This is a continuing story, from 07 March 2020, “The
(Hidden) Lesson Of The 40 Kilos[1]” (Ammom, Philippines). The comments given
on that essay showed that the lesson to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among
PH rice farmers is still invisible!
What is visible is that 40 kilos of inbred rice seeds sown
to grow seedlings for transplanting is too many. At best, 20 kilos is enough;
at worse, 20 kilos is 100% too many – you need only to plant 1 seedling/hill.
Former PhilRice Executive Director Santiago R Obien, SRO,
says:
The truth is, 15-20 kg
of seeds is enough per ha. For 15 kg = 600,000 seeds, at 20x20 cm planting
distance and 1 seedling per hill, you need only 250,000 seedlings, and at 2
seedlings per hill, that’s 500,000 seedlings!
SRO also says PhilRice has been demonstrating that 20 kg of
inbred seeds is enough either for direct seeding or transplanting:
Unfortunately, farmers
insist on using 40 kg (even higher – 60 to 80 kg) – and then complain that
seeds are expensive.
The Price is Right, the Mouth is Wrong. That is because the Mind
thinks Small – the Farmer is not thinking like an entrepreneur: total returns minus total costs:
Nobody
has taught the Filipino farmer how to mind his own business!
Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie says we
must teach the farmer, old or young, especially the young, to cultivate entrepreneurial minds, so they
earn what they deserve out of the sweat of their brows.
Meanwhile, the farmer borrows from a usurer, disguised as a
friend. Or he borrows from the merchant, another usurer in disguise!
SRO concludes: “High variability in the ability and attitude
of our farmers is a big hindrance to modernization of the rice industry and of
agriculture…”
Now, knowing that my alma mater UP Los Baños was born 111
years ago, founded by the Americans, I therefore conclude that the proper Pro Rice-Rich attitude of farmers has
not been cultivated this past century! That is a failure in instruction, or
research, or extension – or all of the above. UP Los Baños, the National
University when it comes to Agriculture, has so far failed the Filipino rice farmers!
That’s for farmers planting inbred rice. Now, SRO says,
“However, farmers adopting hybrid seeds are following recommendations - 15 to
20 kg/ha.” Then I ask: "Should we require farmers to all plant hybrid rice
seeds?"
My explanation of the difference in attitude is that those who
plant the more expensive hybrid rice varieties are the relatively richer
farmers, or more educated, or have bigger dreams than the relatively poorer
farmers – your own dreams lead you.
My solution to the dilemma of the poorer farmers not
listening and the richer farmers listening to recommendations? Ask Manong
Willie to order the Department of Agriculture, DA, to train as partners multipurpose
cooperatives and grant all their wishes – loans – and make coops ultimately
responsible for their member farmers.
With
the DA behaving that way, the ends justify the means!@517
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