The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) said farmers can turn to technological innovations to cope with the increase in production cost due to the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.
PhilRice Executive Director Sailila E. Abdula said yield-enhancing technologies, such as machines, water management and seed varieties, are easily available to rice growers to help offset the P0.50 hike in the production cost of pump-dependent farmers.
The TRAIN law directly affected farmers due to its provision on higher specific tax on petroleum products, which was last increased in 1997, the PhilRice said in a statement.
Data from the PhilRice showed that a typical farmer uses 397 liters per hectare of fuel from land preparation until harvesting while the more mechanized farmer consumes 413 l/ha. Abdula said the increase in cost can be offset by using the combine harvester alone.
“By using combine harvester, farmer gets an additional net income of P6,000, which came from the savings he obtained from reduced labor cost in harvesting, threshing, and using sacks and twine,” Adbula added.
The PhilRice chief also said farmers earn P3,527 more from the 4-in-1 machine, as it reduces postharvest losses from manual harvesting, axial-flow threshing and piling.
To further save on fuel,
PhilRice promotes the use of rice hull, a common farm waste in rural communities, in powering up water pump. Rice hull gasifier pump system, a water pump gasifier that burns rice hull as fuel, can help farmers save 30 percent to 40 percent on irrigation cost per season.
Alternate wetting and drying technology, or irrigating the field few days after water level has dropped to about 15 centimeters below the surface of the soil, is also an easy farm practice which can result in savings of up to 35 percent in irrigation cost without cutting yield.
Farmer Rolando San Gabriel of Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija said in a statement that his fellow crop growers can cope with the TRAIN law by planting rice varieties that yield more harvest.
“We cannot control the prices, but we are in control of our farming practices. We must have a target yield per cropping season and see how we can cut down on the cost. We can start with our choice of rice varieties,” San Gabriel said.
San Gabriel added he planted NSIC Rc402, which has a maximum yield of 14 tons per hectare and matures in 114 days. High-yielding varieties that can produce an additional yield of 105 kilograms per hectare are available in PhilRice stations and seed centers.
San Gabriel said he will reduce his operational costs come planting season through dry plowing during land preparation and implementing just two of the usual three harrowing. He added he will also reduce his nitrogen application.
“I will still farm despite cost adjustments. With right strategies, farmers can survive the TRAIN law,” he said.