CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In the last four decades of the 20th century, agricultural production was all about

quantity, which sparked many economic miracles in Asia. This large-scale, technological

approach to agricultural development caused farmers to give traditional varieties in favor of

high-yielding varieties, monocropping, and use of amounts of inorganic fertilizers and which are

subsidized by the government through its various agricultural programs.1

Eventually, decades of unfavorable trends on the effects of intensive agriculture on

environmental sustainability and on human health have triggered a shift from quantity-driven

to quality-driven agricultural production. The 21st century saw a growing recognition of the

"techno-fix" approach as not the only solution to agricultural problems.2

Thus, concepts like sustainable development, sustainable agriculture, food safety, and

good agricultural practices (GAPs) as well as the international agreements, protocols,

guidelines, and standards to promote positive effects on the so-called public goods to the

environment and human health have increasingly become the focus of government and

nongovernmental efforts.

1 Gicana 2001; Mendoza 19972 Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO] n.d.

The World Food Summit Plan of Action has recognized the importance of appropriate

input technologies, farming techniques, and other sustainable methods such as organic farming

to reduce environmental degradation while making agriculture profitable to small holders.

The productivity of a region's farms is important for many reasons. Increasing the

productivity of farms affect the region's prospects for growth and competitiveness on the

agricultural market likewise to income distribution, savings, and labor migration. An increase in

a region's agricultural productivity implies a more efficient distribution of scarce resources. As

farmers adopt new techniques, they become more productive and benefit as compared to

farmers who are not productive enough will exit the market and give up farming.

As a region's farms become more productive, its comparative advantage in agricultural

products increases, which means that it can produce agricultural goods at a lower cost. As a

result farmers are more empowered to till the soil and produce more harvest. If a farmer gets

enough profit from the soil, he will most likely gain satisfaction in cultivating, that leads to

increase in cultivation and means higher food production.

In addition, the same can help alleviate poverty in poor and developing countries,

where agriculture often employs the greatest portion of the population. As farms become more

productive, the wages earned by those who work in agriculture increase. At the same time,

food prices decrease and food supplies become more stable. Laborers therefore have more

money to spend on food as well as other products. This also leads to agricultural growth.

People see that there is a greater opportunity to earn a living by farming and are attracted to

agriculture either as owners, laborers, or farmers themselves.

It is not only the people employed in agriculture benefit from the increase in agricultural

productivity. Those employed in other sectors also enjoy lower food prices and a more stable

food supply. Their wages may also increase. Agricultural productivity is becoming increasingly

important as the world population continues to grow.

The Philippine Agricultural Industry

Agricultural Geography

In the late 1980s, nearly 8 million hectares over 25 percent of total land were under

cultivation, 4.5 million hectares in field crops, and 3.2 million hectares in tree crops. Population

growth reduced the amount of arable land per person employed in agriculture from about one

hectare during the 1950s to around 0.5 hectare in the early 1980s. Growth in agricultural

output had to come largely from multi-cropping and increasing yields. In 1988 double-cropping

and intercropping resulted in 13.4 million hectares of harvested areas, a total that was

considerably greater than the area under cultivation. Palay (unhusked rice) and corn, the two

cereals widely grown in the Philippines, accounted for about half of total crop area. On the

other hand, 25 percent of the production areas were utilized for coconut, sugarcane, pineapple,

and banana plantation.3

Rice and the Green Revolution

Rice is the most important food crop, a staple food in most of the country. It is produced

extensively in Luzon, the Western Visayas, Southern Mindanao, and Central Mindanao. In 1989

nearly 9.5 billion tons of palay were produced. In 1990 palay accounted for 27 percent of value

added in agriculture and 3.5 percent of GNP. Per hectare yields have generally been low in

3 http://countrystudies.us/philippines/60.htm

comparison with other Asian countries. Since the mid-1960s, however, yields have increased

substantially as a result of the cultivation of high-yielding varieties developed in the mid-1960s

at the International Rice Research Institute located in the Philippines. The proportion of

"miracle" rice in total output rose from zero in 1965-66 to 81 percent in 1981-82. Average

productivity increased to 2.3 tons per hectare (2.8 tons on irrigated farms) by 1983. By the late

1970s, the country had changed from a net importer to a net exporter of rice, albeit on a small

scale.

This "green revolution" was accompanied by an expanded use of chemical inputs. Total

fertilizer consumption rose from 668 tons in 1976 to 1,222 tons in 1988, an increase of more

than 80 percent. To stimulate productivity, the government also undertook a major expansion

of the nation's irrigation system. The area under irrigation grew from under 500,000 hectares in

the mid-1960s to 1.5 million hectares in 1988, almost half of the potentially irrigable land.

In the 1980s, however, rice production encountered problems. Average annual growth

for 1980-85 declined to a mere 0.9 percent, as contrasted with 4.6 percent for the preceding

fifteen years. Growth of value added in the rice industry also fell in the 1980s. Tropical storms

and droughts, the general economic downturn of the 1980s, and the 1983-85 economic crises

all contributed to this decline. Crop loans dried up, prices of agricultural inputs increased, and

palay prices declined. Fertilizer and plant nutrient consumption dropped 15 percent. Farmers

were squeezed by rising debts and declining income. Lands devoted to rice production, leveled

during the latter half of the 1970s, fell an average of 2.4 percent per annum during the first half

of the 1980s, with the decline primarily in marginal, non-irrigated farms. As a result, in 1985,

the last full year of the Marcos regime, the country imported 538,000 tons of rice. The situation

improved somewhat in the late 1980s, and smaller amounts of rice were imported. However, in

1990 the country experienced a severe drought. Output fell by 1.5 percent, forcing the

importation of an estimated 400,000 tons of rice.4

Coconut Farming in the Philippines

The Philippines is the world's second largest producer of coconut products, after

Indonesia. In 1989 it produced 11.8 million tons. In 1989, coconut products, coconut oil, copra

(dried coconut), and desiccated coconut accounted for approximately 6.7 percent of Philippine

exports. About 25 percent of cultivated land was planted in coconut trees, and it is estimated

that between 25 percent and 33 percent of the population was at least partly dependent on

coconuts for their livelihood. Historically, the Southern Tagalog and Bicol regions of Luzon and

the Eastern Visayas were the centers of coconut production. In the 1980s, Western Mindanao

and Southern Mindanao also became important coconut-growing regions.

In the early 1990s, the average coconut farm was a medium-sized unit of less than four

hectares. Owners, often absentee, customarily employed local peasants to collect coconuts

rather than engage in tenancy relationships. The villagers were paid on a piece-rate basis.

Those employed in the coconut industry tended to be less educated and older than the average

person in the rural labor force and earned lower-than-average incomes.

Land devoted to cultivation of coconuts increased by about 6 percent per year during

the 1960s and 1970s, a response to devaluations of the peso in 1962 and 1970 and increasing

world demand. Responding to the world market, the Philippine government encouraged

processing of copra domestically and provided investment incentives to increase the

construction of coconut oil mills. The number of mills rose from twenty-eight in 1968 to sixty-

4 http://countrystudies.us/philippines/65.htm

two in 1979, creating substantial excess capacity. The situation was aggravated by declining

yields because of the aging of coconut trees in some regions.

When coconut prices began to fall in the early 1980s, pressure mounted to alter

the structure of the industry. In 1985 the Philippine government agreed to dismantle the

United Coconut Oil Mills as part of an agreement with the IMF to bail out the Philippine

economy. Later 1988 United States law requiring foods using tropical oils to be labeled

indicating the saturated fat content had a negative impact on an already ailing industry and

gave rise to protests from coconut growers that similar requirements were not levied on oils

produced in temperate climates.5

The Sugar Industry in the Philippines

From the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-1970s, sugar was the most important

agricultural export of the Philippines, not only because of the foreign exchange earned, but also

because sugar was the basis for the accumulation of wealth of a significant segment of the

Filipino elite. The principal sugarcane-growing region is the Western Visayas, particularly the

island of Negros. In 1980 the region accounted for half the area planted in cane and two-thirds

of the production of sugar. Unlike the cultivation of rice, corn, and coconuts, sugarcane is

typically grown on large farms or haciendas. In the mid-1980s, more than 60 percent of total

production and about 80 percent of Negros's output came from farms twenty-five hectares or

larger. Countrywide, tenancy arrangements existed for approximately half the sugarcane farms;

however, they were generally the smaller ones, averaging 2.5 hectares in size and accounting

for only slightly more than 20 percent of land planted in the crop. Elsewhere, laborers were

employed, generally at very low wages. A survey undertaken in 1990 by the governor of Negros

Occidental found that only one-third of the island's sugar planters were paying the then-

5 http://countrystudies.us/philippines/63.htm

mandated minimum wage of P72.50 per day. The contrast between the sumptuous lifestyles of

Negros hacenderos and the poverty of their workers, particularly migrant laborers known

as sacadas, epitomized the vast social and economic gulf separating the elite in the Philippines

from the great mass of the population.

In the 1950s and 1960s, sugar accounted for more than 20 percent of Philippine exports.

Its share declined somewhat in the 1970s and plummeted in the first half of the 1980s to

around 7 percent. The sugar industry was in a crisis. Part of the problem was a depressed

market for sugar. A dramatic increase in the world price of sugar had occurred in 1974, peaking

at US$0.67 per pound in December of that year.

Historically, the Philippines was protected to a certain degree from vicissitudes of the

world price of sugar by the country's access to a protected and subsidized United States

market. In 1913 the United States Congress established free trade with its Philippine colony,

providing Filipino sugar producers unlimited access to the American market. Later, in 1934, a

quota system on sugar was enacted and remained in force until 1974. Although Philippine sugar

exports to the United States were restricted during this period, the country continued to enjoy

a relatively privileged position.

The decline of the sugar industry was complicated by the monopolization that took

place during the martial law period, a process not dissimilar to what occurred in the coconut

industry. In 1976, as a reaction to the precipitous decline in sugar prices, Marcos established

the Philippine Sugar Commission (Philsucom), placing at the head his close associate Roberto

Benedicto. Philsucom was given sole authority to buy and sell sugar, to set prices paid to

planters and millers, and to purchase companies connected to the sugar industry. A bank was

set up in 1978, and the construction of seven new sugar mills was authorized at a cost of US$40

million per mill.

By the 1980s, considerable resistance to Philsucom and its trading subsidiary, the

National Sugar Trading Corporation (Nasutra) had been generated. As with the monopoly in the

coconut industry, the government acquiesced in its 1985 agreement with the IMF to dismantle

Nasutra. But the damage had been done. In a study undertaken by a group of University of the

Philippines economists, losses to sugar producers between 1974 and 1983 were estimated to

be between P11 billion and P14 billion. Aquino established the Sugar Regulatory Authority in

1986 to take over the institutions set up by Benedicto.6

The presented facts above shows a very striking pattern. It shows that the farmers who

till land and cultivates it suffers more especially during the decline of the agricultural industry.

As the world market suffers depression, the prices of the commodities also suffers. To mitigate

the effects, the farmers take burden of short changes. Injustice is very evident in the preceeding

paragraphs. Such injustice is a challenge for the government to address, thus the enactment of

an Agrarian Reform.

The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program

During the Spanish era, the relationship between landowners and tenants was governed by

the Old Civil Code, particularly by the Special Provisions for Rural Leases. When the Spaniards

came to the Philippines, they introduced the concept of encomienda also known as the Royal

Land Grants. This concept grants land to Encomienderos who defend the lands they were

granted. The native Filipino, however, pays their tribute to the Encomienderos for the security

6 http://countrystudies.us/philippines/64.htm

and their maintenance of peace and order.7 This system was abused by the landowners, and

thus, in turn, the tribute soon become land lessee to these powerful landowners, and the

natives who cultivated their land before the Spaniards came in the Philippines in freedom, were

transformed into a mere share tenants, making them sort of a slave to their own native land.

This is what we called the feudal system which was introduced to the native by the Spaniards,

where the Spaniards held their land in return for promising loyalty, and the natives that provide

their services such as working or fighting for their lord.8

During the American regime, the Rice Share Tenancy Act9 was promulgated. This law

regulated the relationship between the lessee and the lessor on rice lands. After sometime, a

law was passed to regulate the relationship between the landlords and the tenants on lands

planted to sugar cane, known as the Sugar Tenancy Act.10 Thereafter, it was commonwealth

period, and Commonwealth Act 53 was passed. The next law that was passed was

Commonwealth Act 178 and then followed by Commonwealth Act 271 amending Act No. 4113

that was passed during American regime, and then followed by Commonwealth Act 461 for the

security of the agricultural tenants which was later on, amended by Commonwealth Act 608.

Republic Act No. 34 was passed after the declaration of the independence, but was later

on amended by Republic Act No. 2263. Thereafter, Republic Act No. 1400 also known as the

Agricultural Land Reform Code which was passed on August 13, 1963. It was followed by an

amendment through the enactment of Code of Agrarian Reform or Republic Act No. 6389 which

abolished the share tenancy.

In the past 26 years in the Philippines, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program,

which is more commonly known as Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law or Republic Act 6657, 7 The CARP History by Francis Arvy8 The Feudal System9 Act 405410 Act 4113

was passed under the administration of Corazon C. Aquino through Proclamation 131 and

Executive Order 22911 on June 22, 1987 and was enacted on June 10, 1988. This law is about the

redistribution of private and public agricultural lands or large estates to help the beneficiaries

to own their own lands, so that the farmers, holders or beneficiaries of this law will become

more productive12, instead of just being the cultivator of somebody else’s land and be a tenant

for the rest of their lives. Its purpose is to help independent farmers to achieve equality in

terms of income and opportunities.

Certain provisions of Republic Act No. 6657 were amended by Republic Act No. 788113

which became a law on July 25, 1994. It was further amended by Republic Act No. 7905 14 to

strengthen the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. It was, again,

amended further by Republic Act No. 853215 to strengthen further the Comprehensive Agrarian

Reform Program by providing augmentation fund therefor, and amending for the purpose of

Section 63 of the Republic Act No. 6657, otherwise known as “The CARP Law of 1988”.

In the 21st century, July 27, 2009, the law, again, was amended by Republic Act No.

970016 to strengthen the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, to extend the acquisition

and distribution of all agricultural lands, and to institute necessary reforms, and to amend the

certain provisions of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program of 1988.

The agrarian reform program is founded on the right of farmers and regular farm

workers who are landless, to own directly or collectively the lands they till or, in the case of

11 Proclamation 131 and Executive Order 22912 Atty. Jennifer Asuncion13 RA 788114 RA 790515 RA 853216 RA 9700

other farm workers, to receive just share in the fruits of their suffering.17 Its purpose is also to

promote social justice and industrialization, providing the mechanism for its implementation,

and for other purposes. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program’s vision is to have an

equitable land ownership with empowered agrarian reform beneficiaries who can effectively

manage their economic and social development to have a better quality of life.18

Today, in 2015, the effectivity of this law has ceased to exist. It has become a part of the

history of the Philippines, by helping our farmers and farm workers to at least own their own

lands, to be benefitted by prosperity it offers to our farmers, and to aid, help, and assist the

welfare of our farmers.

17 DAR AO 02-0918 Department of Agrarian Reform, Kagawaran ng Repormang Pansakahan Vision

CHAPTER II.

METHODOLOGY

Objective of the Study

The researchers aimed to present a study on the different methods to increase soil

productivity in relation to agrarian reform and protection of the soil integrity ensuring

sustainabilty in relation to environmental conservation.

Research Design and Methodology

In order to come up with the journal, the researcher made use of the Descriptive Method

and Critical Discourse Anlysis Method. Gravetter and Forzano (as cited in Grothkopf, 2009)

defined descriptive method as measuring a variable or set of variable as they exist naturally,

with the purpose of describing the variables as they exist. In this study the situation to be

described refers to the effects of farming methods that affects the environment. Survey research

involves acquiring information from peer reviewed literatures, laws, and other references

pertaining to agricultural industry.

Limitations

The findings of the study shall be true only to Philippine setting from the date of the

data gathering to wit November 15, 2015- December 5, 2015. The study primarily based on

available literatures and references.

CHAPTER III

RESULTS, DISCUSSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A. Soil Degradation

Soil degradation is the decline in soil quality caused by its improper use, usually for

agricultural, pastural, industrial or urban purposes. Soil degradation is a serious global

environmental problem and may be exacerbated by climate change. It encompasses physical,

chemical and biological deterioration.19

About 6 million hectares of agricultural land worldwide become unproductive every

year due to the various soil degradation processes. Countries in Asia and Africa that depend

upon agriculture as the engine of economic growth are believed to suffer the greatest impact of

soil degradation. In the Philippines, soil degradation is one of the most serious ecological

problems today. Also, the National Action Plan (NAP) for 2004 to 2010 identified soil

degradation as a major threat to food security in the country. NAP reported that about 5.2

million hectares are seriously degraded resulting to 30 to 50% reduction in soil productivity.

In a review paper on the problem of soil degradation in the Philippines published in the

Annals of Tropical Research vol. 31, we (Asio et al)20 revealed that soil erosion is the most

widespread process of soil degradation and is also the most studied in the country. Other

important but less studied soil degradation processes include loss of nutrients and organic

matter, salinization, acidification, pollution, compaction, and subsidence. Studies reviewed have

shown that the widespread degraded upland soils possess chemical and physical constraints for

19 Soil degradation, NSW Environment & Heritage www.environment.nsw.gov.au/soildegradation/ september, 201520 Asio VB, Jahn R, Perez FO, Navarrete IA, and Abit SM Jr. 2009. A review of soil degradation in the Philippines. Annals of Tropical Research 31: 69-94

crop growth like acidic or calcareous pH, low organic matter and nutrient contents, shallow

solum, presence of toxic substances and compaction.

B. Providing Soil Fertility

Providing soil fertiiity is the basis for sustained crop production. Closely tied to other

services, such as food production and greenhouse gas mitigation, is soil fertility. Fertility must

be enhanced with greater quantities of external inputs, such as fertilizers, and the system is less

able to withstand extreme events, such as drought. These are extreme intervention for fully

degrade agricultural lands.

That said, soil fertility is not a panacea for reducing the environmental impacts of

agricultural systems; for example, nitrate, production was as high in our biologically based

system as it was in the less fertile conventional system (Robertson et al. 2000).

Soil fertility has many components. Physically, fertility is related to soil structure—

porosity, aggregate stability, waterholding capacity, and erosivity. Its chemical constituents

include soil organic matter, pH, base saturation, cation exchange, and nutrient pools.

Biologically, soil fertility is related to food web complexity, pest and pathogen suppression, and

the delivery of mineralizable nutrients. Most of these components are interrelated, which

frustrates attempts at a comprehensive definition of soil fertility or soil quality.

At heart, however, soil fertility is the capacity of a soil to meet plant growth needs; all

else equal, more-fertile soils support higher rates of primary production. Building soil fertility is

closely tied to building soil organic matter: A century of work at Rothamsted and other

longterm agricultural research sites (Rasmussen et al. 1998) has shown positive associations

with most—if not all—of the indicators noted above. Relative to the conventional system, soil

organic matter increased in the no-till, reduced-input, and biologically based systems (Syswerda

et al. 2011).

A major reason for soil carbon gain in these systems is slower decomposition rates as a

result of organic matter protection within soil aggregates, particularly within larger size classes.

Grandy and Robertson (2007) found greater soil carbon accumulation in KBS LTER ecosystems

with higher rates of large (2-8 millimeters) aggregate formation. The formation of large

aggregates and carbon accumulation was greatest in the successional and mature forest

systems and lowest in the conventional system; the biologically based, no-till, and perennial

systems were intermediate.

Aggregates in smaller size classes (up to 0.25 millimeters) expressed the opposite trend.

That the no-till system accumulated carbon and primarily in larger, more vulnerable aggregates

is no surprise (West and Post 2002, Six et al. 2004); however, carbon and large aggregate

accumulation in the heavily tilled reduced-input and biologically based systems was unexpected

and likely related to the inclusion of leguminous cover crops in these rotations. Legumes may

increase aggregate stability through greater polysaccharide production and different microbial

communities (Haynes and Beare 1997). That the no-tül system better withstood the 2012 US

drought than did the other systems (no-tül system, mean = 1.9 Mg per ha of soybean grain,

standard error of the mean [SEM] =0.12; conventional system, mean =1.3 Mg of soybean grain

per ha, SEM = 0.05) suggests a clear no-till benefit to soil fertility even when external inputs are

high. Greater moisture stores in the better-structured no-tül sous foüowing the last significant

rainfall before the drought (figure 6), equivalent to approximately 4 centimeters of stored

water in the root zone, underscores the value of no-till agriculture to the 2012 soybean

production. This enhanced water storage capacity may also help explain greater no-tül

productivity in more normal years; on average, yields in the no-tül system were 9%-21% higher

than they were in the conventional system (figure 1). In the reduced-input system, sou fertüity

allowed competitive yields (figure 1 ) with only a fraction of the nitrogen and other inputs.

C. Providing clean water. The quality of water draining from agricultural watersheds is a

longstanding environmental problem. Sediment, phosphorus, and nitrate are important

pollutants that leave crop land and lead to compromised groundwater, surface freshwaters,

and marine ecosystems worldwide.

D. Providing greenhouse gas mitigation. Agriculture is directly responsible for

approximately 10%-14% of total annual global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (Smith

P et al. 2007). This is largely the result of N2O emitted from soil and manure and from methane

emitted by ruminant animals and burned crop residues. Including the greenhouse gas costs of

agricultural expansion, agronomic inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides, and postharvest

activities, such as food processing, transport, and refrigeration, bring agriculture's footprint to

26%-36% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (Barker et al. 2007). Mitigating some

portion of this footprint could therefore significantly contribute to climate stabilization

(Caldeira et al. 2004), as might the production of cellulosic biofuels if they were used to offset

fossil fuel use (Robertson et al. 2008). Global warming impact analyses can reveal the source of

all significant greenhouse gas costs in any given cropping system and, therefore, the full

potential for management to mitigate emissions.

In response to the green house effect of agriculture, the Philippines enacted a law

supporting organic farming. In fact, the government has mandated the Department of

Agriculture to allot at least P1 billion this year to exclusively promote the organic agriculture

programs in the country. President Benigno Aquino III believes that organic agriculture is the

way of the future not only to address hunger but also to sustain health and environment. 21

As chemical farming destroys the environment, OPTA says beneficial micronutrients in

the soil that are needed by a human body are also killed such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc,

21 hvcdp.da.gov.ph/vegetables

copper, selenium, manganese and many others. The absence of these essential health elements

in the planting grounds may cause malnutrition as the soil can no longer produce foods that are

adequately supplied with important nutrients.

Although the Philippines has not resorted to completely ban the use of synthetic

chemicals in animal farming, the country is set to go all natural in agriculture through Republic

Act 10068 that aims to strengthen the state’s policy to promote, propagate, develop further

and implement the practice of organic agriculture. Through the law, the farming community are

hoped to ensure and cumulatively condition and enrich the fertility of the soil, increase farm

productivity, reduce pollution and destruction of the environment, prevent depletion of natural

resources and protect the health of the farmers and of the general public. Moreover, going

organic agriculture is an opportunity for the country for the organically grown commodities in

the world market which would cost US$40 billion to US$70 billion in 2012.22

C. Farming Innovations to Increase Soil Productivity

The Philippines rely heavily on agricultre, sadly multiple methods on farming have

caused soil degradation. While agrarian reform has paved way to equal distribution of

agricultural lands, the following farming methods are reccomendations in the cultivation of the

land to increase soil productivity.

a. Organic Farming

A news report (Philippine Star 13 January 2005) estimated the share of organic farming

in Philippine agriculture at one percent, as no official data exist at present. NGOs have been

22 mypilipinas.com/philippines-agriculture

leading the promotion of organic farming in the Philippines. In Negros Occidental, central

Philippines, the NGO Broad Initiatives for Negros Development, Inc. (BIND) has been helping

farmers use vermicomposting as fertilizer and herbal plants to ward off farm pests to produce

organic rice and vegetables. They also produce organic livestock.

In the cold highlands of Benguet, organic Arabica coffee is being grown through the

partnership of a private firm, Figaro Foundation Corp., and the Benguet State University. The

country's organically produced muscovado sugar, fresh banana, banana chips, desiccated

coconut, and coconut oil, among other products, are already being exported to Europe, Japan,

the United States, and Canada (Philippine Star 13 January 2005). The OCCP has certified a

number of farms growing organic chicken, herbals, rice, vegetables, and vinegar around the

country. The organic market in the Philippines is estimated at P250 million and its demand is

growing at 20 percent annually (Philippine Star 13 January 2005).

The following are some of the practices which support organic farming:

Use of new disease-free planting materials of banana. Since 2002, smallholder banana

growers in selected provinces in Luzon have been planting tissue-cultured banana planting

materials that are disease-resistant, courtesy of a project collaboration of PCARRD,

International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP), and the

International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). The project has distributed 77,500

tissue-cultured planting materials and most of these plants are now bearing fruits, much bigger

than those borne by the farmers' previous plants grown from suckers. Very minimal incidence

of BBTV was observed in the test locations. However, grower acceptability of the produce,

especially the introduced disease-resistant varieties, will still be determined.

Trichoderma-based compost and organic fertilizer production. The national program on

rapid composting and the use of compost as fertilizer, which began in 1997, has been sustained

even after it officially ended. There are now 22 more centers to the original 23 nationwide,

producing the compost fungus activator and compost, and selling these to farmers.

Supporting the drive to promote organic farming is a good number of small and medium

enterprises producing organic fertilizers using the technology of the above-mentioned program

that have been recorded. Moreover, the scientist who developed the technology discovered

that the Trichoderma-processed compost not only improved the soil's physical and chemical

properties but also was an effective control agent for clubroot disease in cabbage.

b. Integrated plant nutrient management (IPNM)

Various studies on IPNM in the country showed sustainable high yields and

improvement in fertilizer use efficiency, leading to an improved benefit-cost ratio, specifically

for rice, corn, The researches included testing the effects of mixing inorganic fertilizers with

fresh rice straw, chicken manure, green manure like azolla and sesbania for rice; with a

combination of organic materials, lime, rock phosphate for corn; and with chicken manure and

household waste compost for vegetables.

An example of IPNS is the balanced fertilization strategy (BFS), developed by DA, FPA,

and the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), which provides location-specific

recommendation for organic and inorganic fertilizers to sustain high crop yields over long

cropping seasons without depleting the natural resource base; provides guidelines for the

judicious use of pesticides; and promotes low-water use crops, among other things (Merilo

2001). BFS proved to be economically viable on rice farms that were half-hectare in size

(Concepcion et al.1999).

c. Watershed Management

Because agriculture has encroached upon the forestlands, the watersheds have been

consequently degraded. To help stop the further decline, PCARRD, in collaboration with DENR,

LGUs, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the National Agriculture and Resources

Research System, has been working on projects to sustain the watersheds. Through

participatory and interdisciplinary collaborations, innovative conservation practices evolved for

the sustainable development of the fragile Manupali watershed in the area. Experiments were

done on multicropping, planting fast-growing timber species, intercropping trees with

vegetables, and using other cultural practices like fallowing, periodic pruning, and contour

farming to assess the sustainability of the agricultural production systems in the watershed

area.

d. Pest Control Methods

Crop Rotation

Pests are any kind of insect, plant disease, or weed that hurt the profits and health of

the vegetable. Insects, plant diseases, and weeds that are not harmful to your crops are not

considered pests. Plants will be better able to withstand pests if you grow different crops in

your field, or wait four years before growing the same crop on the same field. This kind of

farming is called crop rotation.

Crops that are healthy and well fed from the beginning have less chance of being ruined

by pests. Keep wide spaces between plants to help the leaves dry. Plant diseases are less likely

to spread this way. Once the growing season begins, the best way to prevent pests is to look

carefully and regularly at the crops. Check the fields often for insects, weeds, and plant disease.

When the crops are young, and when they are bearing fruit, are the times there is a need to be

especially careful to check them.

Natural Methods to Get Rid of Pests

There are natural methods on getting rid of pests which are advocated by the

Department of Agriculture. Surrounding the crops with plants that naturally keep the pest out.

Burning diseased crops so the pest won't spread to healthy crops. If the pest is an insect, use a

natural enemy--an insect that eats the pest but does not hurt your crop, to remove the pest.

e. Vermicast, Vermiculture and African Nightcrawler Worm Farming

This vermicast is a healthy compost produced from farming ANC or African Nightcrawler

worms. The worm castings or poop were collected to come up with a high-moisture-retaining

soil that is best for planting and farming both small container gardening, backyard gardening

and big lot farming in the Philippines. It is also being practiced now around the world.

f. Hydroponics

Hydroponics is a subset of hydroculture and is a method of growing plants using mineral

nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the

mineral solution only, or in an inert medium, such as perlite or gravel. 23

Soilless Culture

Gericke originally defined hydroponics as crop growth in mineral nutrient solutions.

Hydroponics is a subset of soilless culture. Many types of soilless culture do not use the mineral

nutrient solutions required for hydroponics. Plants that are not traditionally grown in a climate

would be possible to grow using a controlled environment system like hydroponics. NASA has

also looked to utilize hydroponics in the space program. Ray Wheeler, a plant physiologist at

Kennedy Space Center’s Space Life Science Lab, believes that hydroponics will create advances

within space travel. He terms this as a bioregenerative life support system. 24

D. Rice Farming Innovations

Rice production in the country of Philippines is important to the food supply in the

country and economy. The Philippines is the 8th largest rice producer in the world, accounting

23 Anna Heiney, "Farming for the Future", nasa.gov, 8-27-0424 Manila Bulletin, Myka Basco January 7, 2015

for 2.8% of global rice production25. The Philippines was also the world's largest rice importer in

2010. Recent trend analyses indicate that the growth of the rice sector has become completely

dependent on yield improvements (David and Balisacan, 1995 and Gonzales, 1998). Yield

improvement can come in either of two ways: a) by shifting the yield frontier, i.e., breeding

varieties that have significantly higher yield potential than our current varieties, e.g., New Plant

Type; and b) by developing and promoting yield-enhancing technologies such as the use of high

quality seeds and efficient fertilizers. The first option is not attainable in the immediate future

considering that the yield potential of the majority of the newly-released varieties have not yet

surpassed the yield of IR8, which was bred in the late 1960’s. The second alternative is more

plausible because there are available yield-enhancing technologies. 26

A system of planting rice without synthetic chemical inputs but uses only organic

farming methods promises a better yield, said representatives of nonprofit organization SRI

(system of rice intensification) Pilipinas.27 SRI Pilipinas, which is composed of researchers and

scientists, encourages farmers to leave behind rice planting methods that use agrichemical

inputs and instead adopt the SRI system, a planting method developed by French Jesuit Fr.

Henri Laulanie in the 1990s.

a. Reduced seeds

Among the strategies adopted by SRI are the nonburning of rice straw, non use of

agrichemicals, reduced seeds and use of farm-produced seeds to help increase production and

protect the environment. Teodoro Mendoza, crop science professor at the University of the

Philippines, said SRI uses only 7 kilograms of seeds per hectare compared to 80 kg of seeds per

hectare in the conventional practice. In the SRI system, he said the rice plants are planted

25 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_production_in_the_Philippines26 http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6905e/x6905e0b.htm27 http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/423435/rice-planting-technique-promises-better-yield

singularly in a recommended distance of 25 x 25 centimeters while the traditional practice is to

plant several plants in every hill.

b. Singular planting

Roberto Verzola, national coordinator of SRI Pilipinas, said since the seeds are singularly

planted, they tend to grow better because there is no competition with other plants, so the

results are healthier plants capable of producing more grains. In 2006, because of concerted

efforts to adopt organic agriculture and the SRI method, the farmers’ yield increased to an

average of 5 tons per hectare compared to 3.6 tons per hectare without the SRI system, Verzola

said.

“The system was also found to be cost-effective, since production per hectare was

reduced and net income increased from P17,200 to P37,636,” SRI Pilipinas said in its brochure.

The group also cited increased employment in the rural areas with the adoption of SRI, as well

as enhancement of the ecosystem and protection of people’s health.

c. Training programs

Lucy Fisher, researcher from Cornell University and advocate of SRI, warned, however,

that the beneficial results of SRI could be achieved only if the ways and methods are all

executed right. SRI is being promoted by Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) in

Pili, Camarines Sur, in partnership with SRI Pilipinas and other civil society groups. CBSUA, in a

statement, said that amid intensive chemical farming and the use of high-yielding varieties all

over Bicol, SRI provides a better option for rice growers through the use of organic farming.

CBSUA has 16 trainers, with more than 500 farmers trained on organic rice farming through the

SRI system. CBSUA and SRI Pilipinas have established 22 demonstration and trial farms while

research is underway to come up with technologies and information to improve the system, the

statement added.

d. Production Constraints and Issues in the Rice Industry

Despite technological breakthroughs in rice research, farm yield levels are still way

below their maximum potential due to biological, technical, physical, socio-economic and policy

constraints.

1. Biological-technical-physical constraints

Technology plateau: After the introduction of IR 8 in the late 1960’s, which triggered the

green revolution in Asia, no genetic material introduction with the same magnitude of

technological innovation has taken place. It is generally agreed among rice scientists that the

technology plateau in rice took place in the late 1980’s.

Emergence of biotype: Rice production declined after the mid 1980’s due to the

emergence of new biological problems. The development of new strains and biotypes of rice

pests were compounded by the regular occurrences of natural calamities such as floods and

drought. Reduced hectarage, poor maintenance of irrigation facilities, urbanization, and post

harvest losses contributed to this decline.

Low technical efficiency: ‘PhilRice’ studies show that farmers have low technical

efficiency relative to the best farmer performance. Also, first generation varieties are still used

by nearly half of the farmers. Moreover, these varieties produce relatively low yield, poor grain

quality, low milling recovery, and poor tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Seeding rates are

still high at 120 to 200 kg/ha.

Problem soils and declining soil fertility: An estimated 1.2 million ha which is about one

half of the national rice hectarage, are classified as problem soils. Of the total hectarage of

problem soils, 600,000 ha have adverse water and nutrient conditions; 100,000 ha are saline-

prone; 10,000 ha are alkaline; 15,000 ha are peat soils; and 500,000 ha are acid sulphate soils.

2. Socio-economic constraints

Socio-Economic constraints are composed of farmers’ limited management capabilities

to make correct decisions to increase their yield levels (hence profit) and the unfavorable policy

environment which inhibits them from fully optimizing their decision making process. Limited

management skills of farmers: On average, there are more rice farmers in the Philippines who

have limited skills in making rice farming an agribusiness venture. The relatively low fertilizer

use and proper timing of application, accompanied by poor cultural management practices are

major sources of inefficiency.

Deteriorating terms of trade: Although nominal protection of domestic rice production

has been positive over the years, net effective protection has been declining due to higher

protection on tradable inputs and overvaluation of exchange rates. This declining incentive

implies bias against the rice sector in macro level resource allocation, and loss of benefits to

farmers at the micro level.

Lack of appropriate and adequate infrastructure: Because of limited access to credit for

processing and storage facilities, farmers are forced to sell their marketable surplus during

harvest months when prices are low. Farmers cannot wait for a good price because they do not

have a place to dry or store their rice. As a result, wholesalers dictate prices to retailers and

consumers.

Another problem is the lack of effective irrigation systems, which is primarily

constrained by: a) the substantial increase in costs for irrigation development; and b)

management problems for large scale irrigation projects.

3. Yield Potential of Released Varieties

There are different varieties of Rice. The yeild potential of the varieties depending on

their breeds. Among the three recommended hybrids, PSB Rc72H has the highest maximum

yield of 9.9 t/ha. These hybrids have a relatively lower maximum yield than the national record

because they are recommended only for specific areas in the country where they have out

yielded the inbred check by at least 12 percent.28

E. Fuit Farming Innovations

The subject of fruit and nut production deals with intensive culture of perennial plants,

the fruits of which have economic significance. It is one part of the broad subject of

horticulture, which also encompasses vegetable growing and production of ornamentals and

flowers. This article places further arbitrary limitations in that it does not encompass a number

of very important perennial fruit crops covered elsewhere, including vanilla, coffee, and the oil-

producing tung tree and oil palm.

a. Natural farming technique for the benefits of man and soil.

“Seeds and fruits are the chief, sometimes the only, food of many forest-inhabiting rodents,

birds, other mammals, even carnivores are said to eat fruits. A very large proportion of rain

forest trees have fruits or seeds attractive to mammals and birds.

28 http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6905e/x6905e0b.htm

1. Using birds.

Piles of ripe fruit and/or seed pods from indigenous plants placed randomly in an area

that needs revegetating may possibly be eaten (and the seeds dispersed) by wildlife, especially

if this is done on the edge of an existing forest. This could work for some Passiflora spp., figs,

guavas, Opuntia, some Solanaceae, some Cucurbitaceae, some Rosaceae, some Lauraceae,

some palms, some legumes e.g. rain trees, Inga spp., etc. It may be important to avoid getting

human smells on the fruit or seed pods, so it is advisable to rub topsoil or leaflitter on hands

prior to collecting and placing fruit.

Even more wildlife may be attracted to the fruit/seed pod piles if additional attractants

are added. In areas that are far from the sea, salt may be deficient, and a strong natural seasalt

solution poured on the piles may result in more animals being attracted to, and eating and

dispersing the seeds. Also, the smell and taste of diluted molasses should attract many animals,

and perhaps also diluted malt, and perhaps brewer’s or baker’s yeast. Different attractants

could be added to different piles to see what works best.

Providing artificial perches and homes/nesting sites will bring in birds etc., which will

deposit seeds below and near the perches (birds often defecate beneath their roosting perches,

and as they take off). See the AID article for more on this technique.

2. Using livestock

Livestock fed with seeds (seeds mixed in with supplementary fodder) will later disperse

and deposit some of the seeds in their manure. Up to 90% of the seeds fed to livestock may be

destroyed by chewing etc., so large numbers of small seeds fed to larger animals e.g. horses,

cattle, are likely to work best (e.g. probably many species of small-seeded legumes such as

Acacia spp., Sesbania spp., grasses, herbs etc.). Livestock can also disperse soil improvers

(again, mixed in with supplementary fodder), such as beneficial micro-organisms, deficient

nutrients, clay for sandy soils, etc., which are then deposited in their “improved” manure. In

most places this improved manure will be mixed into the soil by earthworms and/or dung

beetles, and in some places, termites.

Seeds can also be broadcast by hand or machine (but this is more labour and energy

intensive), and then trodden into the soil by the animals, to enhance the germination and

establishment of many plant species (this technique provides an opportunity to establish plant

species that have large seeds e.g. Erythrina, but also small poisonous seeds). Or, a combination

of the above, plus follow-up planting of potted plants and/or quickstick cuttings in bare/failed

areas. See the “Animal Improved dung plus seeds” treatment on the page “Animal Improved

Dung”

F. Advantages of using thses techniques

a. Plant Growth

Organic fertilizers provide nutrients necessary for plant growth, with the benefit of

being slower-acting and gentler than chemical fertilizers, so that you are less likely to overfeed

and chemically burn your plants. Organic fertilizers are not in a form that is immediately

absorbed by plants, but rather must be first broken down by soil bacteria and fungi into forms

that plants can absorb. This means that, unlike chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizers are not

easily washed away in a heavy rainstorm or irrigation session, and that the plants get the

benefit of nutrients for growth more evenly over a longer period of time rather than all at once.

b. Soil Improvement

Organic fertilizers help improve soil structure and nutrient content over time. While

chemical fertilizers simply add water-soluble chemicals which are either absorbed by the plant

roots or leach away, potentially polluting water resources, organic fertilizers add organic matter

that helps the soil to retain moisture and nutrients. Sandy soils in particular can benefit from

the addition of organic fertilizers, or from the use of organic matter like well-rotted compost

and manure used as a soil fertility additive or mulch. These latter organic matter fertilizers have

the added advantage of often being free from livestock farms, poultry farms or wood-

processing facilities which compost their discarded bedding and wood chips.

3. Some Additional Benefits

a. Slow Release of Nutrients

When fertilizers are mixed into the soil, the nutrients are absorbed from the soil by the

roots of the plant. In synthetic fertilizers, these nutrients are in ready to use form and when

mixed into the soil, can be immediately absorbed by the roots and hence, the plant. There is

however a real danger that the roots absorb more nutrients than necessary, causing the roots

and plant to burn up. On the other hand, organic fertilizers do not contain nutrients in an easily

usable form. When they are mixed into the soil, the microorganisms like bacteria that are in the

soil, have to work on the fertilizer, break it up and release the nutrients. This is a slow process

and so there is no danger that too many nutrients are ever available to the plant. As such there

is low chance for a ‘plant burn’ when organic fertilizers are used.

b. Long-term Benefits to the Soil

Chemical fertilizers are manufactured with the sole purpose of helping the growth of a

plant. As a result while they may contain a better balance of all the major nutrients that a plant

needs, they also contain certain harmful elements that can cause acidity in the soil. This can kill

the helpful microbes that live in the soil and studies indicate that long-term use of chemical

fertilizers can cause great damageto the soil. On the other hand, since organic fertilizers need

these microbes to work on them to release the nutrients, they end up stimulating the growth of

these microorganisms, ensuring long-term fertility of the soil.

c. Long-term Benefits to the Environment

Synthetic fertilizers also tend to release many chemicals into the soil that contain

nutrients helpful to soil but may also contain elements that are not easily biodegradable. These

may go on to contaminate our lands and our water. On the other hand, by definition, organic

fertilizers almost always have only biodegradable contents.

d. Cheap and Cost-Effective

Organic Fertilizers can be produced at home or on farms by using a mix of cow, sheep,

chicken, and horse manure along with wastes like leaves and dead plants. This is a great way of

getting rid of waste from your garden or farm and certainly a cheaper alternative to purchasing

chemical fertilizers.

e. Safe

When lawns and gardens are sprayed with chemical fertilizers, one has to be careful

that the family members, especially kids and pets who often play on lawns, do not ingest the

harmful chemicals. However, there is no preventing from local wildlife from being affected.

Organic fertilizers can be a safer alternative.As with all things, there is no one size fits all, and in

many instances the use of a synthetic fertilizer may prove to be more effective. However, if you

take the time to learn about your specific needs and truly understand the needs of your lawn,

turf, garden or management zone you will have a healthy, safe, water and energy efficient

landscape in no time.

Conclusion

The land has a social function, while the land owners has a social responsibility. Owners

of agricultural land have the obligation to cultivate directly or administer the lands they owned

and make it productive.29 The land is the very life of every farmer. The land is the backbone of

29 Sec2 par 14 RA 6657 or The comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1998

agriculture, the source of our basic human needs. Throughout history, it shows ups and down

of the food market. Attributed to different circumstances which leads to decreased food

production.

These circusmstances includes, drought, cyclones, and other calamities. The land being

an integral part of our environment and natural resources, it cannot be excempted from the

degrading effects of human activities. Farming has evolved from simple planting to different

complicated methods of cultivating the soil. some methods like use of pesticides even damages

the soil and lowers productivity. It is a fact that for once the soil turn stale and barren. Logic

will respond, when the soil gets barren, what then will happen to its social function?

Agrarian reform basically talks of land, the land as a natural resources which cradles life

must also be maintained as healthy as possible. The 1987 Constitution has provided that it is a

state policy to maintain a balanced and healthful ecology. This is one reason that the soil needs

to be protected.

The care of the soil is also a care of for humanity. The effects of soil degradation is

already evident in the present. There is no justification that we should ignore the situation

when its already apparent. Food shortage is a an immenet danger when we let this situation go

on. While agrarian reform adresses injustice to farmers, environmental conservation addresses

injustice to the soil.

The above cited farming mnethods and thecniques show that there are effective

methods of farming that increases soil productivity, sustainabillity and decreases soil

degradation. We conclude that these methods shoulkd be advocated by the government and

incorporate it in the agrarian reform program

Recommendations

This bird Technique is used in Australia wherein this can also be used in the Philippines,

especially in mountainous areas like the Mt. Province. While the livestock technique can easily

be used here in the Philippines.

There is a considerable yield gap between experiment station yields and farmer’s yields,

which can be narrowed by increasing productivity. Although we have already developed

technologies for increased productivity, some policy measures need to be initiated to maximize

the potential of these technologies. Researchers should continue generating new technologies

and fine tune existing ones to suit the needs of resource-poor and resource-rich farmers in the

different environments. Policy and decision makers should ensure the timely delivery of the

required inputs of production, e.g., quality seeds, fertilizer, irrigation and water to the farmers.

Lastly, there is a need to strengthen further the existing extension systems in the country.

Without an efficient extension system, technologies generated will not find their own way to

the farmers.

There are differnet farming methods proven effective to increase soil productivity. Most

are cost effective, most farmers are still following traditional amidst the advent of these

innovations. The number one consideration is that because not all farmers or tillers if the soil

have a degreein agriculture, the Department of Agriculture should be the one to disseminate

these innovations. Intensive information drive with use of the media like televisions and radio is

a good avenue. Sponsoring farmers in piloting the farming methods would also encourage the

application of these new innovations to increase soil productivity.