THE government remains committed to pursue its hybrid-rice seed subsidy program at least until 2010, despite the recommendation of the World Bank (WB) to scrap the program and trim the subsidies given to rice farming.

Dr. Frisco Malabanan, director of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA’s) Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) program, said the total scrapping of the hybrid-rice seed subsidy at this time would be “inadvisable.”

“Scrapping the subsidy now would be ill-timed. Most senators agreed that the hybrid-rice technology is the best one we have right now if we are to ensure productivity and sufficiency in rice production,” said Malabanan.

The DA is gunning for a “95-percent self-sufficiency” in rice production by 2010. Malabanan said productivity-enhancing measures such as the hybrid-rice technology is needed if the government is to achieve its goal.

In its technical working paper entitled, “Agriculture Public Expenditure Review” it released recently, WB pushed for the immediate phaseout of the hybrid-rice seed subsidy to re-channel the funds instead to research and development and technology promotion through an “effective” devolved extension services.

WB also said earlier that the hybrid-rice seed commercialization program (HRCP) had only contributed to the increasing inequality within the rice sector and discouraged crop diversification.

The project started as a wholly funded program of the government. From a full subsidy, the DA’s assistance has been steadily decreasing yearly and is now at P1,000 per hectare.

Currently, farm lands planted to hybrid rice is now at 300,000 hectares. The DA is eyeing to raise this to 500,000 has. next year.

Malabanan said the national government decided to extend the life of the program which was set to expire by the end of this year due to the clamor of farmers and local government units.

The DA claimed that the planting of hybrid rice has enabled the government to save a total of P13.9 billion in rice imports since it was introduced in 2001.

CONSUMERS are left with no choice but to bite the bullet and pay for expensive cooking gas this month.

Oil companies Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Total (Philippines) on Thursday morning increased the price of cooking gas by P1.50 a kilo, which is exclusive of the value-added tax.

THE government remains committed to pursue its hybrid-rice seed subsidy program at least until 2010, despite the recommendation of the World Bank (WB) to scrap the program and trim the subsidies given to rice farming.

A REPORT from the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) within the World Bank Group concluded that the Bank must become more effective in issues surrounding income inequality, corruption, and the preservation and conservation of the environment in middle-income countries (MICs) like the Philippines.

CONTRARY to popular beliefs, migration, despite the volume of money it brings, has neither brought rural folks out of poverty nor is it a sure fire way for farm people to clamber aboard the prosperity wagon.

THE country has recently endorsed 43 applications for consideration under Japan’s FY2008 Individual Technical Cooperation Program, which extends assistance by dispatching experts and providing training and supply of medical equipment to countries in need.