Rice Growing in the Philippines

Tarlac City, Tarlac

Philippines

15 October 2009

Typhoon update – we have personally not been affected by the high water but the Tarlac Stake had one branch with high water and had to open the church for some members. The Paniqui District also had three units with some members that had to move into the church buildings. The missionaries in Moncada – four elders had to leave their house and go to the church for a few days. They had about a foot of water in their house. The sun has now been out for two days so the water is in retreat and things will soon be back to normal (we hope).

The rice harvest has begun in earnest even in wet fields. Rice was planted in stages about three months ago. We say stages because most of the work is completed by hand and is labor intensive so they cannot plant larger fields at one time like is done in the U.S. As they plant so do they harvest in stages – and again being labor intensive it is mostly cut by hand tied into bundles then moved to an area where a small threshing machine called a Kiliglig can be positioned for the threshing of the rice from the stalk. The rice is packed in sacks of about 50 Kilograms (over one hundred pounds) called a Caban. These are moved about on the tops of worker’s heads – Wow that would give me a head ache.

Rice at this time is called Palay because it still has a hull or chaff around the rice kernel and is high in moisture. The next step is to remove the moisture. The most common way is to spread the Palay on a concrete surface – including the road and let the sun bake it for about six hours. The person drying the Palay will spend the time turning the piles of rice by pushing a rake through it every so often. Driving during the drying process becomes a challenge because of the obstacles placed in the road to notify drivers. Sometimes you have to drive on the Palay in order to pass an oncoming vehicle.

Once the drying is finished the workers go about sweeping and putting the Palay back into the sacks to make the Caban. The farmers can now sell it to a rice dealer or have it processed himself. Palay will fetch about 10 pesos ($0.21)/ kilo this time of year – harvest time or it they can hold it they can get about 20 pesos ($0.42)/ kilo six months from harvest time. It is a lot of effort for a low return. To finish the rice – make the Palay into rice for consumption it has to go to a mill where it is milled to remove the hull or chaff and polished then graded for quality. We can buy a good variety of rice in bulk at the open air market for 28 pesos ($0.58)/ kilo today.

As you can tell rice production here in the Philippines is labor intensive in planting, harvesting and drying but while growing one man can take care of a large area to control water levels, weeds, fertilizer and pests. Many of the people in the cities do not understand how rice comes to their tables and want lower prices.

Elder NB & Sister MB