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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
NATION
In Pursuit of Rice
SeIf-Sufciency
by 2013
Promised, pursued, and probably
attainable, but at what cost?
By Joanne Angela B. Marzan
e`II ucIIeve rIce seII-suIhcIency
uILer zo1, so begInnIng zo1q.
NexL yeur, we unLIcIpuLe nakulangin tayo
konti na lang |NexL yeur, we unLIcIpuLe
LIe sIorLIuII Lo be mInImuI|. We'II sLurL Lo
exporL nexL yeur, AgrIcuILure SecreLury
Proceso AIcuIu LoId LIe ABS-CBN news
cIunneI In u Muy q reporL posLed on LIe
ubs-cbn news websILe.
n IucL, SecreLury AIcuIu menLIoned In u
Muy q press conIerence oI LIe DepurLmenL
oI AgrIcuILure (DA) LIuL LIe counLry`s
producLIon LurgeL oI puIuy (puddy rIce)
Is on Lruck, uL .qq mIIIIon meLrIc Lons
(MMT) Ior LIe 1sL quurLer und .8 MMT
Ior LIe znd quurLer, Ior u combIned ;.8q
MMT Ior LIe hrsL semesLer oI LIe yeur.
TIIs meuns LIuL LIe counLry Ius reucIed
qz% oI ILs 18.q6 MMT puIuy producLIon
LurgeL Ior LIe yeur.
MeunwIIIe, PresIdenL BenIgno SImeon C.
AquIno ecIoed LIIs promIsed mIIesLone
Lo LIe Bourd oI Governors oI LIe AsIun
DeveIopmenL Bunk (ADB) uLLendIng LIe
qLIAnnuuI MeeLIng In MunIIu Irom Muy
z-, zo1z. BuL noL beIore LukIng u swIpe uL
LIe prevIous udmInIsLruLIon.
DurIng IIs ADB speecI, PresIdenL AquIno
suId, RIce, ImporLed uL InuLed cosL by
LIe governmenL, wus roLLIng uwuy In
renLed wureIouses, und LIen proudIy
unnounced LIuL LIrougI LIe reIorms
ImpIemenLed by IIs udmInIsLruLIon, LIe
PIIIIppInes Is Iess LIun u yeur uwuy Irom
beIng u neL exporLer oI rIce, sIouId LIe
weuLIer cooperuLe.
STRATEGY POINTS
The Department of Agriculture is optimistic that
by 2014, one of President Aquino's agricultural
miIestones of rice seIf-sufciency wouId naIIy be
attained, even as some wonder whether this target
can be achieved with middling economic growth
and a rapidly growing population
A couple of papers from Philippine Institute for
Development Studies have examined the country's
historic rice seIf-sufciency poIicies, and bIame
them for causing soaring rice prices that threaten
the food security of the poorest sectors of society
Rice seIf-sufciency is a most worthy goaI, but not
at the expense of food security
W

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15
:NKcenSEI8KVUXZ - May 21-27, 2012
WIeLIer IL's
Agriculture
Secretary
Alcala you
wunL Lo IoId
Lo IIs promIse
of rice self-
suIhcIency
by zo1q, or
President
Aquino to
IIs promIse
of rice self-
suIhcIency
wILIIn u yeur
oI IIs speecI
Lo LIe ADB
Bourd oI Governors In Muy, IL wouId Iook
us II LIe gouI Is seen us emInenLIy doubIe, II
noL prucLIcuIIy u fait accompli.
And wILI uII LIuL, we wouId now IIke
Lo usk wIeLIer rIce seII-suIhcIency Is,
In IucL, worLI uII
LIe Iuss.
To puL LIIngs
In some
perspecLIve,
LIe PIIIIppInes
mIgIL be LIe
worId's IurgesL
ImporLer oI rIce,
buL IL's noL us II
LIe PIIIIppInes
doesn'L produce
u IoL oI rIce. n
IucL, uccordIng
to the table
beIow Irom
RIce SeII-SuIhcIency or RIce SecurILy?
Some SLuLIsLIcs on RIce und ExporLs, by
Dr. RomuIo A. VIroIu und Murk C. PuscusIo
of the National Statistics Coordination
Bourd, In zoo8, LIe PIIIIppInes produced
LIe eIgILI-mosL rIce In LIe worId.

In this video clip President Aquino expounds on the

accomplishments of his administration during the 45th
Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors
ABS-CBN
Country 2008 (in tonnes) Rank
China 193,354,180 1
India 148,770,000 2
Indonesia 60,251,000 3
Bangladesh 46,742,000 4
Viet Nam 38,725,100 5
Myanmar 32,573,000 6
Thailand 31,650,600 7
Philippines 16,815,500 8
Brazil 12,061,500 9
Japan 11,028,800 10
2008 TOP 10 PRODUCERS OF RICE, PADDY
Source: "Rice Self-Suffciency or Rice Security? Some Statistics on Rice and
Exports," Aug. 8, 2011, posted in "Statistically Speaking," Dr. Romulo A. Virola and
Mark C. Pascasio, National Statistics Coordination Board
In pursuit of rice self-suffciency by 2013
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
AccordIng Lo sLuLIsLIcs Irom LIe uIore-
menLIoned urLIcIe, provIded In LIe LubIe
ubove, In 1q8o, LIe PIIIIppInes exporLed
the third-largest quantity of rice in
SouLIeusL AsIu, uILer TIuIIund und
Myunmur. n IucL, up unLII 1qqz, LIe
PIIIIppInes wus sLIII rIce seII-suIhcIenL
enougI Lo be u neL exporLer oI rIce.
TIe probIem Is LIuL In 1qq, LIe
PIIIIppInes` rIce consumpLIon, IueIed
by un ever-growIng popuIuLIon, sLurLed
Lo overLuke ILs producLIon. n zoo8, LIe
PIIIIppInes ImporLed z. mIIIIon meLrIc
Lons oI rIce, IIgIesL In LIe worId, IueIed
by boLI ILs IusL-growIng popuIuLIon und u
gIobuI Iood crIsIs.
or uII LIe progress LIe counLry Ius mude
und Is mukIng In rIce producLIon, one
noted agriculturist believes that President
AquIno`s reILeruLIon oI LIe poIIcy oI seII-
suIhcIency In rIce Is u poIILIcuI sLruLegy und
noL u poverLy sLruLegy.
AccordIng Lo Dr. EmII Q. JuvIer, presIdenL
oI LIe NuLIonuI Acudemy oI ScIence und
TecInoIogy, rIce seII-suIhcIency wIII noL be
achieved because of our still unresolved
popuIuLIon munugemenL poIIcy us weII us
LIe reIuLIve sIow rIse In IumIIy Incomes.
AL u MurcI DepurLmenL oI AgrIcuILure
symposIum ubouL Broud-bused SLruLegIes
for Food Security and Changing World
ood MurkeLs, Dr. JuvIer posILed LIuL
... unLII sucI LIme LIuL our economy
consIsLenLIy uLLuIns IIgI growLI ruLes
IIke our neIgIbors, dIversIhcuLIon oI
Iood preIerence Irom rIce Lo oLIer Iood
commodILIes ussocIuLed wILI IncreusIng
Incomes wIII be reIuLIveIy sIow. TIus, LoLuI
eIIecLIve demund oI rIce wIII conLInue Lo
rIse In LIe InLermedIuLe IuLure.
3ROLWLFVDQGULFHKDYHDOZD\VJRQH
together. TIe IIsLorIcuI reIuLIonsIIp
beLween poIILIcs und rIce wus dIscussed
In LIe JuIy zoo PIIIIppIne nsLILuLe Ior
DeveIopmenL SLudIes (PDS) dIscussIon
puper, RIce und PIIIIppIne PoIILIcs, by
PoncIuno S. nLuI Jr. und MurIssu C. GurcIu.
The study said that rice has been a
pIvoLuI poIILIcuI commodILy sInce LIe
CommonweuILI, Ior rIce Ius become
ASEAN EXPORTER
ASEAN
Country
1970
(in tonnes)
Rank 1980
(in tonnes)
Rank 1990
(in tonnes)
Rank 2000
(in tonnes)
Thailand 1,047,460 1 2,762,920 1 3,557,820 1 5,282,160
Viet Nam 18,479 5 33,300 4 1,624,000 2 3,476,980
Myanmar 640,964 2 653,100 2 213,600 3 251,400
Singapore 33,859 4 13,342 5 1,964 4 4,105
Cambodia 177,688 3 - - - - 4,860
Philippines - - 256,390 3 2 6 224
Malaysia 70 6 - - 57 5 63
Indonesia - - 10,003 6 - - 196
Brunei
Darussalam
- - - - - - F
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17
:NKcenSEI8KVUXZ - May 21-27, 2012
S OF RICE MILLED
Rank 2005
(in tonnes)
Rank 2006
(in tonnes)
Rank 2007
(in tonnes)
Rank 2008
(in tonnes)
Rank
1 6,043,550 1 5,996,420 1 7,408,300 1 8,672,450 1
2 5,250,000 2 4,642,000 2 4,558,000 2 4,735,170 2
3 180,000 3 71,180 R 3 358,500 3 40,924 R 3
5 82,239 4 67,070 4 74,872 4 13,607 4
4 1,384 R 7 3,444 R 5 1,170 R 5 4,299 R 5
6 75 R 8 1,370 R 6 68 R 7 1,298 R 6
8 1,531 * 6 1,157 7 54 8 860 * 7
7 42,280 5 907 8 336 6 429 8
- - F - 369 R 9 - * - 14 R 9
Source: "Rice Self-Suffciency or Rice Security? Some Statistics on Rice and Exports," Aug. 8, 2011, posted in
"Statistically Speaking," Dr. Romulo A. Virola and Mark C. Pascasio, National Statistics Coordination Board
A matter of geography
How did the Philippines, which has long been in the forefront of rice research, with the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna, become the worlds top importer of rice? A 2006 study, "Why Does
the Philippines Import Rice? Meeting the challenge of trade liberalization," published by the IRRI and
the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), offered an interesting, if not very obvious answer to its
self-posed question. The main reason, it turns out, might not owe so much to bad politicians, corruption,
incompetence, or laziness, as it might to basic geography.
"Exporters occupy river deltas with lots of land in general, and lots of land suitable for rice in particular.
These countries are all located in mainland Southeast Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and
Myanmar," the study explained. The Philippines, for its part, is an island nation without any major river
deltas, one of a number of similarly confgured Asian nations who have been historical rice importers -
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka.
In addition, the IRRI and PhilRice study also defended the Filipino farmer.
"Some may think the Filipino farmer is simply backward and cannot produce rice effciently. But a
detailed survey of farmers in the various rice bowls of Asia found that Filipino farmers were among the
leaders in reducing insecticide use, and have progressed farther in mechanizing land preparation and
postharvest operations than their counterparts in any other developing Asian country except Thailand,"
the study claimed.
LIe sLupIe Iood und cuIorIe source Ior
mujorILy oI LIe popuIuLIon, especIuIIy In
LIe Iow-Income groups. As sucI, LIe sLudy
conLInued, u sLrong reIuLIonsIIp
beLween rIce und poIILIcs cun be seen
LIrougIouL LIe counLry`s IIsLory. TIe
reporL cIuImed LIuL LIe prIce oI rIce Ius
been u sIgnIhcunL deLermInunL In eIecLIon
resuILs sInce LIe 1qos.
However, LIe sLudy uIso crILIcIzed LIe
governmenL`s use oI prIce InLervenLIon
In pursuit of rice self-suffciency by 2013
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CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
InsLrumenLs wIIcI Ius Iuvored rIce Iurmers
over consumers. TIe sIIIL Lo IIgI
nomInuI proLecLIon ruLes resuILs In IIgIer
domesLIc prIces Ior rIce Lo benehL producers,
wIIIe Iower nomInuI proLecLIon ruLes
ImpIy Iow domesLIc prIces LIuL wouId
Iuvor consumers.
|R|eIIunce by LIe PIIIIppIne
governmenL prImurIIy on prIce
InsLrumenLs Lo ucIIeve ILs rIce
objecLIves und Lo proLecL Iurmer
und consumer InLeresLs Ius
not resulted in any substantial
ImprovemenLs In rIce producLIon.
n IucL, LIe sIIIL Lo rIce proLecLIon
sInce LIe 1q8os Ius IuIIed Lo sLubIIIze
domesLIc rIce prIces und Ius eIIecLIveIy
penuIIzed LIe poorer IouseIoIds.
2EVROHWHDQGLQFUHDVLQJO\
XQWHQDEOH A more recenL PDS
Policy Notes reiterated that the
counLry`s rIce seII-suIhcIency poIIcIes
are obsolete and increasingly
unLenubIe.
A Muy zo11 PDS PoIIcy NoLes brIeI,
PuLLIng RIce on LIe TubIe: rIce
poIIcy, LIe WTO, und Iood securILy,
by RoeIIuno BrIones und DunIIeen
KrIsLeI PureI, ussuIIed LIe counLry`s
specIuI LreuLmenL oI rIce sInce 1qqq,
us upproved by LIe WorId Trude
OrgunIzuLIon (WTO), LIrougI LIe
grunLIng oI u QuunLILuLIve ResLrIcLIon
(QR) on rIce ImporLs Lo proLecL rIce
Iurmers, Ius Ied Lo IIgIer prIces
oI rIce, wIIcI uIIecL LIe pooresL oI
LIe poor.
TIe WTO dehnes QR us specIhc IImILs
on the quantity or value of goods
LIuL cun be ImporLed (or exporLed)
durIng u specIhc LIme perIod. TIe PDS
sLudy expIuIned LIuL LIe NuLIonuI ood
AuLIorILy (NA) Is munduLed by Iuw Lo seL
The NFAs 100-billion problem
The National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated to
guarantee "the food security of the country and the
stability of supply and price of the staple grain-rice."
As such, NFA is the government agency tasked to
ensure that rice supply remains affordable for the
Filipino amidst soaring rice prices.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise then, that
according to a recently released 2009 report of the
Commission on Audit (COA), the NFA lost more
than P100 billion in 10 years trying to balance food
security with stable prices, as reported in a May 18
article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The Inquirer report said, "Huge rice imports and a
policy of buying high, selling low and storing long
have resulted in the National Food Authority losing
more than 100 billion in a span of 10 years."
In 2008 alone, COA said that the NFA suffered its
biggest net loss of 32.20 billion due to the global

GROSS REVENUES AND EXPENSES

90,000
80,000
70,000
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0
1
9
8
6
1
9
8
7
1
9
8
8
1
9
8
9
1
9
9
0
1
9
9
1
1
9
9
2
1
9
9
3
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
5
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
1
9
9
9
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
Gross Revenues
PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE
19
:NKcenSEI8KVUXZ - May 21-27, 2012
unnuuIIy LIe voIume oI rIce Lo be ImporLed by
LIe counLry, wIIIe LukIng InLo consIderuLIon u
recommenduLIon by un InLer-ugency commILLee.
TIe counLry`s QR on rIce wIII, Iowever, expIre
on June o, zo1z. TIe PDS sLudy beIIeves
LIuL IL wus ubouL LIme LIe counLry IIILed LIe
In pursuit of rice self-suffciency by 2013
Debt

food crisis. In 2009, the NFA lost 26.42 billion,
its second biggest loss ever. In 2006, the NFA
lost 10.97 billion, 6.66 billion in 2003, 6.47
billion in 2004, 5.12 in 2005, 4.28 billion in
2000, 4.12 in 2002, 2.89 in 2007 and fnally,
1.75 billion in 2001.
For its part, the Inquirer report said that the
NFA told the COA that "its policy of buying high,
selling low and storing long which is causing
the rice trading agency to operate at a loss
was part of its social mandate to help farmers
and ensure the countrys security and stability
in its staple food." The NFA also said that it
has continuously appealed to the government
to "increase the selling price of rice in order to
reduce its loss or at least allow it to break even"
but these requests have fallen on deaf ears.
Meanwhile, the May 2011 Philippine Institute
for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes,
Putting Rice on the Table: rice policy, the WTO,
and food security by Roehlano M. Briones and
Danileen Kristel C. Parel, also considered the
NFAs policy of buy high, sell low as the main
reason for the "fnancial hemorrhage" plaguing
the agency.
PIDS, however, also mentioned other
reasons for the NFAs big losses, some of
which include "operational ineffciencies,
such as low stock turnover, poor fnancial
management information system, overstaffng
and administrative costs, policy constraints
and bureaucratic processes, and weak
equity base."
The fgures below (left) illustrate the
NFAs gross revenues vis--vis expenses
from 1994-2009, and a comparison of the
NFAs net worth and debt over the same
period (right).
Source: Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) Policy Notes, Putting Rice on the
Table: rice policy, the WTO, and food security
OF THE NFA NET WORTH AND DEBT OF THE NFA (IN MILLIONS)
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
6
2
0
0
7
2
0
0
8
2
0
0
9
Expenses
N
e
t

W
o
r
t
h

a
n
d

D
e
b
t

o
f

t
h
e

N
F
A
(
m
i
l
l
i
o
n

p
e
s
o
s
)
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
-20,000
-40,000
-60,000
-80,000
-100,000
-120,000
000
00
,00 ,0000
,00 ,0000
,0000
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Net Worth
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rIce-ImporLuLIon IImIL In order Lo muke rIce
more uIIordubIe Lo consumers.
TIIs sLudy recommends uguInsL
negoLIuLIng u IurLIer exLensIon oI LIe
specIuI LreuLmenL Ior rIce under LIe WTO.
AILer zo1z, LIe rIce QR sIouId be LurIIhed;
LIuL Is, ImporLuLIon Is IIberuIIzed subjecL Lo
puymenL oI cusLom duLIes. TIIs eIImInuLes
LIe probIem oI seLLIng up u IuIr, eIhcIenL,
und credIbIe uIIocuLIon oI LIe ImporL quoLu,
LIe PDS brIeI proposed.
The authors attribute the high cost of
seII-suIhcIency Lo LIe counLry`s Iuck oI
compuruLIve udvunLuge In rIce
producLIon, und urgue LIuL under ImporL
IIberuIIzuLIon, Iurmers wouId sIIIL Lo
oLIer crops wIere LIe counLry does Iuve
compuruLIve udvunLuge.
TIe PDS proposuI mIgIL be IuIIIng on deuI
eurs, us NA udmInIsLruLor ILo Bunuyo
udmILLed In u Muy 1 Philippine Star article
LIuL negoLIuLIons Ior LIe exLensIon oI LIe
QR on rIce Iuve begun. We need Lo hnd
ouL II we cun geL LIe supporL oI counLrIes
we ure negoLIuLIng wILI Ior LIe exLensIon oI
LIe specIuI LreuLmenL on rIce, Bunuyo suId.
He udded LIuL ongoIng negoLIuLIons were In
prepuruLIon Ior LIe June zz meeLIng wILI
LIe WTO CouncII Ior Trude In Goods.
AddILIonuIIy, LIe reporL udded LIuL In
OcLober zo11, AgrIcuILure SecreLury Proceso
AIcuIu suId LIuL LIe counLry wouId oIIer
The Food Staples Self-Suffciency Roadmap 2011-
2016 aims to:
1. Produce at least 21.11 and 22.49 million tons of
palay by end of 2013 and 2016;
2. Maintain per capita rice consumption at 120 kg/
year; and
3. Increase production of non-rice staples by 3.5%
annually. Non-rice staples include white corn,
cassava, and sweet potato.
A three-pronged approach is designed by the
government in order to achieve self-suffciency in
food staples:
1. Increasing and sustaining the gains in production
2. Mechanizing and reducing post harvest losses
3. Managing consumption
More specifcally, the interventions identifed by the
government to increase production are:
1. Development and maintenance of irrigation
systems
2. Increase farmers access to quality seeds
3. Research & Development and promotion of
appropriate technologies
4. Extension and farmers education
5. Development of upland rice-based farming
systems
Meanwhile, enabling mechanisms are to be
implemented to help reach the self-suffciency target.
These are:
1. Reforming the National Food Authority
2. Accessibility of credit
3. Crop insurance
4. Safeguard irrigated rice from conversion
The budgetary requirement needed to
achieve 100% self-suffciency in food staples
by 2016 is set at 141.94 billion. Of this amount,
97.47 billion or 69% has been allocated
for irrigation, 18.54 billion or 13% for farm
mechanization and postharvest loss reduction,
17.69 billion or 12% for research, development
and education, 4 billion or 3% for regulatory,
policy formulation and seed buffer stocking and
The Aquino administrations road to seIf-sufciency in food stapIes
PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE
21
:NKcenSEI8KVUXZ - May 21-27, 2012
Iower LurIIIs Ior rIce ImporLs Lo convInce
oLIer counLrIes Lo ugree on u QR exLensIon.
rom LIe currenL qo% duLy Imposed on rIce
ImporLs wILIIn LIe mInImum uccess voIume
(MAV) oI o,ooo meLrIc Lons, SecreLury
AIcuIu suId LIuL LIe LurIII wouId be Iowered
Lo %. MeunwIIIe, rIce ImporLs beyond
LIe MAV ure Imposed u Iuge o% LurIII.
7KHSHULOVRIULFHLPSRUWUHVWULFWLRQV
A MurcI zo11 AusLruIIun NuLIonuI
UnIversILy WorkIng Puper In Trude und
DeveIopmenL, ood SecurILy vs. ood SeII-
SuIhcIency: TIe ndonesIun Cuse, by
PeLer Wurr, uIso dIscusses LIe perIIs oI
promoLIng rIce-ImporLuLIon resLrIcLIons us
u poIIcy Ior ucIIevIng seII-suIhcIency In un
ndonesIun seLLIng.
Up unLII LIe eurIy zooos, ndonesIu
wus LIe worId`s IurgesL ImporLer oI rIce.
n zooq, LIe ndonesIun governmenL
Imposed un ImporL-resLrIcLIon poIIcy
sImIIur Lo LIe PIIIIppInes, wIIcI Ied
Lo u z8% Increuse In domesLIc rIce
prIces In reIuLIon Lo worId murkeL prIces
In zoo6. AccordIng Lo LIe sLudy, LIe
IIgIer cosL oI rIce prIces resuILed
In u z.% Increuse In poverLy IncIdence
In ndonesIu.
TIe urgumenL beIng udvunced Iere
Is noL LIuL ndonesIu`s seII-suIhcIency
poIIcy Is u bud Ideu, buL LIuL proLecLIon
poIIcy (LIe ImporL bun) us un InsLrumenL
of achieving it results in unnecessary social
cosLs und pIuces Iood seII-suIhcIency InLo
4.25 billion or 3% for balance fertilization and
sustainable agriculture.
In President Benigno Aquino IIIs 2012 budget
message, he announced that the Department of
Agriculture (DA) got the biggest budget increase,
53.6%, from a budget of 35.2 billion in 2011 to 54.1
billion in 2012, making it the ffth-largest department
in government.
Meanwhile, the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI)
Agriculture Cluster, a program under the
civil-society initiative Social Watch Philippines, is
concerned that the government is placing too
much focus on irrigation, which has led to
infrastructure getting the biggest share in the DAs
2012 budget.
"While it supports the budget increase, the
ABI Agriculture Working Group raises caution
in the over-emphasis to irrigation projects -- NIA
[National Irrigation Authority] in particular--- without
frst the beneft of an inventory of its assets and
assessment of its accomplishments, particularly in
the last three years when its budget had risen to
signifcant levels in an effort to mitigate the rice crisis
in 2008," the press release prepared by the Rice
Watch and Action Network (R1) said.
The ABI Agriculture Working Group reiterated
that while they are one with the government in
believing that the "main driver in propelling rice
production is irrigation," fndings coming from
the Commission of Audit [COA] raises doubt
over NIAs capability to implement large scale
irrigation projects.
As an example, the ABI Agriculture Working
Group said that in a 2009 COA audit report,
COA failed to "validate" about 93% of "NIAs
Property, Plant and Equipment (including irrigation
canals and laterals) under its General Fund
amounting to 64.237 billion due to accounting
defciencies, inadequate subsidiary records and
non-reconciliation of inventory reports with
accounting records."
In pursuit of rice self-suffciency by 2013
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22 cenSEI
: . +
8KVUXZ
CONTENTS BUSINESS NATION WORLD TECHNOLOGY
conIcL wILI LIe gouIs oI Iood securILy und
poverLy reducLIon, LIe sLudy urgues.
or Wurr, u more susLuInubIe sLruLegy Ior
uLLuInIng seII-suIhcIency Is
LIe promoLIon oI Improved
ugrIcuILuruI producLIvILy,
wIIcI, Ie expIuIns, reduces
ImporLs by ruIsIng ugrIcuILuruI
ouLpuL buL does so wILIouL
ruIsIng LIe domesLIc prIce oI
Iood, und so, wILIouL creuLIng
u conIcL beLween LIe gouIs oI
IIgIer IeveIs oI seII-suIhcIency
on the one hand and food
securILy und poverLy reducLIon
on LIe oLIer.
Hence, II we exumIne cIoseIy
LIe governmenL`s Iood seII-
suIhcIency bunner progrum,
ood SLupIes SeII-SuIhcIency
Roudmup zo11-zo16, mucI
empIusIs Ius been gIven Lo
IncreusIng rIce producLIvILy.
AdmILLedIy, mucI uLLenLIon
has been given to rice and
rIgILIy so. or LIe uveruge
IIIpIno, rIce Is needed
Lo suLIsIy Iunger, und Ior
LIe governmenL, rIce seII-
suIhcIency wouId be u source
oI nuLIonuI prIde.
WIIIe we Iuud LIe governmenL Ior wunLIng
Lo ucIIeve rIce seII-suIhcIency, wIuL Is
ImporLunL Is LIuL Iood securILy sIouId noL
suIIer In pursuIL oI LIIs gouI. PuL
Waste not, want not
"Every Filipino wastes an average of 3 tablespoons
(9 grams) of rice daily, which is equivalent to 3.3
kilograms per year," according to an article, "That
Rice You Throw Away," published in the April - June
2012 edition of Rice Today magazine from the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) (p.27).
"With 94 million people and 9 grams of wasted rice
per day, the total wastage is 308,000 tons. or 36
percent of the 2011 rice imports," the IRRI article
explains. The price tag for the rice wastage is a
whopping 23 million (US$535,000) every day, or
about 8.3 billion a year, "enough to feed 3 million
people."
Meanwhile, the 2011 study, Global Food Losses
and Food Wastes, by the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations said that
about 1/3 of food produced, or about 1.3 billion tons
is lost, or wasted globally every year.
It comes as no surprise however that based on
the study, industrialized countries waste more than
developing countries. "We estimate that the per
capita food waste by consumers in Europe and
North-America is 95-115 kg/year, while this fgure
in Sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia is
only 6-11 kg/year," said the report.
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23
:NKcenSEI8KVUXZ - May 21-27, 2012
unoLIer wuy, IL wouId be mosL IronIc II
uLLuInIng rIce seII-suIhcIency were Lo
cuuse more Iunger und poverLy Ior
LIe IIIpIno.
n u nuLsIeII, wIuL reuIIy muLLers Is LIuL
LIere Is enougI rIce Ior everyone Lo uIIord.
TIe resL Is, weII, jusL curumeIIzed LoppIng
on the biko.
In pursuit of rice self-suffciency by 2013
In connection with this, FAO also studies the causes
of food losses and waste in middle to high-income
countries as well as in developing nations. In the
middle to high-income countries, food losses and
waste can be attributed to "consumer behaviour as
well as to a lack of coordination between different
actors in the supply chain."
"Food can be wasted
due to quality
standards, which reject
food items not perfect in
shape or appearance.
At the consumer level,
insuffcient purchase
planning and expiring
best-before-dates also
cause large amounts of
waste, in combination
with the careless
attitude of those
consumers who can
afford to waste food,"
the FAO report explained.
The same cannot be said for developing countries,
though. The FAO identifes "fnancial, managerial
and technical limitations in harvesting techniques,
storage and cooling facilities in diffcult climatic
conditions, infrastructure, packaging and marketing
systems" as the main reasons of food losses and
waste in low-income countries.
"Given that many smallholder farmers in developing
countries live on the margins of food insecurity, a
reduction in food
losses could have
an immediate and
signifcant impact on
their livelihoods," the
FAO report stressed.
In response to
alarming data on food
losses and wastage,
the Philippine Rice
Research Institute
(PhilRice) started
the Save Rice, Save
Lives campaign.
The campaign
"encourages Filipinos to Eat their rice right-the
right amount, and no leftovers."
Above is one of the advocacy materials produced
by PhilRice.

Save Rice, Save Lives advocacy TVC by the Philippine

Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) YouTube
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