by Jewel Joanna S. Cabardo, Renen Szilardo C. de Guzman, Dong-Soo Park, and Jung-Pil Suh
The japonica variety is intentionally cultivated by some Filipino rice farmers to cater to the high-end consumer market as its attributes make it suitable for sushi and other Asian and Mediterranean cuisines. Despite consumer demand, there were limited market studies on the variety’s effectiveness and performance under local conditions from the farmers. This study aims to determine the farmers’ overall assessment of the japonica rice variety as it tries to keep up and compete with the local varieties in the country.
Access to information paved the way for Filipinos to become an empowered consumer. Over the years, the wealth of such information has opened new horizons, perspectives, and lifestyles as part of this global culture that anyone may just choose to adopt.
This includes food that has taught the Filipino palate to explore and appreciate what our tastebuds can now savor under various cuisines. Even with rice as our basic staple is not exempted from being eaten in a new and creative way using various recipes and rice varieties worldwide.
Japonica rice, a high-yielding variety commonly grown in countries like Japan and South Korea has a medium-sized grain, roundish bright white, and moist.
The japonica variety is intentionally being cultivated by some farmers to cater to the high-end consumer market as its attributes make it suitable for sushi and other Asian and Mediterranean cuisines that Filipinos have learned to adapt. It is through these cuisines that their national rice varieties would unlock the authenticity of the dish.
Filipinos’ increased patronage for these international cuisines has created a demand for specialty rice such as Japonica varieties to be used by this chain of restaurants and food enterprises. Thus, it would also be imperative to know the producers’ side regarding their acceptability of Japonica varieties under the country’s tropical conditions.
In 1992, a joint project of South Korea’s Rural Development Authority (RDA) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) known as the Germplasm Utilization Value Added (GUVA) Rice Project was conceptualized. In general, the goal is to develop japonica rice varieties that can adapt and be competitive in the tropical countries, which was then tested in the Philippines.
So far, there have been six varieties that have been developed under the typical tropical environment namely, MS-11 (2008), Japonica-1 (2011), Japonica-2 (2012), Japonica-6 (2017), Cordillera-4 (2019) and Japonica-7 (2020). This demand growth possibility and the premium which japonica rice commands translates to market potential in the supply side which may benefit the local farmers in the Philippines.
From 2015 to 2019, japonica rice varieties were distributed among farmers in Visayas through a model village project. This activity showed acceptability and willingness to continue as farmer’s income increased by around 35% on average. There were also trials in Bohol and Nueva Ecija where seed production and distribution were done.
Farmers were under a buy-back agreement where their milled rice was marketed. These efforts were under the implementation of cooperatives and private partners where beneficiaries looked forward to planting the japonica varieties in more areas. A set of marketing strategies for MS-11 is being identified as a high-quality japonica-type cultivar adapted to local Asia.
It was positioned as a premium brand that targeted Korean, Japanese, and Chinese tourists in the country. However, high-quality seeds are one of the most important requirements of farmers especially those who cannot afford them. It was through the high-quality seed multiplication and dissemination project in Nueva Ecija, Iloilo, and Bohol that farmers get to access such seeds like NSIC Rc-170 (MS-11), a japonica rice variety.
Despite the market demand from the consumers’ side, there were limited market studies that demonstrated the variety’s effectiveness and performance under local conditions in the country under the lens of the farmers themselves. It is in this context that this study is being pursued to determine the farmers’ overall assessment of the GUVA japonica rice variety as it tries to keep up and compete with the local varieties in the country.
This study aims to determine the acceptability of locally adapted japonica varieties among selected rice farmers in the Philippines.
Specifically, the study further aims to: (1) describe the profile of adopters and non-adopters of GUVA japonica rice farmers; (2) determine how the farmers assess the GUVA japonica rice varieties compared to other rice varieties commonly being used; (3) examine the performance of the GUVA japonica rice and its marketability to traders, millers, etc.; and (4) formulate strategies to address the problems and opportunities as to increase the potential usage and adoption of GUVA japonica rice varieties rice farmers.
Despite the positive responses of the farmers towards the GUVA japonica rice variety, there is a need to launch a promotional campaign to incite the interest of adopters and non-adopters towards this variety that shall include technodemo farms to cater to the “wait-and-see” adopters, who were quite numerous among the respondents in the study.
Although it is a fact that many farmers are this type of technology adopters particularly if it involves change in their production practices. Aside from this, capacity-building activities for the tooling and retooling of farmers and extension workers must be conducted in support of this campaign. This was highlighted by the farmer non-adopters as the reason why they were hesitant to try the GUVA japonica rice variety.
Moreover, it would help if the extension workers who would disseminate or distribute the GUVA japonica rice variety would be updated on their knowledge of the japonica varieties to keep up with what the farmers are about to learn. The barriers/hesitations to adoption of the GUVA japonica rice variety which includes seed availability, varietal information, and market potential must be complemented with the suggested improvements on the variety as well as the factors that convince the farmers to commit to using this variety.
Researchers, together with partner agencies, must put a lot of thought into integrating and synchronizing these concerns so that the farmers could adopt GUVA japonica rice. Moreover, a sure market for the GUVA japonica rice variety requires a steady supply that is consistent with the client’s quality and volume specifications as well as the scheduled procurements that go with it.
It is the role of the breeding team of these japonica varieties that enough seed supply is available and accessible to these farmers who shall be planting them according to schedule. Any delays could anticipate problems in rice production that could create a ripple effect on the supply chain and eventually affect the market.
This entails production and consultations with supply chain actors regarding their requirements and observed timelines so that simultaneous conduct of activities would provide information on bottlenecks and contingencies that must be implemented throughout the chain.
This work was conducted with the support of the “Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development (Project title: The Germplasm Utilization for Value Added Traits (GUVA) of Japonica Rice (Phase II), Project No. PJ017083 Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea)”.
Read the study:
Cabardo JJ, de Guzman RS, Park DS, and Suh JP. (2023) The acceptability of locally adapted japonica rice variety in the selected rice farmers in Bohol and Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Journal of the Korean Society of International Agriculture.
