Fayzah Inshirah Cosna A.Ala, intern

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – For farmers in the country, their cycle in life not only revolves around planting and harvesting, but also the harsh cycle of empty plates and hungry stomachs as a result of meager income from their harvests.

Such is the plight shared by rice farmers Ignacio Sulit and Ronnie Comiling, farmers from Tupi, South Cotabato and Marihatag, Surigao del Sur, respectively.

Filipino rice farmers face the burden as the country has increasingly relied on imported rice which leaves the local rice farmers struggling with low income. 

“Around 74% of farmers in the Philippines do not own land,” explained Leo Fuentes, regional coordinator of Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG) Mindanao, in which, Sulit and Comiling are officers.

Fuentes noted that even with a good harvest, a farmer’s income quickly goes to paying rent to the landowner and loans incurred to buy farm inputs and pay farm labor.

Ignacio has lived this routine as a rice farmer for 44 years. Burdened with the obligation to pay rent for the 1.5 hectares he farms, harvest time brings him less joy and more calculations. “In conventional farming, I spend around ₱70,000 to ₱80,000, but I only earn about ₱50,000 per harvest.”

With over ₱20,000 in debt, Ignacio often finds himself needing to borrow against his earnings from organic rice farming, leaving him with little to support his family. Unfortunately, many farmers in the country lack the option of diversifying into other crops to offset deficits.

While some farmers are lucky to have a few pesos left to feed their families throughout the year, most continue to struggle with the inevitable losses tied to traditional farming, which relies heavily on chemicals for quality crops.

“Among the farmers we’ve worked with at MASIPAG, 99.9% are still practicing conventional farming. Only a tiny fraction—less than 0.001%—are shifting to organic,” Fuentes stated.

This shows how deeply ingrained chemical farming is in the system, hindering farmers from exploring organic alternatives that could yield higher profits.

Faced with the responsibility of providing for their families, farmers often have to borrow capital from banks or institutions like the National Irrigation Administration or the National Food Authority. However, this temporary relief from contract farming leads to broader issues, such as pressure to repay their loans.

“If you harvest 70 to 80 sacks, contract farming will take around 60 to 70 sacks, leaving you with barely 10 sacks for yourself. And that’s not even enough to pay off your debts,” Ignacio said, reflecting on the struggles of fellow farmers caught between sustainability and food security for their families.

Comiling, also a farmer for 40 years, said he is losing motivation to continue with his traditional farm. The dwindling market and declining prices for harvested palay have turned chemical farming into a seemingly lost cause.

“In the past, when the buying price for palay was higher, farmers kept planting. But now it feels like they’re losing hope. They are discouraged because there’s no profit,” he said, saying that the rice from his traditional farm is now providing for his family’s consumption.

Ignacio echoed this sentiment, saying, “There’s nothing left to gain from that kind of farming.”

While many believe that expensive rice translates to higher income for farmers, the reality is that they only receive a small percentage of the retail price.

“In the retail price of rice, only 10% goes to the farmer. For every kilogram sold at ₱50, only ₱5 ends up in the farmer’s hands,” Fuentes explained, emphasizing that exploitation is a major struggle for farmers. He called for protectionist policies that ensure farmers receive a fair share of rice prices.

Even as the rice industry faces potential reform regarding market management, farmers feel such plans are only short-term solutions that fail to address their immediate needs, especially in light of existing laws like the Rice Tariffication Act, which exacerbates their poverty.

“As long as the Philippines maintains an export-oriented and import-dependent agricultural economy, Filipino farmers will continue to suffer losses, regardless of how many reforms are introduced,” Fuentes explains, stressing that policies must focus on addressing landlessness and lift up the weight of farmers’ debts that surpasses the value of their harvested rice. (davaotoday.com)

Published Date: June 30, 2025