Mindanao is considered the food basket of the country as it contributes about 40% of its total agricultural production. This is because aside from having the most fertile soil in the country, it is also shielded from storms that devastate the farms in other parts of the country.
On rice production, based on the data from the International Rice Research Institute, Mindanao contributes 23% of the country’s production, the biggest among the rice producing areas. Not bad considering that the island is also a top producer of other agricultural products like copra, corn and banana.
In the report of the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, the production of the island last year reached to 3.74 million metric tons with Region 12 being the largest producer at 1.186 million metric tons, or nearly one-third of the total production of the island.
The region is composed of Sarangani, the Cotabato provinces and Sultan Kudarat with North Cotabato producing 449,202 metric tons, higher even the production of Region 11 which could only produce 427,184 metric tons.
This is because most areas in the Davao Region are either planted with banana and coconut, its top two exports. Some of the rice farms were even converted into banana plantations.
Another Mindanao region considered as big rice producer is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Based on the report, the region produced 615,780 metric tons last year.
Third biggest last year in terms of rice production was Zamboanga Peninsula with 553,759 metric tons and Northern Mindanao came in fourth with 501,892 metric tons. The Caraga Administrative Region even surpassed the Davao Region after it registered 455,838 metric tons in rice production.
Yet the island, just like the rest of the country was caught flatfooted by the recent development in the rice industry as prices of commercial varieties have continued to rise since the start of the year.
We don’t want to lay the blame on anyone, but we believe both government and the private sector could have anticipated this problem of insufficient supply that we are all confronted with if only ample attention was given to the irrigation infrastructure and post harvest facilities in many areas of Mindanao.
Several programs have been implemented in Mindanao, including the Mindanao Rural Development Program and several others directed at the improvement of productivity of the farmers in the island, but there is more that has to be done.
There is the $90 million World Bank-funded program aimed at improving necessary infrastructure facilities not just for rice farmers but for other sectors as this will also result in improvement of their productivity which will eventually translate into better life for the farmers.
Some top experts of both the government and private institutions have also pushed for adoption of hybrid rice varieties to increase productivity. It is time that the government, as well as everyone, move in the same direction in improving our food sustainability.
We need a concerted effort to address food supply, particularly of the staple, so that we will be independent from other countries that learned the science of increasing their productivity from us. Now is the time.
We also hope that the government implement other basic programs that will address food sustainability and empower farmers to become not just main tillers but also profiteers of their endeavors. We believe this can be done by coming up with schemes that will increase their production earning through increasing the buying prices. Although the National Food Authority already hiked the palay purchasing prices by P5, we still believe there are other similar mechanisms which will lure back farmers into planting rice rather than converting their lands into other use.
The greater challenge is to review the agriculture budget given to Mindanao and to increase it to a level so that we can truly be the food basket of the country.
We need to move faster. We don’t to be caught flatfooted again with a graver consequence.
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The Philippine Call Center Alliance (PhilCall) will be holding its 2nd Forum : “Power of One: Maximizing your Call Center Agent's Performance” on April 25, 2008 at the Commision of ICT,Diliman , Quezon City. This is designed for small and medium sized call center owners and supervisors to gain a better understanding of motivating agents and translating their performance to better profitability. For reservations, please contact Ms. Josine De Leon at the Office of the PhilCall Secretariat at 942-3282 or mobile (0918) 930-5027 or e-mail philcall_secretariat@yahoo.com.ph.
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The Basilan Chamber of Commerce will be holding their annual regional business conference in Basilan on April 26, 2008. These will be attended by the business community of the Zamboanga Peninsula as well as with other stake holders.
(Joji Ilagan Bian is a strong and respected advocate for the development of the island. She is Chair of Joji Ilagan Foundation , Phil. Call Centers Alliance, Mindanao Tech Voc Schools Association; Mindanao Rep, Export Development Council. Email comments jojibian2@yahoo.com)
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