Where goes our food
production program?

A group of rice farmers came to me the other day. They complained about the very big increase in the price of fertilizer. I was told a triple 14 which used to cost some P780 a bag a month ago is now more than a thousand pesos.

And worse are the farm chemicals. And yet the price of palay has stayed put. And still worse, on Feb. 1, the irrigation in Bago will be closed. They cannot understand why government does not promote food production.

What can I do? I said. I can only commiserate. The price of fertilizer is bound to go up with the escalating cost of oil. And so with farm chemicals.

Irrigation? I talked with NIA officials in Bago and they are both helpful, Irrigation Superintendent Tito Dato-on and Project Supervisor Dan Japitan. But, they cannot do much because it is the overall director that has the final say.

* * *

What is ironic is Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap was quoted to have said, he wanted to have third cropping to boost rice production. I recall my Belgian friend, Stanley de Baere texted me what was that statement of Secretary Yap on the third cropping?

Secretary Yap is not a rice farmer. There is no third cropping. The farmers who came to me said, NIA people want to work only for 8 to 9 months. The rest, this time February 1 to May 16, the irrigation is closed and therefore, they are on vacation.

I said, that is not their decision. It is the decision upstairs. I can understand so that their work on the project continues. And here's another problem, I was told.

These many years, NIA has not finished its job. They are spending billions of pesos in repairs. And they are always repairing without finishing it.

The latest project was originally scheduled, I was told, to be finished in 2008. Now, they said, it might can go to 2009. But my farmer friends were willing to make a bet, it will not be finished until 2010. Or even 2011.

* * *

The project costing billions has been contracted by a China corporation. And Congressmen Jeffrey Ferrer and Kako Lacson should inquire about the big delay and the hight cost.

And the mayors too covered by the irrigation, particularly Bago, La Carlota, Murcia, Valladolid, San Enrique and Pulupandan.

Our Congressmen and Mayors should push for a three-cropping pattern yet leaving a month and a half for rest to eradicate rice pests. Not three months.

Farming rests from April 1 to May 15 will be enough. They should plan the repairs within this period. It's a matter of planning the work.

The biggest problem of the country is poverty in the rural areas because government has neglected it.

I hope Secretary Yap pursues his plans of three croppings for farmers every year. This will reduce our importation of rice from Thailand .

* * *

We are happy with the performance of SRA in apprehending sugar smuggling worth P15 million. That is something we should be happy about.

But, you know smuggling and apprehension are two things I have gained some memorable experiences that have made me cynical about smuggling being caught.

In the 60s, cigaret smuggling was very rampant. At that time imported cigarets were called “Blue Seal” because the seal is blue which later on was copied also.

I was a correspondent of The Manila Times here and I always mentioned about heavy smuggling of blue seal cigarets here.

Police asked me if I wanted to have a “scoop” by personally witnessing an apprehension of smugglers.

I readily said, yes. I was told three days after, according to intelligence resport a boat load of blue seal cigarets was to be landed near Bacolod . If I wanted to, I would go with them but I first must keep it a secret.

One night we left Bacolod at around 9 and in a shore in Pahanocoy, we hid in the bushes near the place where the smugglers, the intelligence report said, would land.

There were plenty of mosquitoes but I was told not to slap it but just press to kill the vermin. At around 10:30 p.m. there was the roar of a boat engine approaching.

I was told that could be the one now. They had their arms ready and rushed to where a group of people met the boat.

They were all apprehended but they refused to reveal the names. I had a big story in the local paper, The Country Post, which I edited.

When I called up The Manila Times, I was asked how many big cartoons. I said, 20, I can't forget what the desk told me, “Were you not fooled?” He told me to inquire where were the big shipments landed. “That was a decoy,” I was told.

Two days later, I learned a much bigger shipment was landed in Bago.

* * *

The P15 million apprehension by SRA could be genuine. But SRA Administrator Lito Coscolluela must be alert. That might have been just a decoy.

The test is if SRA can file the cases in court. If it does not, I have my doubts.*

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