RICE IS LIFE

Rice, the world’s major staple, and the Philippines’ most socially-sensitive commodity, is getting much-deserved focus.

The "2004 International Year of Rice" was kicked off yesterday by the Department of Agriculture (DA) with other agencies such as the Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) which provides valuable researches on improved rice varieties and production to more more than 90 countries worldwide.

In yesterday’s press briefing on the IYR, Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. said that while rice-producing nations worldwide celebrate the event, the Philippines, a net importer of rice, is treating the event with more passion because of its importance in the country’s socio-political landscape.

In the country, no other commodity best dramatizes the issues of poverty, hunger and social conflict.

Lorenzo noted in his speech that rice is major source of income of some 11.5 million Filipino farmers and their families and it is cultivated in 2.7 million hectares or 30 percent of the country’s arable land.

Rice also contibutes about 15.5 percent of the country’s gross value added in agriculture, 3.5 percent in gross domestic product and 3.3 percent of gross national product.

Rice also accounts for 35 percent of the average Filipino calorie intake.

The Asia Rice Foundation (ARF), a member of the national steering committee for the Philippine IYR 2004 Celebration, said the Philippines should treat the event with more sense of purpose.

ARF, in a statement, said that agriculture and rice in particular, is losing recognition and appeal, especially among younger generations.

"Rice is taken for granted by those fortunate because they can have it anytime," ARF said.

But with additional mouths to feed each year, water crisis looming, national environmental deterioration, prime lands giving way to industrial use and with trade now open to more efficient rice-producing countries, the Philippines has to intensify its research development efforts.

Critics of the IRRI, especially militant farmer groups, have for years been criticizing the IRRI for what they consider as researches that are not adaptable to local conditions and suits only large-sized integrated, commercial rice farms.

The National Government and the DA, has also gotten flak for its perceived lack of support for rice farmers, with infrastructure such as farm-to-market-roads, fertilizers and pesticides, irrigation and post-harvest facilities, still absent in most farms.

Rice farmers are hoping that with the declaration of 2004 as IYR, their pressing concerns will be given the long overdue attention.

The declaration of 2004 as the IYR during the 57th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) clearly spells out the key role that rice plays in providing food security and in alleviating poverty in the world.

The UN-FAO stressed that rice is the staple food of almost half of the world’s still-growing population, provides jobs to millions of people and enormously affects the environment.

"It will be decades or scores before the UN will again proclaim any year as year of rice or any other crop," said Ron Cantrell, director-general of the IRRI.

Thus, Lorenzo said the slogan adopted for the IYR is "Rice is Life," couldn’t be more apt.

Cantrell noted that the IYR promotes improved production and access to a vital food crop, which feeds the world’s population and provides income for millions of rice producers, processors and traders.

In the frontline for the IYR are partner countries that include Brazil, China, Egypt, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nigeria, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, the United States and the Philippines.

In the Philippines, the DA leads the observance of the IYR, while Philrice or the Philippine Rice Research Institute, serves as the national organizing and secretariat of the Philippine IYR 2004 celebration.

A series of events will be held such as "Rock for Rice" concerts, rice festivals, "Rice and Environment Week," Palayman tour and other agency-based activities.

The Philrice mascot, aptly called the "Palayman," has been adopted as the official mascot of the IYR. Palayman will visit various agencies, schools and universities as part of the festive celebration next year.