Without the farmer, we have nothing

 

By Al S. Mendoza

THE last time out here, I said every farmer ought to be rich.

I am not changing my stand.

We owe it to the farmer that we think of him as rich.

One, the farmer feeds us.

Two, without the farmer, we have nothing.

Doesn’t the farmer supply food on the table—eternally?

Empty table equals empty tummy.

Empty tummy equals hunger.

Hunger triggers brain drain.

Brain drain results in economic slide, if not social crisis.

What if the farmer quits his job?

We end up but a fish in a waterless aquarium.

For the longest time, we keep saying rice production will improve the farmer’s lot.

That has not happened, also for the longest time.

Maybe, production increased.

But does increased production ensure a life of ease for the farmer?

No, not at all.

Maybe, temporarily, yes.

But like smoking, or drinking, or even sex, the farmer’s satisfaction is but fleeting.

For our farmers, their happiness isn’t for life.

It happens not all of the time.

After a farmer’s money splash arising from one bumper harvest, which is as rare as rain in summer, it’s back to square one.

But let’s be honest.

Our farmers are basically poor because the majority of them are at the mercy of their landlords.

Meaning, as discussed already here, almost 70 percent of our farmers do not own the lands they till.

The harvest might be huge, but only a virtual fraction of it goes to the farmer.

Always, the lion’s share goes to the landlord.

That has been the standard reality for ages, dating back to the Spanish times.

Trouble is, it could not be changed because, sadly, there is nothing illegal about it.

You can’t fight tradition.

But isn’t it the job of government to improve the lot of the people, the farmers primarily?

Mustn’t the government take the lead in enforcing changes, drastic they may seem, to make the farmer’s life better than usual?

Not just better in fact, but to see to it that every farmer becomes really rich.

Whether the farmer is a “mere” shareholder or a real landowner, there ought to be a national policy empowering farmers to become rich.

As the philanthropist Ramon Uy correctly says it, “Every person, who wakes up at 4 in the morning to work in the fields till sundown, ought to be rich.”

The supreme irony is, the farmer does that routine almost daily if only to make sure there is food on our table every meal.

Isn’t it, therefore, our obligation to return the complement by making the farmer rich?

The government should take the lead towards this end while we, the people, can each do our share in our own little way.

Let us ask ourselves:  How can we help?

My advice?

Start by treating the farmer in your community with respect, dignity and affection.

In short, love him till it hurts.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments