In the Philippines, people often say "Bigas ay buhay" (Rice is life). Rice farming has long been considered an enduring traditional occupation. However, nowadays, young Filipinos are no longer enthusiastic about farming, even as the country is among the world's top rice importers.
In Nueva Ecija, a province north of Manila, rice is ubiquitous. Here, 66-year-old farmer Privado Serrano wades through mud to sow rice in the scorching heat. This requires endurance, agility, and strong back muscles.
Mr. Privado started growing rice when he was 10 years old. His father was also a farmer, as were generations before him. Both of Mr. Privado's sons are rice farmers. His only daughter married a rice farmer. But his grandson wants a different life.
Arvin, 23, said of his grandfather's rice farming: "I don't like it," adding that he's very afraid of the sun or lifting heavy objects. Arvin knew this from a young age, so he studied criminology at a local college and graduated this year, becoming the first in his family to earn a college degree. For years, he has witnessed his family struggle, burdened by debt, and sleepless nights due to crop failures caused by natural disasters. His other granddaughter, Andrea, 10, wants to go to medical school.
Approximately 2.4 million Filipinos are rice farmers, cultivating rice in fields that stretch across the country, some living on ancient terraced rice paddies. But for young people, the arduous, volatile, and impoverished life of a rice farmer is losing its appeal. With fewer and fewer young people willing to enter agriculture , the average age of Filipino rice farmers is 56 and is rising.
The shift away from farming, including rice cultivation, could lead to food shortages in the Philippines, a country that already imports far more rice than anywhere else. Upon taking office, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised to boost agriculture, even appointing himself Secretary of Agriculture, but those efforts have largely failed to achieve the desired results.
Rice prices reached their highest level in 15 years in late 2023 and early 2024. Amid soaring food costs, in November 2023, President Marcos Jr. resigned as Secretary of Agriculture and abolished the rice price ceiling. Last week, he officially cut import tariffs on rice from 35% to 15% to ensure domestic food security. However, farmers believe this move is insufficient.
Rice farmers earn an average of $294 per hectare per crop, after deducting production costs. Profits can vary due to weather and fluctuating rice prices. For many in Nueva Ecija, where 80% of the land is agricultural, doing anything other than farming is seen as a ticket to salvation. According to the Washington Post, Jett Subaba of the Philippine Center for Post-Harvest Mechanization and Development asks: “If our farmers are gone in 20 years, who will feed the Filipino people?”
However, while some are raising alarms about the younger generation withdrawing from rice farming, experts argue that it's not entirely a bad thing. Considering the modernization of agriculture, the reduction in the number of rice farmers is a welcome, even necessary, step. They argue that a new generation of young farmers will embrace technology, and then, modernization will lead the Philippine rice industry.
KHANH MINH
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/gioi-tre-philippines-khong-thiet-tha-voi-trong-lua-post746698.html
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