DAPITAN CITY, Zamboanga del Norte--Senator Cynthia Villar on Saturday said that the Philippines could be rice sufficient by 2020, but added that "it all depends on us if we will solve our problems” within that timetable.
“If we help our farmers in mechanization of farming; if we have them use high yielding rice variety; if we teach them how to manage their farms; yes, I believe we can be rice sufficient in three years,” Villar said at a press conference here.
Villar, chairperson of the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture, was guest of honor on Saturday in the opening of Dapitan's second “Balanghoy (Cassava) Festival” that will culminate with this city's 55th Charter Day celebration on June 22.
Villar explained that the country remains short of rice supply, but only by about seven percent.
"If we use that variety of rice that can produce six metric tons per hectare, then we can increase rice production by 50 percent. Or even with only 20 percent increase, we can be rice sufficient,” she said.
The senator said that the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PRRI) has developed the high producing rice variety and is now being introduced to farmers.
“We have traditionally been using the variety of rice that produces only four metric tons per hectare,” Villar said.
She also lamented that agriculture contributes only about 10 percent of our gross domestic product as of now.
“And there's a prediction by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization that there will be food shortage in the world by 2050, or 32 years from now. That is because the world population will be nine billion by that time from the present seven billion,” Villar said.
She added that the world has to increase food production by 70 percent, “that is why we have to take care of our agriculture. You Dapitanons and the rest of the people in the province should not forget it.”
As the average age of farmers has gone down to 57, Villar asked the academe to attract the young back to agriculture.
Praising Dapitanons for giving emphasis to cassava, this city's most popular produce, Villar asked the farmer and Zamboanga del Norte residents to give importance to agriculture because two thirds of Filipinos depend on it.
She said a third of our population are farmers while the other third are in agriculture-related businesses.
“You know, agriculture is also business. We should not think of agriculture as planting alone, our schools should also teach farm management. Our farmers should learn to borrow from banks, not from 5-6 (or loan sharks),” she said. (PNA)
