCEP) would also benefit other cropping systems even if the main intention of the program is to make the country’s rice industry more competitive vis-à-vis its Southeast Asian neighbors.
A document from the Philippine Center for Postharvest and Mechanization (PHilMech) showed that a number of the farm equipment to be distributed under RCEP are “crop neutral” or could be used in cultivating other crops, like corn, cassava, and even vegetables.
“Other impacts of the program may include cost reduction in using several mechanization technologies for other crops such as corn, cassava, and others. It should be noted that some facilities included in the program are crop neutral,” a paper from the PHilMech said on the impact of RCEP.
Among the farm equipment that PHilMech will distribute to rice farmers under RCEP’s mechanization component are four-wheel farm tractors, hand tractors, tillers, rice seeders, transplanters, irrigation pumps, small solar irrigation systems, threshers, combine harvesters, mechanical dryers, rice mills, among others.
The four-wheel farm tractor could be attached with implements specifically designed for crops like corn and cassava, and PHilMech has already designed a Cassava Digger that can be towed by a farm tractor to facilitate the harvesting of cassava roots.
PHilMech has also developed the Corn Picker that is attached to a four-wheel farm tractor and mechanically harvests matured corn cobs. The Corn Picker can harvest corn cobs at a rate of 1 hectare per day. Using manual labor, it would take more than one day to harvest corn from 1 hectare of land.
Meanwhile, PhilMech’s Corn Planter is attached to a farm tractor and could sow seeds and apply fertilizer simultaneously at a rate of 2.5 hectares in 8 hours. Using manual labor, it would take one whole day to the same task in just one hectare of land.
Also, the irrigation pumps, especially those that are portable and powered by small one-cylinder engines, could be used in cultivating almost all other crops besides rice. And hand tractors could also be used to till the soil for planting other crops like vegetables and even corn.
Besides increasing the efficiency of rice farming, PHilMech sees the mechanization component of RCEP helping farmers deal with the effects of climate change.
“Other potential quantifiable benefits are the prevented rice crop damages/losses due to weather risks such as tropical cyclones and prolonged rainy days. Machines such as combine harvester and mechanical dryer are found to be effective instruments in reducing the exposure of rice farmers to adverse weather,” the PHilMech paper stated.
PHilMech has observed that most rice farmers still dry their newly-harvested palay (unmilled rice) along the roads, highways, basketball courts or pavements. RCEP would be funded from the collection of tariffs slapped on imported rice, as stipulated by the Rice Tariffication Law or Republic Act No. 11203.
RCEP would be getting P10 billion annually from this year to 2024. Of the P10 billion, P5 billion will be allocated for mechanization of rice farms, P3 billion for provision of high-yielding inbred rice seeds, P1 billion for credit support, and P1 billion for extension support and education of rice farmers.
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) will take the lead in providing high-yielding inbred rice seeds to farmers while the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will undertake the training of farmers and extension workers. PHilMech will also develop and provide the modules for the training of rice farmers.
Meanwhile, Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines will support the credit component of RCEP.
Based on studies by the Department of Agriculture, the cost of producing one kilo of palay (unmilled rice) in the Philippines is P12.72 per kilo while it is P6.22 in Vietnam and P8.86 in Thailand. The components under RCEP can reduce the cost of producing palay in the Philippine by P1 to P3 per kilo. ### (PCC)
