Sustainable food-feed system and improved livelihood of the poor in rainfed rice areas: socioeconomic component (Philippine Case)

Inglés. Given the domestic and international challenges faced by the rice sector, there is a need to explore potential cropping and livestock systems and modalities that can increase profitability and savings and ultimately reduced poverty. A good modality that appears to have a promising edge in upgrading the agriculture sector ability to hurdle its current challenges is the exploration of rice-based crop-animal systems. However, these systems have been fragmanted and have lacked the holistic focus to address the constrainst inhibiting the full exploration of its economic potential. The extent of interaction between crops and animals and the direction of development of integrated crop animal systems (ICAS) among rice-based farming households given the various changes in the socioeconomic environment were determined. Data used was from the community survey and profiles of target sites. Focus group discussions was conducted to elicit information from kn owledgeable persons in the barangay [village]. Optimal use of resources in crop-animal interaction at the household level was determined using Linear Programming. Animal production can augment the income of rice farmers. Sales from animals could be a source of capital for rice production and finace household expenditures. Animal by-products are also use as fertilizers while crop by-products serves as feeds of animals. Crops planted after increased income of rice farmers by 36%,depending on the crops planted and factors of diversification such as availability of adequate water, land suitability, climatic condition, availability of management technology, time constraints caused by the presence of rice crops, farmers' preference, resource base, influence of neighboring farmers or extension agents, and land tenure. Diversification towards feasible farm production combinations that yield the best economic returns over time is essential if the rice-based systems are to survive the basic levels of market competition: commodity markets and tight competition for the alternative uses of land resource base.

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