HERE COMES SEA WATER RICE

HERE COMES SEA WATER RICE

I have always known that it existed somewhere, and now I thank God that I have finally found it. Nope, I am not talking about the Holy Grail. I am simply talking about “sea water rice”—or to put it another way, a variety of rice that grows in salt water.

For the longest time, not knowing what to call it or even what to look for, I have been referring to it as a “saline variety” of rice. It was a dream, a fantasy, or perhaps just wishful thinking. But now it is no longer just a dream—because China has been growing it in their own country, and what’s more, they are already helping other nations by teaching them how to grow it.

This rice is not a product of genetic engineering but of decades of careful breeding. By combining wild salt-resistant rice with high-yield varieties, Chinese scientists developed a crop that not only survives in saline-alkali soils but also produces harvests comparable to conventional rice. In test fields near the Yellow Sea, yields reached up to 6.5 tons per hectare, sometimes even more. Imagine that—rice thriving in land we once thought useless.

By 2030, researchers say, seawater rice could feed up to 200 million more people. That is not a small figure. Considering that over a billion hectares of land worldwide suffer from salinity, the potential is staggering. Coastal deltas in Bangladesh and Vietnam, farmlands in Egypt’s Nile Delta, even deserts in the Middle East—all could benefit. In fact, China has already successfully tested seawater rice in Dubai, yielding an incredible 7.5 tons per hectare.

So now comes my question: what should we, here in the Philippines, do with this information—especially given our current diplomatic tensions with China? Should we fold our arms, postpone any action, and wait for relations to simmer down? Or should we seize the moment and open discussions with China on a possible technology transfer agreement concerning seawater rice?

I know for a fact that there is already a framework for bilateral technology transfer between our two countries. Years ago, when I was still a Foreign Service Officer, I attended one such meeting in Beijing. Perhaps we could quietly restart such exchanges at a lower level—say between our Department of Agriculture (DA) and their Ministry of Agriculture—without making it a high-profile political affair. After all, political diplomacy and economic diplomacy can run on parallel tracks.

Why not instruct our embassy in Beijing to start working on this? After all, what do we have to lose? We are a rice-eating country perennially worried about shortages. If seawater rice can be grown here, even on a pilot basis, imagine the possibilities for our coastal barangays, our salinized farmlands, and even our climate adaptation programs.

And let me point out: this is not just about food security. It is also about resilience. With rising seas and saltwater intrusion threatening our fertile lands, the question is not if we will need a crop like seawater rice—it is when. The sooner we prepare, the better.

Of course, there are valid concerns. Should we depend on China for such a critical food technology? Should we not invest in our own agricultural research to develop a local version? Both are good questions. But for now, what matters is to recognize that the technology already exists—and the world is not waiting. Bangladesh, Vietnam, Egypt, and even the Middle East are already testing it. Why should we wait longer?

To me, this is a golden opportunity to put economic pragmatism above political differences. If there is one area where cooperation should transcend disputes, it is food security. We can quarrel over territory, but can we afford to quarrel over rice?

Here comes seawater rice. It is no longer fantasy. The only question left is whether we will act on it—or let it pass us by while the rest of the world reaps its harvest.

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres
iseneres@yahoo.com, 09088877282, senseneres.blogspot.com

11-25-2025