Public investments needed in improving rice productivity: I

By Sosimo Ma. Pablico

The message of all this arithmetic is clear.  Without investments in improving rice productivity and efforts to manage the denominator of the rice-population equation, along with a focus on local-level potentials for growth, we will have to “run even faster just to stay in place’.”

This is how Dr. Gelia T. Castillo, world renown Filipino sociologist and a member of the board of trustees of PhilRice [Philippine Rice Research Institute], wrapped up her comments on the findings of the economist Dr. Mercedes Sombilla, a member of the team of experts that did an external review of PhilRice.

In her paper “The Arithmetic of Rice Production, Population, and Natural Resource Endowments”, Dr. Castillo said public investments on the development of new rice varieties, irrigation, and the accompanying improved rice crop management practices have led to increased yields.

Dr. Sombilla earlier reported that rice production has increased from about 5.3 million tons in 1970 to about 15.3 million tons in 2006.  This production increase is “an almost three-fold increase (2.88 times) over a 36-year period,” according to Dr. Castillo.

From 1991 to 2007, exactly 97 new varieties were approved by the Philippine Seed Board (PSB), which later became the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC), according to Dr. Castillo.  These varieties were bred by IRRI (International Rice Research Institute), PhilRice, UPLB (UP Los Banos), BPI (Bureau of Plant Industry), and the private sector (Monsanto, Bayer Crop Science, SL Agritech, Bioseed and Hyrice).

Of the 97 new varieties that were released for commercial planting, she said, 45 were bred by IRRI , 28 by PhilRice, 11 by UPLB, six by the private sector, one by BPI, and six were improved traditional varieties. 

She added that 60 per cent (27 of 45) of the IRRI varieties and 68 percent (19 of 28) of PhilRice varieties were for irrigated lowland. Forty percent of the IRRI and 32 percent of the PhilRice varieties were developed for rainfed areas, indicating that this ecosystem was not neglected.  The six private sector varieties, all hybrids, were targeted for irrigated lowland.

From 1992 to 2001, 35 varieties were released for rainfed lowland transplanting, rainfed dry seeding, as well as for cool elevated, saline prone irrigated lowland, and uplands, which are all less favorable growing areas for rice.  Of the 35 varieties, 18 came from IRRI, nine from PhilRice, three from UPLB, and five were traditional varieties.

“These data suggest that research attention, particularly breeding, was being paid attention to the less than ideal rice areas on which many poor people depend for their food and livelihood,” the noted sociologist said.                                 (To be continued)

(Readers may reach columnist at spablico@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/harvest-time/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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