by Ram Maxey
THE decision of the Supreme Court to break up the 5,000 hectare Hacienda Luisita and distribute the sugar plantation among the 6,000 workers who have been tilling it for the longest time is certainly a consummation whose time has come. It was like a fresh breath of wind blowing from out of nowhere.
If nothing else, it certainly earned instant pogi points for the much maligned highest court of the land (but hey, don’t look now and cross your fingers lest it flip-flops yet again).
Now that the decades long dream of the farm workers of owning a parcel of land is about to be realized what are they going to do with it? Will they continue planting sugarcane? Hardly. The more logical decision would be to plant cash crops that can translate to quick return of investment (there goes a familiar refrain these days).
How much income can a farmer derive from a parcel of land that’s less than a hectare (divide 5,000 hectares by 6,000 beneficiaries, you get less than a hectare). Perhaps, the government can help the new landowners by urging them to plant rice instead. Not just any variety of rice mind you, but the newest discovery courtesy of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) which has discovered a very promising variety –Mestizo 20 –which matures in 111 days and averages 140 cavans per hectare. That’s a bit superior to the variety NSICRc 160 which matures in 107 days but with only an average of 130 cavans while the age old so-called Sinampaguita 160 variety matures in 150-160 days but with a measly 30 cavans per hectare.
PhilRice says the Mestizo 20 variety could earn up to P40,000 a hectare. Of course the farmer may opt to grow vegetables or other cash crops like camote, cassava, etc. The choice is his, but at the end of the day, the 6,000 who have found emancipation as free farmers will still need the assistance of government. That is, if they intend to remain tillers of the land forever. What if after a while they cannot make a go of it for one reason or another and they want out? If you have 6,000 people working within sight of each other day in and day out, some doing okay, some not so okay, something’s bound to give. It would be interesting to find out how things are faring in the former Hacienda Luisita exactly one year from now. It’s worth a study.
