Solving the Food Crisis With an Unlikely Alliance

6/5/08

Dear Prof. Pamela Ronald,

I am deeply concerned about the rice supply situation in the Philippines. A relative told me of a very sad story of an elderly woman who stood patiently for more than two hours at a government rice supply facility during the hottest time of the day. She received barely two pounds of rice (not the best kind), went home and cooked some of it. After less than an hour into her cooking she just dropped dead. I suppose she had heat stroke, and did not even realize it. This incident deeply touched me. I know that food supply is greatly dependent on an effective production and storage. I am also painfully aware that most industrialized and developing economies are to a great extent oil-driven. Thus, when oil prices rise, all other commodities prices will also increase. In the Philippines, rice and other carbohydrate staples are grown mostly with the use of the water buffalo as the main beast of burden, and each rice seedling is planted by hand. My parents had more than 12 hectares (roughly equivalent to 24 acres), which they planted to rice. Their biggest challenge were the yearly typhoons, which can destroy the whole crop of rice, which were ready for harvest. I witnessed one huge typhoon ("Didang" was its name), where rice stalks laden with golden grains floated in the water brought about by the typhoon. Although the rice fields were surrounded with very reliable dikes/irrigation system, yet monsoon rains brought about by the yearly typhoons usually flooded the fields. Dr. Pamela Ronald, since you have been involved in generating a rice variety that is flood resistant, is it possible for you to supply us with seeds. I would like to acquire at least two (2) 50 lb bags of rice seeds, which I can send to my kin folks, who are still in the business of planting rice. Please advise me where I can pick up these flood resistant rice variety. If you can supply them for free, then that would be great, but if not, how much would it cost to purchase about (3)-50 lbs bags of seeds as a starter.

Dr. Ronald, I have been telling my kin folks and friends to supplement their carbohydrate diet with corn and sweet potatoes ( "camote/kamote") and other root crops (yucca=cassava tubers, yams = white taro type/"gabi", purple type locally called "ube") and bananas. These tubers are slightly cheaper than rice and corn. I have also tried to encourage them to plant and eat more vegetables.

Dr. Ronald, can you please advise me where I can also get hold of some bags of brown rice seeds. Brown rice are more fibrous, thus, a lot healthier to eat than the plain white rice.

Thank you very much for your help.

Sincerely,

Jo

Jo R. Horn of CA 4:04AM June 06, 2008