Rice Farm Productivity in the Philippines: An SUR Application

— Increasing productivity of rice farms in the Philippines remains to be of great concern despite the heavy investments in the industry. The impact of Rice Tarrification Law is yet to be studied and also how the Rice Enhancement Competitiveness Fund (RCEF) can help depressed rice farms. If skyrocketing price of farm inputs is inevitable and price stabilization policies on rice is not enough, focus should then be made on making sure there is available lower-interest loans to qualified and poor rice farmers as suggested by both OLS and SUR estimates across most Regions under study. In addition, farm laborers should be trained and equipped as well on modern farm technologies and machineries. However, the effect of hired labor on rice yield should be evaluated and investigated further due to its negative estimates.