SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ – If the rice farmers will optimize the use of their 145 days of free time and their farm space for other income- generating enterprises, they can have a gross income of P1 million a hectare.
This was asserted by Dr. Eufemio Rasco Jr., executive director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (Phil-Rice) here, as he drums up support for the agency’s “Gusto namin milyonaryo kayo!” (We want you to be millionaires) movement.
“If the farmers will engage in producing many other produce and use the by-products of rice production such as rice hull and rice straw for producing mushrooms, fertilizer, feeds, and energy, among others, then a million-peso income is attainable,” Rasco said in a statement here.
A PhilRice study here said that the Filipino farmers work for about 110-220 days in growing rice, leaving a “free time” of 145 days in a year. The PhilRice movement is embodied in its nucleus estate strategy (Nuestra) which the agency developed using the principles and theories of the nucleus estate model adopted by many plantations world-wide.
Nuestra, which integrates certain agribusiness components, aims to provide production, post-production, and marketing support services to the farmers or communities adopting the essence of the movement.
“Under Nuestra, our (PhilRice) stations will be performing the dual functions of research and development (in rice) and service provider as the initial nucleus in the areas where they are located,” said Ronan Zagado, the movement’s lead person for mobilization and briefing.
Four key messages are embodied in the campaign: 1) adding sources of income from the farm; 2) knowing the products which are sale- able in the market; 3) using modern and appropriate technologies; and 4) processing of products in different ways.
“Our stations, as nuclei estates, will offer training, input, custom, services, modern support technologies, product development and packaging, and marketing,” Zagado said. PhilRice cited examples of farmers making millions of pesos by maximizing the use of time and space and their entrepreneurial spirits.
One is Ernesto Romero, 76, of Talavera, Nueva Ecija who raises rice, different kinds of vegetables, papaya, bananas and others. For his green pepper produce alone, he earns in peak months at least P200,000 a week.
Another is Ricarte Corpuz, 64, of Laoag City in Ilocos Norte who earns P719,700 a year for three croppings of hybrid rice in a one-hectare land. He earns some more from his land as he planted corn, mungbean, raised pigs, chickens, ducks and tilapia.
Corpuz now owns a ricemill which mills his produce and those in the neighborhood and the by-products and droppings of which he feeds to his chickens, pigs, ducks and tilapia. His farm and household wastes, including the manure of his animals, are turned to organic fertilizer which he uses in his farm.
But in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, Crisanto Lleva, 50, produces palay alone which is barely enough to pay for his production loan. His is in a cycle of a hand-tomouth existence ever since.
It is Lleva, and the likes of him, who are the targets of the “Gusto namin milyonaryo kayo” campaign. They are being inspired and goaded to be like Romero, Corpuz, and a number of others who have been documented as making millions of pesos in farming.
“Thousands of nuclei, which can be established through partnerships with state universities, technical vocational schools, and more significantly, the private sector, can be formed to create greater impact,” Zagado said.
In reaction to this PhilRice campaign, Dr. Ernesto Ordoñez, former Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) undersecretary and currently chair of Agriwatch said: “When I first heard about it (campaign), I immediately said this is it.
And yes, I believe that it is possible through strong partnerships and collaboration with the private sector. Also, I encourage the idea of collectivisim.”
Dante Delima, agriculture undersecretary and national rice program coordinator also said: “I think this campaign is good as it will spur awareness and discussion of the issue or debate on how to optimize farm use.”
