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CYBERSPACE FARMING The Philippine Star Unpredictable weather seems to hound our agriculture sector. After enduring an El Nino or a prolonged dry spell in 2007, farmers now are bracing themselves for just the opposite – the La Nina, characterized by an unusually extended rainy season. Notwithstanding such hazards, the country's farm output, a vital component of the country's economy, chalked a pretty decent 4.68 percent growth last year, still within the annual projected figure of between 4.5 to 5 percent. With agriculture accounting for a fifth of the country's gross domestic output and nearly 40 percent of the total labor force, the Department of Agriculture is understandably being prudent this year about its growth projections, pegging levels to a conservative 4.5 to 5.5 percent. Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap is hoping for a mild La Nina that would look kindly towards our farmers' efforts while at the same time keeping stable the country's food supply and prices. Aiming for bumper harvests As has always been done in the past, the agriculture department's approach is to hit another bumper harvest this year for rice and corn, the country's major staples. To achieve this year's projected growth, the department is aiming for rice production to grow 5.78 percent to about 17.3 million metric tons from the year-ago record harvest of 16.3 million metric tons. Corn production for the year should increase by 10 percent from 6.7 million metric tons in 2007. The game plan is likewise not new. Government expects to reap a higher production with more assistance extended to farmers, and from newly opened and rehabilitated irrigated areas. The growth projection, however conservative, is still going to be a stretch, according to some agriculture analysts. While gambling with the erratic weather, our farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to ignore steadily rising production inputs. Last year, the costs of crude-based chemical fertilizers had gone up by about 25 percent, and that is likely to continue as crude oil prices remain volatile. Add to that too, the surge in transport cost as it has become more expensive to bring one's produce to key markets such as If we seem to tire hearing our farmers grumbling that their incomes are not improving, brace yourself for louder and more resonant complaints this year. With Filipino agriculture workers being dragged deeper into poverty, perhaps it would be a decent thing for government to report on the economic state of farmers and fishermen, and to come up with a sustainable program to address the issue. Increasing imports With all the blood, sweat and tears expended by our agriculture workers, their efforts sadly are not able to deliver the required produce that the country needs. Even with record harvests, we remain a net importer of rice; this year, imports are tagged at 1.5 million metric tons. The government is spending billions of pesos to import rice, money that could be earmarked to fund a truly comprehensive rice production program, much more than the oft-repeated promises of more assistance to rice farmers in the form of production to post-production and marketing assistance. It is hard to say just how off track government is on its agricultural policies. But you sort of get the drift when you hear of new initiatives that are being put on stream, purportedly to help the battle-weary Filipino farmer. Farmers in cyberspace Just recently, the agriculture department unveiled its “open academy for Philippine agriculture,” a program supposedly intended to encourage farmers to make use of the information-rich cyberspace to enhance their farming methods, and subsequently, raise their productivity. The department also has its so-called "mobile Internet bus," which is used to deliver online services, and "farmers' information and technology services centers." These online services are being piloted by the Philippine Rice Research Institute in Nueva Ecija. Unlike traditional training programs, these e-learning projects use both conventional and electronic media such as online modules, forums and chats, instant messaging, and field practicum to teach farmers. While these e-learning modules would benefit agriculture students with its use of guide questions posted on the site for students to answer, it's hard to imagine how our farmers with ailing eyesight and rumbling stomachs would be able to focus on the questionnaires. Our agriculture students may find it exciting to hold real time online discussions with other students, and from time to time, guest experts who would be able to impart precious advice and knowledge on practical problems. I doubt if our farmers would be titillated, much less have the patience, to type out questions in the chat format that Yahoo and gmail have popularized for the cyber generation. No doubt, the project would benefit scholars in agriculture, and an evaluation of the e-learning program (from content to system operations) to improve the e-learning project would guarantee its full implementation in the coming years. But again, it's hard to think how farmers, not agriculture students, would appreciate this innovative but rather unrealistically sophisticated concept. Perhaps, in another decade, our farmers would be ready to go online to really chat with an agriculture technician using computer cameras, and discuss individual and specific concerns. But until then, let's stop kidding ourselves that this is going to work. If it is not tired, old prescriptions for the agriculture sector, it is mindless programs such as those I just mentioned that are being pursued by eager beaver agri officials. Even if we don't have a temperamental weather, bureaucratic ineptitude will surely worsen the condition of agriculture. “Pag-usapan Natin” tackles tourism at IBC-TV 13 Watch “Pag-usapan Natin,” a segment of the IBC-TV 13 news program News Tonite, from Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center,
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