Saudi Wants 200,000 Hectares Of PH Ricefield

[nitwit]

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Arabs can feed themselves whether we lease the land or not. The question is who has the right to decide this, and in my opinion it should be the farmers. If they think they can benefit from the rental income, then it doesn't matter if the Arabs get something out of it as well. After all that's the whole point of deal making, for both sides to get something out of the transaction. Also, if we force the farmers not to lease this land that doesn't mean we're going to be able to feed our country. These are two separate issues because the Philippines has enough land. 200,000 hectares sounds like a lot but it's less than 3% of our arable land which stands at 5,300,000 hectares a lot of which isn't even used for farming and just lying idle.

Everyone has an opinion on this, all I'm saying is let the farmers decide because as the owners they have the right to decide what's best for them. It's not fair to put the burden of feeding the country to the farmers, this isn't what they are farming for believe it or not they are farming for the benefit of their family not for you. A country without farms can even feed its own population if they have better means of earning income. Example of this are countries like Singapore which has no farmland but no hunger either... Don't deny income to the farmers if that's what they want.

Your right when you said the farmers have the right to decide either to lease their land or not but were in a discussion forum here, its everyones right to give out their opinions about this matter like fair dinkum, personal attacks and just being nasty to a fellow istoryan is just below the belt. Im not a racist but do you even know what sort of people arabs are? Yes theyre from a rich country but theyre shrewd and most of their are just nasty bastards, honestly i dont think they deserve to be fed, theyre one of the richest country in the world, im sure they can do impossible things with their wealth eg building a ricefield in a desert land LOL. You should start thinking on the bigger picture of how this will affect our countrymen, majority of the filipinos are already struggling to have 3 meals a day, if they push this through, i can bet u any money most of them will live if theyre lucky, one meal a day. Lets not focus on how much money the government will make but how will it affect or benefit (if it will) the citizens of the country which i really doubt.

[æRLO]

if the farmer believes the money presented is worth not owning the yields for the lease period, then good for him. If I was a farmer and I see the offer as a bigger gain than the norm, why not? Given that it is lawful, who should stop me? Hey man, If the farmer was earning a certain amount from his average yield in a given period of time, and the Sauds offered me double that to lease that same period of time, why the eff should I reject that offer? I have to agree with monroy, as this same old nationalistic BS that has screwed this country, over and over again. "Think of the country first before yourself." BA-LO-NEY. This is crab mentality at its finest. Whether ma alkansi ang Pilipinas or not is non-issue, the issue is if the Farmers are enticed by whatever offer it maybe.

[monroy]

Your right when you said the farmers have the right to decide either to lease their land or not but were in a discussion forum here, its everyones right to give out their opinions about this matter like fair dinkum, personal attacks and just being nasty to a fellow istoryan is just below the belt. Im not a racist but do you even know what sort of people arabs are? Yes theyre from a rich country but theyre shrewd and most of their are just nasty bastards, honestly i dont think they deserve to be fed, theyre one of the richest country in the world, im sure they can do impossible things with their wealth eg building a ricefield in a desert land LOL. You should start thinking on the bigger picture of how this will affect our countrymen, majority of the filipinos are already struggling to have 3 meals a day, if they push this through, i can bet u any money most of them will live if theyre lucky, one meal a day. Lets not focus on how much money the government will make but how will it affect or benefit (if it will) the citizens of the country which i really doubt.

I agree, everyone has a right to give opinions but we also have a right to criticize opinions. The bottomline is this, lots of people here are saying "If I were them, or if I were the government" well that's not the point now is it because you aren't them and so if I can be blunt it doesn't matter what you think. I know that sounds harsh but it's the truth. I won't even go into your racist statements against Arabs cos that's on your conscience if you wanna hold that kind of racist sentiment against an entire race of people...

Also concern for our country is one thing, but our right to be concerned for the country ends when it begins interfering with the rights of private individuals to have freedom to make their own decisions. When I came into this thread the only point I wanted to make was that the farmers should make their own decision. It's too bad people like high_heels can't stand this position because it's their view that they know whats best for the farmers so the farmers should be denied this opportunity at all costs. My reaction to that is, BS.. you can have your opinion but don't step on the rights of private owners because it's their land not yours. If you wanna live in a country where opinions dictate what you can and can't do with your property then go ahead, encourage this kind of behavior. But that stands for everything I'm against so I'm gonna attack that opinion.

Aerlo made a good point, some posters here are making the farmers sacrificial lambs, as if their right to lease their land should be denied for the good of the country. But that's not what a democratic country is about, even nationalism or love for country is at the option of the individual. In other words, walay pugsanay. I'm sure these same people who are asking the farmers to sacrifice so the country can be fed are the same people who don't do jack shit for the country all day and just expect other people to make sacrifices for them. No way joze...

[Vino Kid]

ang tinuud ana kay kung tingharvest na gani modive lag kalit ang price sa humay.... daun if kung tingtanum na mokalit saka ang fertilizer.... kita ba mo nadatu anang gahumay? basin nadatu pero........di na lang ko magsaba hehehehe....
mao ng many ricefield here are converted to garden na lang...

angkat man gani ang pilipinas sa lain nasud para pang buffer in case kulang ang supply sa humay.... kita pa nuun moexport.. wa kuyapi hehehehehe....

[jcgoyong]

nganu tawon pag awayan ninyo ang proposal oi! wala paman tawon na gi approve! and i dont think this is something the government would decide this instant! SPECIALLY WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT THE PROs and CONS

Pnoy made some proposals after finding a lot of flaws sa corruption sa arroyo regime and one of his proposal is by 2014, the philippines would be exporting rice!

this is most likely the reason why SAUDI is requesting for such kay most likely the philippines is being viewed in a positive way

CONSIDERING THE GOVERNMENT HAD FORESEEN SUCH POSSIBLILTY, let us just hope for the best OK?

kung nag tuo MO nga HITSO na kaau mo aning Botanical issue sa production sa whachamacalit wakay labot ek-ek-er
think twice! kay daghan sab gatrabaho sa government nga basin mas BRILLIANT pa ninyo!

nganu awayan man jud ni? sensya pero giHILASAN RAKO!

kung unsaon pag produce sa 200,000 hectares worth of rice fields ug
kung unsaon pag SUSTAIN sa supply for our countries' usage

problema na na sa Government. WE PAY TAXES FOR THEM TO DO THAT

ug with regard sa FARMER owned land, IT IS THEIR LAND! DILI NA NA IKALALIS!
ang FARMER mag DECIDE ANA! ug ang GOVERNMENT NA MAMOBLEMA ana if naa man kahay problema musaka! Regulation ra katapat ana!

OK?

If I were you, why not hope, for this proposal of exporting rice, to come true!
I think it is safe to assume nga Pnoy and the government nag forcast na daan nga we can generate MORE rice than can think of!

Surplus of rice kumbaga ba

[monroy]

ug with regard sa FARMER owned land, IT IS THEIR LAND! DILI NA NA IKALALIS!
ang FARMER mag DECIDE ANA! ug ang GOVERNMENT NA MAMOBLEMA ana if naa man kahay problema musaka! Regulation ra katapat ana!

Hasta ang bata kasabot man tingali ana.. ambot ngano naay istoryan nga galisod ug sabot ani. Ang tagiya ang magboot dili ang hilabtanon nga walay labot.. hehehe

Pero mao lage bro.. asta ang yuta sa farmer "our land" man daw na.. pasabot ana.. kitang tanan ang tagiya sa yuta bahala na kung wala atong mga ngalan sa titulo, basta para sa uban dire.. communal land na tanan.. toinkk....

[high_heels]

I agree, everyone has a right to give opinions but we also have a right to criticize opinions. The bottomline is this, lots of people here are saying "If I were them, or if I were the government" well that's not the point now is it because you aren't them and so if I can be blunt it doesn't matter what you think. I know that sounds harsh but it's the truth. I won't even go into your racist statements against Arabs cos that's on your conscience if you wanna hold that kind of racist sentiment against an entire race of people...

Also concern for our country is one thing, but our right to be concerned for the country ends when it begins interfering with the rights of private individuals to have freedom to make their own decisions. When I came into this thread the only point I wanted to make was that the farmers should make their own decision. It's too bad people like high_heels can't stand this position because it's their view that they know whats best for the farmers so the farmers should be denied this opportunity at all costs. My reaction to that is, BS.. you can have your opinion but don't step on the rights of private owners because it's their land not yours. If you wanna live in a country where opinions dictate what you can and can't do with your property then go ahead, encourage this kind of behavior. But that stands for everything I'm against so I'm gonna attack that opinion.

Aerlo made a good point, some posters here are making the farmers sacrificial lambs, as if their right to lease their land should be denied for the good of the country. But that's not what a democratic country is about, even nationalism or love for country is at the option of the individual. In other words, walay pugsanay. I'm sure these same people who are asking the farmers to sacrifice so the country can be fed are the same people who don't do jack shit for the country all day and just expect other people to make sacrifices for them. No way joze...

Hoy dong pagmata!!!! well anyway, lisud pukawon ang tawong nagpa tulog tulog kuno. You know why I am confident to saay these things? 1.....we have a rice farm in Digos Davao del Sur, my relatives owns coconut plantations in the mountains of carcar and I haven't encountered any fellow rice farm owners who would easily sell their lots not unless they dead poor and can no longer have food on their table. Ask any farmers why they will continue to farm even if its painstakingly hard, its because the promise of more yield and more income.

you know whats the common cry of farmers
government support through technology transfer, financial assistance from the land preparation, seedlings, fertilizers and pesticides, and drainage system...now if ipa lease nila ilang yuta...makuha kaha ni nila?

And by the way, read through the news article carefully, Dante De Lima has urged for the proposal to be properly studied. Nag tuo ka nga ing-ana ka sayon ni nga project? Inig abot ana sa lamisa ni Pnoy, utotan rana! Rice sufficiency by 2013 ang motto ni Noynoy Aquino! Which means the government has not committed to this JVA yet. Laaaaaayyyyyyoooooooo pa kaayo nig tungasunon ning pangandoy sa mga arabo...

Nag lisud naman gani atong gobyerno ug regulate for more produced rice kay nahimo nang mga subdivisions ang basakan...ipa abang pa hinuon sa mga arabo ang ing ana ka dako nga yuta? Ako pa nimo pag kat-on sa atong rice industry para maka sabot ka kung unsa ang implications sa ing ani nga JVA. gihatagan na tika ug pointers, but unfortunately "di man gihapon ka kasabot.." I just wonder why lol

Bottomline, yes the owners has the final say to their lands..but not unless this JVA is approved by the government..then it remains as a "proposal." and it is also the governments duty to look into the loopholes, advantages and disadvantages of it. In general, ang kaayuhan sa kadaghanan ang mangibabaw sa tanan..di kay sa pipila lang.

[monroy]

Botbot nimo ambot.. ang akong point dili nga kung maayo ba ni nga proposal o dili.. but nga ang farmers ang naay choice dili ikaw o ako. So diha nalang ni kutob.. discuss your botanic rifraf till your nose bleeds but so long as you are not the owner I will continue to not care

[high_heels]

Botbot nimo ambot.. ang akong point dili nga kung maayo ba ni nga proposal o dili.. but nga ang farmers ang naay choice dili ikaw o ako. So diha nalang ni kutob.. discuss your botanic rifraf till your nose bleeds but so long as you are not the owner I will continue to not care

abi ba nakog si Pnoy ra ang abNoy ug ga noynoying under the stars...hasta sad diay ka hahahahha.....

[Romeojin]

Saudi Arabia heavily favor basmati rice varieties, the very same varieties that the DA is now seeking to propagate in at least 10 rice-producing provinces nationwide.

As said in the article, theres no question that basmati rice is sought worldwide but currently we are still testing and evaluating basmati rice for production. so lets not count our chicken before they hatch lol. True basmati rice only grows in India and Pakistan, that is a sad reality for us. there are few countries had tried and failed. We cant even produce in quantities SE rice varieties compared to our neighbors due to bad soil composition, climate, weather etc, what more producing a much exotic basmati rice . Im not so sure about this basmati varieties, its still be subjected to testing, patent? and whether saudi arabian will prefer its taste and smell.

and about farmer's land.. lets face its either they are only renting the land from their landlords which is really a common thing; or their land are too small to be rented. as said in the article.

A Saudi company is interested in leasing up to 200,000 hectares of rain-fed government land and private farms to produce 1.2 million metric tons (MMT) of rice for the Saudi Arabian market.

this could be bad to us if considering they will rent existing farm which had been propagated/cater for local consumption. Unless they make use of idle rain-fed government land then it will be good for export without hurting local production and consumption. The good news is.. this is a joint project of the government and SA company.. i doubt the government will make decision that will be disadvantageous to our people.