IS the Philippines not an agricultural country? Is our dear country, the Philippines, not enriched with millions in hectares of ricelands?
Even during Short Cuts’ grade school days until his graduation in college, he was clearly informed of this particular agricultural situation in the country. In fact, there was a time in the early “60s, if Short Cuts remembers right, that the province of Bohol was exporting rice to Cebu province.
That was Short Cuts’ understanding and belief of the rice sufficiency in the whole country.
Not until yesterday afternoon!
Short Cuts’ early viewing of a Manila TV station yesterday proved him wrong, when he was able to read, thus –
“9 bilyon Para Pagbili Ng Palay Na-ibigay na sa NFA – DA.’’
Such a disheartening headline!!!
An agricultural country to import rice? Is it not the right and privilege UNTA of an agricultural country to export rice?
Or, has the Philippines transformed itself from an agricultural country to an industrial one so that the Department of Agriculture was authorized to import rice in the huge amount of 9 billion pesos?
Short Cuts is of the honest belief that if our country had in fact graduated from only an agricultural country to an industrial country, well and good.
But was there really an announcement to such a graduation?
Short Cuts is always on his TV set every early morning and evening newscasts. He has never heard of such a change of status from an agricultural to industrial Philippines.
Therefore, what could be real cause of so huge an amount for the importation of rice?
Is the decrease in harvest the main reason for the importation of rice? If that is the real cause what then is the corollary cause for the decrease in production?
To Short Cuts ordinary mind set, government’s failure to provide adequate support to the millions of Filipino farmers in terms of inputs is the main and real cause.
And, what could be the reason of government’s inadequate support?
Only limited number or sacks of fertilizer is given to multi-hectarage of riceland!!!
So, as a rice grower himself, Short Cuts suggests that employees of the Department of Agriculture in the next cropping season MUST INCREASE the number of bags of fertilizer.
It’s only then that increase in harvest is highly expected.
