Here Is The Hidden Enemy Of Rice Farmers In The Philippines!

I'll explain the face and the figure later. 

I have been watching the 4-H Club video by John Ashly M Mata, a member of the 4-H Club NCHS of the Province of Sorsogon, Region V, entitled "Agriculture Is Life."

It's quite good, and it surprises me, a science writer. who loves to surprise people with my own wit or wordom.

I personally came to know about the 4-H Club when it was part of the BS Agriculture major in Ag Edu course that I took at the UP College of Agriculture, now UP Los Baños, in the 1960s – I graduated in 1965. Among other things, I was an officer (President?) of the 4-H Club, and I learned my parliamentary procedures from my club engagements. I haven't heard much of 4-H activities since then; I must say this Club has been neglected in the Philippines.

I'm glad Ted Mendoza sent me a link to this video, because it has opened my eyes on the powers of the video, 4-H Club, and a weakness of agriculture.

The narrator – I didn't get her name – goes on to say:

I discovered a club that focuses on reviving and strengthening agriculture through youth empowerment & development.

4-H Club

This club has existed for 67 years… and is dedicated to empowering youth.

They provide the youth opportunities to learn by doing. Individual. Group. Community.

Another, they instill in the youth the Spirit of Volunteerism. Cooperation. Dignity of labor. Time. talents. Energies. Wisely develops youth potentials. Like this fan-making workshop.

The video ends with these words:

You too can be a part of 4-H Club. You can be a part of bringing innovationand development to our agriculture.

Before all that, "Agriculture is dying," the script says, "not because of drought," but for many reasons (my list).

One, the average age of Filipino farmers is 57-59, nearing retirement age.

Two, the trader buys the farmer's palay at a very low price: P15/kilo. Then he sells at P40/kilo in the market, making a gross of P104,000 from every 4 metric tons. That's 80 cavans at 50 kilos/bag, what an average farmer harvests every season. If there are 100 farmers in a village, the trader makes a gross of P10,400,000 each harvest season. P10 million plus.

100 rice farmers gross P6,000,000.
1 trader grosses P10,400,000.
Life is grossly unfair to our rice farmers!

I am now challenging the 4-H Club all over the Philippines to help level the playing field and give justice to our rice farmers.

There is a way the rice farmers can get the proper rewards for their labors, and it has been proven to succeed in Iloilo. It's called the ZIDOFA Approach – ZIDOFA is the Zarraga Integrated Diversified Organic Farmers Association in the town of Zarraga in Iloilo, chaired by Joby Arandela – via a so-called closed-loop value chain, the ZIDOFA farmers are directly linked to the market and receive their rice price per prior contract, no questions asked.

Is Mr Piñol paying attention to the rice farmers being victimized by traders?517