Are rice farmers the poorest of the poor in the Philippines?

English. Rice farmers are often perceived as poor, or among the poorest in the Philippines. issues on food security and poverty alleviation revolve around rice sufficiency and improved livelihood of the estimated 2.5 M rice farmers. While the anticipated lowering of domestic rice prices as a resultof open trade will arguably benefit poor rice consumer, its potential negative impact on farmers' rice income is of great concern because rice is the staple food, and rice farmers and farm workers comprise an important part of the farming sector with key political and economic significance. This paper uses Family Income and Expenditure survey (FIES 2000) and farm survey data to compare the living standards of rice farmers vis-a-vis other farmers. The authors use data not only on income, but also for expenditures and non-monetary indicators. They also locate geographic areas where poverty incidence among rice farmers is particularly high, and derive some implic ations for policy and research. Results showed that while a significant percentage of rice farmers are undoubtedly poor as defined by the indicators used in this study, corn and coconut farmers, fisherman, and landless laborers are substantially poorer. These latter groups have less income, spend less money on dietary protein, are able to hire less labor to work their farms, have lower quality houses, are less likely to have electricity and water faucets in their homes, and are less likely to own a television or refrigerator. This implies that while policies in favor of rice farmers are very much in order, it is also important to consider the potential impacts on poorer segments of the society and strike a balance that is fair to all.

English. Scientific Conference of the Federation of Crop Science Societies of the Philippines Lapasan, cagayan de Oro City (Philippines) 2-6 May 2005