Government Support to Filipino Farmers on Domestic Rice Production in the Philippines from 1996 to 2015

Abstract

Rice is considered a socially and politically sensitive commodity and securing supply at whatever cost is paramount. However, food security is uncertain since the growth rate for annual rice consumption has exceeded annual rice production. Filipino farmers face a lot of challenges every day like expensive farm supplies, a new breed of pests, very small to no return of investment, climate change, other relevant sectors, inefficient and a little support from the government. Sustainability is a powerful one as it has the potentiality to alter all the ways of productions. It captures the idea that people must work toward satisfying the needs of the current generation without endangering the lives of the future generation.

This study aimed to reveal the agricultural issues regarding inefficient government support on providing policies and the needs of Filipino farmers. In general, the intention of the government to give away subsidies and credit for farmers, this is to support and pursue sustainable ways in agriculture system, to increase the Volume of Domestic Rice Production and help farmers cultivate in an efficient way. However, with those policies, there is no positive result for the farmers’ living condition and lack of domestic rice production becomes a national issue and is challenging the country’s agriculture sector.

This research paper used a quantitative research design employing inferential and descriptive statistics. Multiple Regression tests were utilized to analyze the relationship and effect of Subsidies and Credit for Rice Production to the Volume of Domestic Rice Production in the Philippines.

The regression result of the study showed that there was a linear relationship and significant effect between the dependent variable (Volume of Domestic Rice Production) to the independent variables (Subsidies and Credit for Rice Production in the Philippines) when taken collectively and based on the overall significance of the model. The findings showed that the behavior of the variables was volatile and fluctuating in motion over the years.