Rice, please!

It could not have happened at a worse time.

The reported withdrawal of funding support by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) from the proposed P2.5 billion irrigation component of the San Roque Multi-Purpose Dam project comes as a major blow in light of the pressing and thorny rice crisis.

The irrigation component, which involves a re-regulating pond that will divert used water from the dam into the fields, can serve at least 70,000 hectares of land not just in eastern and central Pangasinan, but also in the neighboring provinces of Nueva Ecija and Tarlac. That would translate to tons of additional rice supply, perhaps more than enough for local demand.

The national government, represented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in this case, are pointing to the “black propaganda” waged by supposedly militant farmers. These groups have been opposing the project due to the unsolved slaying of farmer-leader Jose Doton, president of the Tignay Dagiti Mannalon a Mangwayawaya ti Agno (TIMMAWA) about two years ago.

That sounds pretty much like too simplistic an explanation, a lame escape even.

Even Governor Amado Espino Jr., a loyal administration supporter, does not quite buy it even as opposition Senator Rodolfo Biazon has vowed to initiate an inquiry into JBIC’s withdrawal.

We can only cross our fingers and hope that the administration, once again, does not resort to legal tactics to hide the truth.

The administration, by the way, is apparently in no big panic about JBIC’s change of heart as talks have been initiated for an alternative funding source, “possibly from China”, according to NIA Regional Director John Celeste.

But while the potential new China deal is being cooked up, NIA has to settle for the dismal alternative of rehabilitating its old and silted irrigation canals, built in Pangasinan more than half a century ago. 

At best, that would mean an additional 15,000 hectares of irrigated land.

And so farmers, burdened by a long history of misguided agricultural policies and dirty politics, will have to keep coping with high costs and pray to the heavens for just enough rain.

And consumers, who are at the end of the supply chain, will continue to be at the mercy of high commercial prices and perhaps long NFA queues.

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