Philippine Rice Farmers Socioeconomic Status Essay

Rice upgradeers sociostinting stipulation better when they venture into other businesses. The economic and social status of Filipino rice farmers and their families has steadily meliorated during the last decade, non because they depended on rice, but because they ventured into other activities that supplemented their income from rice. This was arguen by a get hold of conducted by the Socioeconomics sectionalization of the Philippine Rice Research bestow (PhilRice). The say group, led by Divina Gracia Vergara, focussed on trends transpiring in rice-based farm kinfolks and rice overthrows, and among farmer operators in 33 provinces for the last 10 years. This intensive study captures the farmers image from 1996 to 2007, Vergara said. The study shows that the rice-based farm household income is increasing, as gross household income went up from P68,974.85 in 1996-97 to P127,799.95 in 2006-07. The finding is besides consistent with the result showing that around 60 per c entum of the households ar in a higher place poverty level (57 percent) in the 2006-07 period. Further more(prenominal), the parting of non gardening activities as a source of income had steadily been increasing, as the study found that rice and rice-based farmers atomic number 18 now engaged in other businesses, such as guard production, wood craft, welding and work overseas. This finding implies an important question. The question in the ample run pass on be close the presence of household members who atomic number 18 ordain to pursue rice kingdom in the future or dependence of rice-farm households on hired labor for the management of their farms, Vergara said. away from improving the status of rice-based households and increasing their income, Vergara likewise learned that the physical body of farmers owning rice land had been increasing by 10 percent for the last 10 years. Moreover, there is similarly an increase in farmers yields regardless of while from 3.30 to n per hectare (t/ha) to 3.72 t/ha during the ludicrous season, and 3.37 t/ha to 3.94 t/ha during the dry season. Across three adopt rounds, most villages are located in irrigated areas, and results show that irrigation is expanding from 60 percent to 66 percent.The current trend revealed by the study besides suggests that highly educated persons are venturing into rice farming, although the majority is modestly educated or with elementary learning only. in that respect is a 2-percent increase in the number of farmers with at least a college education venturing into rice farming. In terms of organizing farmers, however, results show that more than 50 percent of the respondents are not affiliated with rice or rice-based organizations. Most of them have not too undergone instruct since 2004. Noting that half of the farmer-respondents have been farming for 20 years, Vergara also said farmers households are benefiting from the technologies and services that are being provided by the presidency. Despite the interventions, however, average yields gained during the dry and impish seasons are still below the experimental and on-farm trial yields of 7-9 t/ha. Gaining insight from the study, Vergara and her coauthors recommended that training should be sustained to continuously modify farmers skills and companionship. She also stressed the need for the government to encourage farmers to form or occasion organizations as through organization, farmers can consortium resources and have easier access to government incentives. She also suggested the expansion of irrigation areas, as this creates a more favorable environment for rice farming in particular and agriculture in general. To attract more people to be involved in rice production, Vergara proposed that technologies lessen the drudgery of rice farming should continually be developed. It is important that the government detain to monitor the rice-based farm household to charm or approximate the impact of their interventions. This will also give them enough knowledge on the direction of the policies that they would formulate to improve the countryside, Vergara said.