The Impact of Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (Golden Prosperous Harvest) for Rice on the Rice Farmers in Masapang, laguna, Philippines

Abstract

<P>THE PHILIPPINES HAS REMAINED A RICE IMPORTER CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE RAPID INCREASE IN POPULATION AND URBANIZATION. IN ORDER TO INCREASE RICE YIELD AND ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY, THE GOVERNMENT EMBARKED ON HYBRID RICE CULTIVATION THROUGH THE GININTUANG MASAGANANG ANI (GOLDEN PROSPEROUS HARVEST) FOR RICE PROGRAMME. MY FINDINGS IN THE RICE FIELDS OF MASAPANG IN LAGUNA REVEAL THAT EVEN THOUGH RICE YIELD CAN BE INCREASED, HYBRID RICE ADOPTION IS NOT POPULAR DUE TO HIGH COSTS OF SEEDS AND PRODUCTION. WHILE WE CONCERN OURSELVES WITH INCREASING RICE YIELD, WE SHOULD NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THE POTENTIAL RISK IMPLICATIONS (HIGH COSTS OF SEEDS AND PRODUCTION) ON THE MAJORITY OF POOR RICE FARMERS. I ARGUE THAT INCREASING HYBRID RICE CULTIVATION IS NOT THE ANSWER TO BOOST RICE PRODUCTION AND TO ACHIEVE RICE SELF-SUFFICIENCY, AS DOING SO, THE IMPACT WOULD BE DEVASTATING TO THE MAJORITY OF POOR RICE FARMERS. </P>