17/08/2026
Repost Caption by Dakila Olfindo:
If it were only that simple..
Let me express my frustration in the over-simplification of the densely-layered challlenges that the Agriculture sector face.
I mean look at this writing:
"Just imagine farmers having to shoulder high production costs, with their ultimate efforts going back and forth across the muddy fields, only to harvest six sacks of rice per hectare."
---Sources? Where did you get this number? If you use 25kg sacks, that amounts to 150kg per hectare, where in the Philippines is this? Is this widespread? Is this the average?
"Vietnam has almost the same farmland area as ours and also faces soil deterioration,"
--Quick search online shows Vietnam has at least 53% larger rice area than the Philippines (1.5x larger). How is that ALMOST THE SAME?
"Unlike here, where farmers lack support,"
---I used to think the same way, but the funding that rice related projects and initiatives has received over the years are substantial. A better framing for this would've been: Support needs to be targeted, direct and purposeful.
To the writer, thank you for showing your concern, but the writing has to go beyond the surface. We need the people to understand that the problem is not easily solved, that all concerned will need to band and work together to resolve the issues. No one person, agency or department can do it. It will take a whole system approach to accomplish the goal of enhancing food security.
Dig deeper next time.
Almost two years have passed since the Department of Agriculture (DA) warned that 80 percent of agricultural soils are deteriorating. Yet the downward trend continues, bringing us closer to an
