Philippine E-Journals

Production and Commercialism Practices of Two Different Rice Ecosystems in South District of Antique, Philippines

ALF LORENZ BARDENAS | CECILIA BASTIAN | LEONIE CONSABO | CHRISTINE VIOLA GONZALES | CHEMARIE LAMPREA | ISAH LOU NOCAL | CRISTAH JEAN J ALMONTE

 

Abstract:

Crop farming is considered as the primary source of income of the farmers. The main objective of the study is to determine the status of irrigated and rainfed rice production, marketing, processing, and other management aspects in these irrigated and rainfed rice industry in Antique, Philippines. The researchers used a quantitative type of research in conducting the study. The study’s respondents were the irrigated and rainfed rice producing farmers of the municipalities in the South District of the Province of Antique. The findings revealed that the use of both hand tractor and carabao is more current in land preparation such as plowing, harrowing, and seedbed preparation. The application of commercial fertilizer and inorganic pesticides was observed as a major practice in the province. Also, a more significant part of the total palay produced in the province was consumed (45.09%), and the remaining were sold as a source of income. This indicates that a farmer’s production level was more than enough to meet its subsistence and food availability in the family. Moreover, the Majority of rainfed and irrigated growers were seriously affected by climate change during the entire cropping season due to the unavailability of water supply for rice growing both lowland and upland ecosystem. An infestation of rice bugs, rodents, stemborers, leafhoppers, weeds, and birds are the most encountered biotic problem of palay farmers in Antique. It was recommended that the Local Government Unit should be active in promoting rice production and support the appropriate technology needed by rural farmers to reduce cost and increase production level.