Reviving the green revolution
URBAN dwellers complain about the cost of rice and vegetables nowadays. Hence, there is a need to understand the factors leading to the sudden upsurge of rice and vegetable cost. Why are we importing rice despite our large agricultural area? We in the cities immediately attribute or blame the cost to fuel, inflation, lack of NFA rice supply and even rice hoarding. But in understanding the reason of why rice and vegetable are becoming expensive, we might as well help in the production of cheaper commodities.
In a research study entitled “Rice Production Practices in the Philippines” conducted by Eulito U. Bautista and Evelyn F. Javier (2008), it presented a historical background of how rice is being produce in the Philippines. The study divided rice production into three eras namely pre – green revolution, green revolution and post green revolution. Green Revolution was promoted by Imelda R. Marcos at a time when the Philippines is close to a high inflation rate. Vegetables were raised by city dwellers from simple containers such as cans, plastics and similar containers to a more sophisticated floor garden. Rice were also planted from single cropping to a double and triple cropping in the rural areas. The study also pointed direct seeding of new varieties as one of the solutions to address rice shortage.
In a study conducted by Anita L. Molijon (2014) entitled Baseline Assessment of the Vegetable Gardens (Gulayan sa Paaralan) in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools in Cagayan de Oro city, which is a highly urbanized city, 87% of the respondents stated that Gulayan sa paaralan has helped the participating students economically aside from the knowledge and skills acquired in farming. Furthermore, in a span of five years, 77% of the participating school has maintained the vegetable farm by employing sustainable practices. Baguilat (2015) enumerated the result of sustainability such as availability of diverse vegetable supplies, easier garden maintenance, improved yield performance including soil structures and short period harvest.
These sample research studies about vegetable and rice can be integrated to revive the noble purpose of the green revolution. Indeed, practices acquired in school through the (gulayan sa paaralan) can be brought to the learner’s home as part of the performance task. On the other hand, student in the rural areas, although in reality have overflowing supplies of vegetables need to study strategies to increase rice productions such as direct seeding. This is because practically city dwellers cannot produce volumes of rice, but only volume of vegetables due to limited space. Thus, an ample supply of vegetable grown at home helps avoid inflation.