Submarino rice: A farmer’s flood-resistant crop

MANILA, Philippines – If you are a farmer and know the rainy season is coming, better be prepared.

Rice farmers are being encouraged by the International Rice Institute (IRRI) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to grow Submarino rice, a variety of the grain that — as the term connotes — can resist up to two weeks of being submerged by floods like those which last week devastated Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces.

This flood-resistant rice is ideal for farmers to be able to cope with the frequent typhoons and subsequent flooding that affect the Philippines during the rainy season.

Can survive underwater

According to the IRRI, rice is unique because it can grow well in wet conditions where other crops cannot, but if it is covered with water completely it can die, leaving flooded farmers bereft of income.

That is where Submarino rice — introduced for the first time time in the country in 1997 before a new and improved variety became available in 2009 — can help.

If it is not yet in the flowering stage, this special type of rice can survive being underwater for up to two weeks, unlike other varieties of the grain.

Farmers should plant Submarino rice so they “have a fighting chance to outlast most rains and floods that unfortunately beset the country,” IRRI Deputy Director General for Communications and Partnerships Bruce Tolentino said in a statement issued on Wednesday, August 15.

 

DA willing to help farmers switch

Since it was introduced for the first time in 1997, the government has been encouraging farmers to switch to Submarino rice to protect their crops from flooding.

Under the current scheme in place, the DA has committed to provide seeds and crop insurance overage worth P10,000 per hectare. 

A total of P100 million has been allotted for crop insurance payments.

The Submarino rice varieties currently available in the Philippines include Submarino 1 (NSIC Rc194, released in 2009) and Sacobia (PSB Rc68, available since 1997).

Seed for these varieties can be obtained by contacting PhilRice or the IRRI, which can also provide starter seed packs.

Damage to agriculture

Agriculture has been particularly affected by the latest floods and previous weather disturbances and typhoons that have ravaged the Philippines since the start of this rainy season.

The chain of disasters has pushed up the prices of vegetables and other crops by at least P10 per kilo, the DA said on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday morning, the total cost of damage to agriculture reached P1.62 billion, of which over a fourth — P440 million — correspond to rice and corn crops.

Despite this and the previous effect of three other storms, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala has said that the initial damage of 20,000 metric tons of palay is considered minimal and could be offset by the harvest of 180,000 hectares that were cultivated during the summer.

Rice output better than expected despite weather

Despite the floods, he noted that the third quarter rice output is still likely to reach 3.56 million metric tons (MT), 12% higher than last year’s output of 3.17 million MT.

This is because most of the affected areas were in the vegetative stage, therefore having chances of recovery.

In the fourth quarter and based on planting intentions, Alcala predicted that rice production is expected to reach 6.36 million MT in the fourth quarter, 7% more than the 2011 output of 5.94 million MT.

Although the DA is maintaining the current rice production target of 18.46 million MT for all 2012, it will also consider the more conservative figure of 17.8 million MT, still 6.7% higher than last year’s total harvest of 16.68 million MT. – Rappler.com

For related stories, read: 

• INFOGRAPHIC: How much rice do Filipinos consume?
• Filipinos’ high rice consumption fueled by the poor
• PH vs ADB on rice sufficiency: Gov’t confident of 2013 goal
• Researchers find gene that can raise rice harvest
• Philippines’ goal not to import rice may harm world market: ADB