Geographical Review of Japan Vol. 60 (Ser. B), No. 1, 20-40, 1987 Technological Innovation and Agrarian Change in the Philippines; With Special Reference to Rice Farming in the 1970s Hiromitsu UMEHARA* Rice farming in the Philippines underwent an unprecedented change in the 1970s-a result of technological innovations combined with a new high-yielding variety of rice. This paper attempts to shed light on the basic nature and pattern of this agrarian change as well as to discuss its implications. Accordingly, attention is given to the basic components of current technological innovation, namely, seeds, inputs, and credit. The patterns of agrarian change identified in this study are: firstly, the specialization of seed production, in other words, the alienation of farmers from seed production; secondly, the growing dependence of farmers on modern inputs; and, thirdly, the great expansion of the farm credit system in the rural community. It should be emphasized that, contrary to the frequent claims of the development economists, the tremendous expansion of the domestic market for farm inputs failed to encourage the growth of domestic agro-industries. Instead, au enormous impact was observed only in the marketing and financing sectors. This brought about the emergence of a commercial elite class in the rural community. Another point is that the massive diffusion of "green revolution" technology in the 1970s brought the country to self-sufficiency in rice. This resulted, on the one hand, in termination of rice imports from neighboring countries, but, on the other, it created a new dependence on the foreign capital necessary to acquire modern inputs. rapid rate since the mid-1960s when a new I. Introduction high-yielding variety of rice became available to the rice growing farmers in the Philippines As is widely recognized, the Philippines has for the first time. Thereafter, rice produc experienced an unprecedentedly rapid rate of tion in the Philippines increased from the agricultural growth in recent decades. Accord level of a little less than 4 million tons of palay ing to the World Development Report 1982, the (unhusked rice) in the mid-1960s, to 5 million annual rate of growth was 4.9 percent in the tons in the early 1970s, and finally to more than 1970s, which fairly exceeded the average 8 million tons in the early 1980s. It means growth rate of 2.7 percent for all developing that the total rice production has doubled in countries in the world, and also surpassed the less than 20years. This tremendous increase average rate of 3.8 percent for the countries in rice production has been brought about in Southeast Asia. This is indeed astonish mainly by the improvement of land produc ing since the average growth rate of the tivity rather than the expansion of planted agricultural sector in the Philippines is esti area, since the latter was less than 10 percent mated at 3.8 percent per annum for the period during the same period. of 1950-73 GRIFFIN,1981, p. 281). A great deal has been written about the It is particularly the rice growing sector that impact of this technological innovation has contributed to the high rate of agricul on rice farming. It is mostly concerned tural growth in the 1970s. Technological in with issues such as the diffusion pattern of new novations have been diffused at a surprisingly rice technology, exploration of factors that * Department of Geography , Rikkyo University, Nishi-Ikebukuro, Tokyo, 171. Technological Innovation and Agrarian Change 21 Fig. 1 Agricultural crop regions in the Philippines constrained the realization of high yielding innovation was taken for granted while changes potential, the impact of new technology on in production, income, institutions and other production, peasants' income, the land tenure topics were discussed. system, the labor market in the rural areas, From his field study in the late 1970s. the and so forth. In these studies, technological author found the emergence of a commercial 22 H. UMEHARA elite" in the rural communities to be the most yielding variety (HYV) or modern variety conspicuous impact of technological innova (MV). Here in this section, let us examine the tions (UMEHARA,1983, pp. 24-4.0). This find extent of HYV diffusion and its supply system. ing implies a great expansion of the farmers' 1. Diffusion of high yielding varieties of rice demand for varied farm supplies and services. In this regard, attention must be given to It was in November 1966 when the Inter the nature of technology itself. national Rice Research Institute (IRRI) an A grain of HYV rice typically embodies the nounced its success in breeding an entirely new basic features of "green revolution" tech type of rice variety, called IR-8 (IRRI, 1967, nology. A new seed is supplied by the spe p. 11). The Philippine government, which cialized seed propagators. It requires ex had been suffering from a perennial shortage tensive use of modern farm inputs, such as of domestic rice production since Independence fertilizers, chemicals, farm machines and equip in 1946, welcomed the announcement and the ment, that are manufactured in the non donation from IRRI of 60 tons of newly bred agricultural sector. In order to obtain the rice seed, IR-8, in anticipation of her future potential high yield, heavy application of rice self-sufficiency. Having picked up and inputs is a prerequisite. As a consequence, added two other locally-developed rice vari farmers are always put badly in need of agri eties, BPI-76 and C-18 respectively, as recom cultural credit. mended varieties together with IR-8, the It is hypothesized in this context that the government launched the so called "rice crush current technological innovation in rice farm program" by means of dissemination of HYVs ing consists of three major components, namely and their related farming techniques among seeds, inputs, and credit. Farmers can hardly the rice farmers. obtain a high level yield in rice planting with Generally speaking, the HYVs were very out any one of these three components, which susceptive to various rice pests and diseases. are integrated by the peasant farmers at their Once a specific new seed is infested, it has farm level, thus enabling them to realize a to be replaced by another. Improved seed high yield in production. The establishment quality like pest and disease resistance used of a supply system of these components is thus to disappear after a couple of plantings. So, indispensable along with diffusion of the new new seeds had to be continuously improved. rice technology. Year after year, newly improved HYVs have In this paper, the author tries to explore been coming out, and have usually been given the pattern of agrarian change and discuss descent names such as IR, BPI or MRC, C or its implications with special reference to the UPL, depending upon the source institutions, rice farming of the Philippines in the 1970s. for example IRRI, Bureau of Plant Industry Attention is mainly focussed on the supply (BPI) or the University of the Philippines at systems of the three components, i.e. seeds, Los Banos (UPLB). inputs and credit. The geographical area The dissemination of HYVs in the Philip covered by this study is the Philippines as a pines was comparatively rapid. The rate of whole, although more particular reference is HYV diffusion exceeded 50 percent in the made to regions such as Central Luzon and early 1970s, less than 5years after the start Western Visayas where rice growing was the of the massive extension program, and was most dominant economic activity of the people approaching 80 percent by the early 1980s (see Fig. 1). (HERDT&, CAPULE, 1983, p. 16). Many expressed a pessimistic view with II. Specialization of Seed Production regard to the rapid diffusion of HYVs among peasant farmers, citing facts such as the pre A tremendously rapid increase of rice pro valence of excessively small-sized farms, lack duction in the Philippines in the 1970s occurred of irrigation facilities, relatively high cost of as a consequence of the diffusion of a particular various inputs, and so forth. Despite these kind of rice, popularly known as the high problems, HYV diffusion was indeed marvelous Technological Innovation and Agrarian Change 23 as stated above. Most probably, it can be disappear despite the repetition of planting. attributable to two facts. One is the active In this sense, peasants are not alienated from participation of the government agencies in its seeds by the advent of HYVs, because they extension and the other is the relatively can obtain their own seeds for the next plant higher yield performance of HYVs, compared ing out of their current harvest. with that of traditional varieties, even at Notwithstanding this, peasants in the Philip the level of little or no fertilizer application pines started being more and more dependent (YAMADA,1978, pp. 26-28). on purchased rice seeds rather than self supplied seeds after the HYV diffusion in the 2. Farmers' dependence on purchased seeds late 1960s. It is estimated that the demand Hybrid seeds show a marvelous yield per for certified seeds of rice amounted to 30,000 formance only at the first generation, for or 40,000 tons per annum by the late 1970s "hybrid vigor" usually disappears after the (BPI, 1982, Table 1). second generation. It is, therefore, of no use The growing dependence of farmers upon for the peasants to keep from their harvest a purchased rice seed can be explained by two certain amount of grains as seed for the next factors. One is the government credit policy planting. Instead, peasants have to buy seeds for small rice farmers. The government fi every year if they hope to obtain a bumper nancing agencies have extended a huge amount harvest in succeeding seasons, too.