My query: Can we possibly plant wheat in the Philippines? I did research through internet that’s how I came to read your article. My consciousness began when I found the news that our bread would increase prices.

We are living in an abundant kind of world primarily a "grass country" to develop into our own flour. In fact all of us are very skillful when it comes to agriculture.

For me, I want to try planting wheat also but I need support. My parents own a farm in Quezon Province, but I don’t know if wheat can be possibly grown in my hometown. Please advice me and also give me facts and data to make easier for me to establish this venture. What weather is favorable for a good crop of wheat? Where can I possibly get the seeds? Hope to see your response. Thank you very much. Virgie <zafev@yahoo.com>

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REPLY: Please contact <helpdesk@up.edu.ph>, <asiarice@laguna.net>,<asia_rice@agri.searca.org>,and request for the email or forwarding addresses of Drs. Emil Javier and Ruben Villareal. These two scientists are in a better position, and may choose to reply to your inquiry. DA

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Subject: Wheat in the wet tropics.

Dear Dahli:

Yes, Ruben [Dr. Villareal] and I, during our younger years, were able to identify two or three wheat varieties from the world collections which gave decent yields of one to two tons per hectare. However they will grow well only during the cooler months preferably in Ilocos and Cagayan Valley.

Moreover they were very susceptible to leaf diseases and baking quality was not so good.

Although wheat flour is very expensive now we will not recommend growing wheat under our conditions. These same areas are better planted with high yielding hybrid yellow corn for animal feed or glutinous white corn for human consumption or cornick making. Best regards, Emil Q. Javier

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"Stop painting a rosy picture of the situation," warns Senate majority leader Kiko Pangilinan, who wants Malacañang to immediately institute long-term solutions to the looming rice crisis.

"Malacañang asserts confidence in the current situation because the Philippines is supposedly reliant only on 15 percent rice imports, and is 85 percent self sufficient on local rice production."

"We need to look into access of the poor, especially in the countryside, to Tindahan Natin outlets, and NFA retailers. Are the poor able to avail of the supply that is really for their consumption? Do we have NFA supply in retail outlets? We have reports of Maguindanao, Negros Occidental, North Cotabato and even Caloocan City retail outlets wherein Tindahan Natin outlets run out of NFA rice, forcing the poor to purchase commercial rice for their daily needs.

"Inaccessibility of the poor to supposed subsidized rice only makes the pro-poor hunger mitigation and the rice programs ineffective."

Kiko added.

"This is the worst time to be complacent. If this was an international trend, why were we not able to anticipate it and institute remedial measures to cushion its impact? We need to be transparent and tell things as they are so we can sit down and properly address the problem. No downplaying, withholding of information!"