Effects of the Palaycheck System on Input Use Efficiency, Productivity, and Profitability of Rice Farms in Magdalena, Laguna, Wet Season, 2023

Date

6-2024

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Cenon D. Elca

Committee Member

Geny F. Lapiña, Maria Angeles O. Catelo

Abstract

Rice is one of the most important crops in the Philippines. It is the staple food of most Filipino families and has significant contributions to the Philippine economy. Despite this, the Philippine rice sector faces several challenges including poverty incidence among rice farming households, increasing pressure on agriculture and the environment to provide food for the growing population, and the intensifying competition for the limited natural resources. One of the solutions to these challenges is empowering farmers through strategic support and effective technology development, transfer, and utilization, which is embodied in the PalayCheck System. The PalayCheck system is “a dynamic rice crop management system that presents the key technology and management practices as Key Checks. It compares farmer practices with best practices and learns from farmers’ discussion groups to sustain improvement in productivity, profitability, and environment safety”. This System was expected to increase the productivity and profitability of its beneficiaries. This study determined if the System was helpful in increasing the productivity and profitability of rice farms and if it makes farmer-beneficiaries more efficient users of farm resources. A counterfactual study was employed to determine the effects of the PalayCheck System on input use efficiency, productivity, and profitability, wherein the farmer- beneficiaries were assigned as the treatment group while the non-beneficiaries were the control group. The methods used in the study were: descriptive analysis, categorization of Key Check achievements, input use efficiency assessment, cost and returns analysis, t-test for mean differences, and regression analysis. The study found that farm size was significantly different between farmer beneficiaries and farmer non-beneficiaries. This finding was considered by the study when comparing the farm performance of the two farmer groups. It appears that the majority of beneficiaries were medium achievers of the PalayCheck System, which means they achieved four to six Key Checks. Both farmer groups were inefficient in their use of land and nitrogen fertilizer, while efficient in their use of phosphorus, potassium, and human labor when compared to the standard or recommended use of these inputs for rice production. The study also found that the PalayCheck System had no significant effects on the productivity and profitability of rice farms in Magdalena. Finally, the result of the multiple regression analysis revealed that the significant factors affecting the productivity of rice farms in Magdalena were land, human labor, and farm chemicals including insecticides, pesticides, and molluscicides. Based on these findings, the study recommends the following: 1) checking and sharing for best farming practices among farmers, 2) take advantage of the significant effect of PalayCheck on human labor use efficiency and the significant effect of labor use on farm productivity, 3) improve land and nitrogen use efficiencies, 4) improve farm performance related to several Key Checks, and 5) include other resource indicators and measuring methods for future studies.

Language

English

LC Subject

Rice trade

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993.5 2024 A14 V55

Notes

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Document Type

Thesis

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