Factors Affecting Farmer's Decision to Use Hybrid Rice Variety in Selected Barangays in Santa Cruz, Laguna

Date

5-2018

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Jewel Joanna S. Cabardo

Abstract

Hybrid Rice is known to be superior to the inbred rice varieties that the farmers are currently using. The usage of hybrid rice in the country is crucial in achieving food security. Furthermore, the decrease in the arable land of rice farming will result to a smaller area to be utilized by the farmers.

The general objective of the research was to determine the factors that affect farmers in the usage of Hybrid Rice in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Specifically, this study aims to (1) describe the socio- economic profile of rice farmers and their farm profile in Santa Cruz, Laguna; (2) discuss the status of hybrid rice production in Santa Cruz; (3) analyze the factors affecting adoption of hybrid rice varieties; (4) assess the issues and challenges on adopting hybrid rice variety in Santa Cruz, Laguna; and (5) formulate recommendations to facilitate technology adoption among rice farmers in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Eighty-seven (87) farmers were interviewed through a survey questionnaire. These farmers were selected based on the criteria of having at least 2 hectares of rice farm land, which is considered the minimum farm size for hybrid rice production to be profitable. After shortlisting all the farmers with 2 hectares and above farmland, the barangays were ranked based on the number of farmers in the barangay that fit the criteria. This resulted in the selection of the six barangays which included Barangay Bubukal, Patimbao, Labuin, Malinao, Gatid, and Jasaan. The sampling method used was convenience sampling.

In the usage of hybrid rice, the farmers were classified into two major categories – either as hybrid users or as inbred users. It can be noted that the hybrid users are the farmers that have used or are currently using hybrid rice varieties. Out of the 87 farmers that were interviewed, 47% of the farmers are classified as hybrid users and the remaining 53% are inbred users or haven’t used hybrid rice.

The socio-demographic factors of the farmers were analyzed through a number of statistical tests. Variables such as age, total years in farming, and farm size used the Point Biserial test. For access to government assistance, the Phi Coefficient test was used. Since the coefficients indicate a very weak to weak strength of relationship, the commonality between the factors reveal that the experience or the length of time that the farmer is involved in rice farming affects the probability that the farmer will adopt hybrid rice.

In this study, the most important down to the least important factor in choosing a rice variety to plant was also presented. The most important for the farmers was the characteristics of the seed, particularly the potential yield of the variety. All of the farmers were choosing a variety without even knowing the developer of the seeds.

Phi Coefficient test was used in analyzing the reasons for non-hybrid usage and the reasons for the preferred variety selection of the farmers. Since these reasons have a very weak relationship with the adoption of hybrid rice, the commonalities of the factors were analyzed. The farmers’ reason for not using hybrid rice are all financially-related concerns. These factors include the high input cost, high seed price, high maintenance, and high fertilizer cost, which influence the farmer to avoid using hybrid rice. Majority of the farmers said that the high seed price was their main reason for not adopting hybrid rice. The top 3 reasons for the farmers to choose their preferred rice variety are as follows: good grain quality, high selling price, and high yield with majority of the farmers choosing the high yield of a variety as the number 1 factor, which pushes the farmer to choose a preferred variety.

The farmers have encountered a few problems in the adoption of hybrid rice. Majority (80%) of the hybrid farmers reported that they did not have problems in the production of hybrid rice while the remaining 20% said that they had problems with the seed not suitable for the environment. In marketing hybrid rice, 12% of the farmers said that they had difficulty in selling the rice produce, while 17% of the farmers said that the preference of consumers was also their problem. But majority (71%) of the farmers said they did not have any problems marketing their rice since most of them were contract growers. For the financial concerns, most of the farmers (54%) did not have any problems in the financial aspect of hybrid usage yet 14% of them said that the seed price was too expensive and 12% of them said that they did not earn profit from the harvests. For the environmental problems, majority (51%) of the farmers said that they had no problems. On the other hand, twenty-nine percent (29%) of the farmers said that they encountered pests and diseases in their hybrid usage experiences. The lower 6% and 2% of the farmers had problems with the climate and the soil, respectively.

Recommendations were formulated to promote the hybrid rice usage of the farmers in the area of Santa Cruz, Laguna. Improvements in the pest and disease resistance of the hybrid rice varieties will make the farming of the variety less tedious for the farmer. Lastly, PhilRice should hold seminars on how to further utilize the hybrid rice varieties available to the farmers.

For the Local Government Units, technical assistance and support through subsidies will definitely make an impact in the adoption of hybrid rice since the farmers look forward to the hybrid rice seeds that the Department of Agriculture is giving out to them. Furthermore, the establishment of mobile hybrid seed distributors will address the problem of accessibility of the hybrid seeds for the farmers. A solution for the high cost of production of the hybrid rice is to create a non-profit organization solely for the purpose of supporting the hybrid rice production in the area. In this way, investors and other people can fund this organization for the benefit of the farmers in using hybrid rice. Additionally, the government should subsidize the price of hybrid seeds. Since one of the main problems of the farmers in the adoption of hybrid rice is the price, subsidizing the price of hybrid seeds will greatly help the farmers in accessing the seeds.

Lastly, for the farmers, attending the training programs and the seminars concerning hybrid rice is the best way to be able to understand and learn more on the updates about the variety. This will let the farmers know the real costs and benefit that go with the usage of hybrid rice. Also practicing the proper ways of crop management is a way to optimize the variety used for the season Another recommendation for the farmers is to join and become an active member of a farmer’s association. Through this, the farmers can exchange information on the variety and tips on how to properly take care of the varieties that they are using. The last recommendation is to consolidate farms for better optimization of hybrid rice varieties. Despite small landholdings of rice farmers, farm consolidation would result in a bigger land. This will yield economies of scale and could result to higher profits since the optimization of the characteristics of the hybrid rice is maximized with the largest land available.

Language

English

LC Subject

Hybrid rice--Philippines

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993 2017 M17 B33

Notes

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Document Type

Thesis

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