Farmers up riceproduce through proper technology

By Matet Basia

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- In remote areas of the Cordillera, farmers regularly experience rice shortage. There are many factors to consider. One major factor is that most rice fields are rain-fed and geographically, there is a little space to expand. In response, the Montanosa Research and Development Center (MRDC) along with the farmers in the region developed the Sustainable Palay Production Technology (SPPT) primarily to increase rice production especially among the poor farmers. And the farmers are responding to more sustainable, appropriate and friendly technology.

This year, at least two Sagada farmers surpassed the Cordillera average rice yield per hectare by more than 50 percent.

Martes Dapios and Esteban Solang are both organic farmers and SPPT practitioners. The results were astonishing. Dapios average rice yield per square meter is 1.4 kilograms or 14 tons per hectare. On the other hand, Solang was able to produce an average of one kilo of palay per square meter or 10 tons per hectare of paddy rice terrace.

This increase of rice production was way higher than the Cordillera average yield per hectare which is 3.5 tons per hectare or .35 kilograms per square meter.

According to Dapios, he used two seeds per hill at a distance of 10 inches between rows which resulted at 20 tillers per seed.  The C1 variety that he planted is usually harvested after five (5) months but using the SPPT, the maturity period shortened for about two (2) weeks. In Solang’s farm, he used the “Taiwan” rice variety.

He explained that early transplanting of seedlings will result to a high tillering rate compared to the conventional rice production. He stressed that water management is crucial during the early stages after transplanting so that oxygen and nutrients will be easier for the roots to be absorbed.

The SPPT is a big improvement from the age-old traditional farming practices by indigenous people in the Cordillera. SPPT promotes and preserves traditional seed varieties; improves soil fertility, traditional rice varietal trial and promotes botanical pesticides. SPPT also strengthens water management, direct seeding or early transplanting of seedlings and weed management as incorporated with traditional farming knowledge practices such as green manuring, fallowing, synchronization and crop rotation.

The SPPT is in contrast with the government’s conventional rice farming using high yielding variety (HYV) which is dependent on chemical inputs. For decades, the International Rice Research Institute and the government continue to promote HYV that are dependent on intensive and expensive chemical inputs. Despite this the Philippines is still a net importer of rice. In October 2012, President Aquino issued the Presidential Proclamation No. 494 which directed the Department of Agriculture to lead the celebration of the National Year of Rice to raise public awareness for responsible rice consumption. This is a strategy of the government to meet rice sufficiency by 2013 but it failed due to the lack of support in implementing the plan.