Ben Contreras .
THERE are things in life that cannot be solved by complaining, realities that we have to face and deal with, and expectations that we need to be prepared for.
The law of supply and demand is such that when many people are buying this commodity and the supply is not enough, the price of such commodity tends to rise. Even if there is no problem with the supply, for as long as the demand stays high, the price will tend to rise, too.
Our population is growing. Not so long ago, our population stood at 80 million. Today, we are 106 million. A wide base number multiplies faster and for all we know, we might be looking at 150 million in population. If that is not alarming, I don’t know what is.
The contention that prices of basic commodities are no longer within the reach of the poor maybe correct, but if the so-called poor can be compelled to farm, I don’t think they will go hungry.
An archipelago with more than 7,700 islands can’t go hungry. The abundance of water to irrigate the farms and our seas that are rich in aquatic resources make it impossible for us not to produce enough food.
I was still a kid when the old would say that our soil was so fertile that if you threw a piece of corn anywhere, it will grow overnight.
Perhaps, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol was exaggerating when he said that “We will be exporting rice by the end of the year,” but being a farmer himself, he knows what he’s talking about.
Rice is our main staple and this commodity has always been the subject of political propaganda. Was there really a shortage of rice? I do not believe so. But I do believe that for a while, it was used for propaganda purposes aimed to humiliate the administration. The issue ends sooner than expected.
Perhaps, we don’t have enough rice in the market. Perhaps, we are not producing enough. This is precisely the reason why we have to import and use the same as buffer to cushion any shortage. But if we are not producing enough, we can attibute it to our diminishing rice fields due to land conversions and shift to high yielding crops.
How do we keep the price of rice in check? A young businessman who asked not to be identified suggests, “What rice Luzon produces, let the people of Luzon enjoy it.” Bringing Luzon rice to Mindanao makes rice more expensive. The Visayans, if they are not producing enough, can always buy from their neighbor Mindanao–the transportation cost is lower. Or, like Mindanao, if we are not producing enough, then the government import at cheaper price.
Japan supports her farmers to the maximum. That is why their farmers can produce enough — and the best varieties. The government of United States of America makes their farmers rich by giving the necessary support. Our government needs only to be sincere in encouraging and helping our farmers so that they can achieve a decent life for their families.
In the past, there were several programs of the government to help our farmers. But corruption on the part of those who implement the programs and likewise, the beneficiaries, made all the programs a big failure, wasting money by the millions.
Piñol has been the least controversial among the Cabinet secretaries. I am still optimistic he can do a lot and will be successful.
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