I need proof on why filpino farmers are switching to crops that cn be usd as biofuels rather thn plntng rice?

Question

i need proof about that. i wish you can give me an article about it. or answer the question.thanks.

Answer 1

It would need to be true before you can find proof.

The Phillipines have been a rice importer since it first began trading with the rest of the world, and the government has promoted export crop production over rice production just about as long. The Phillipines has one of the lowest productivity in rice production in the world- they are not very good at growing it.

The Phillipines has passed laws to make the fuel supply at leasat 5% ethanol. The Phillipines does grow sugar that should produce inexpensive ethanol. WEether that has taken land away from rice production seems unclear at best.

Rice production was increasing through out the 90s:

http://www.irri.org/science/cnyinfo/phil...

The Phillipine government says rice production is up:

http://www.upiasiaonline.com/Economics/2...

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/061124/4/2tfg...

I suspect that while the Phillipines is going to begin producing more ethanol or bio fuels, it does not appear to be at the expense of rice production.

Answer 2

Farmers are following the money.  If the payoff to grow BioFuel Crops pays more than Rice, chances are nobody will be growing rice.

But the cycle is self correcting. As everybody jumps on the biofuels bandwagon, prices drop and the Rice prices will rise as the supply of rice falls do to lack of farming. As such, farmers will switch back to rice once its payoff begins to exceed Biofuels.

Answer 3

Here is an article titled, 'Food Versus Fuel in the Philippines':

http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/14...

Answer 4

Farmers are smart.  They will use their land and their time to get the highest return for their families. That means biofuels. You can read more at www.wsj.com and www.nytimes.com.

Answer 5

Because "riceburner" is a racial slur rather than a reference to a biofuel.  Any crop that can be used for more than one application and if one of those is higher profit then the farmer is wise to switch to that which will make his life more comfortable.  In the past many of those farmers were ignorant of world trade and higher profit and many of them only grew rice because that was all they knew to grow because that was all they could sell locally.