Game of Rice

http://gameofrice.irri.org/

Background Information
GAME OF RICE is an interactive computer game that simulates the
experience of a Filipino small-holder rice farmer as he attempts to earn a
profit producing rice. The game was initially developed by a geographer,
Robert Huke1, and modified with Philippine data by Carol Ferguson 2, an
Agricultural Economics graduate student, to illustrate the many problems
and risks encountered by small-holders trying to utilize the new technologies
of the Green Revolution. It was designed for use on a main-frame computer.
The game was modified for mobile computers by Robert Huke, in 1990 while
working at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The game has
been updated at various times to incorporate changes in production
relations, environmental factors and the options for player decisions. Most
recently, the underlying program base was changed from one that required
download to individual computers (BASIC) to a Web-based program that can
be accessed and played directly on the Web. In addition, the underlying
production, environmental and financial data were updated to more recent
conditions. The data are for the rainy season in Central Luzon, Philippines
where irrigation is available. In the updating we have drawn heavily on the
data collected from approximately 100 farmers in Central Luzon every four
or five years, years3.
Notwithstanding that over forty years have passed since the introduction of
the Green Revolution technological package there have been relatively few
changes in the makeup of the package, and the risks that farmers face
remain the same.
In this game you play the role of a rice farmer in Central Luzon whose
objective is to maximize his net profit. As such, you will have control of
many of the factors that influence your crop output, but not all. In addition
to the problems of unexpected disease and insect infestations, the
Philippines, as in many other parts of Asia, is subject to typhoons of varying
intensities. You can play the game a number of times, using the experience
to improve your performance.

Philippine Context

The following sections provide the Philippine production context. Although

the prices for wages, seeds, urea, and rough rice will vary over time, we
have chosen a typical price in each case.

First, some terms you should know

hectare (ha.) = 10,000 sq. Meters (2.47 acres)

kilogram (kg.) = 2.2 pounds
Philippine peso (PHP) = .023 U.S. Dollars (44 PHP/U.S. Dollar)
Rough Rice = the term for threshed but unhusked rice
RC222 = High yielding rice variety (currently popular)

Size of farm
The mean land reform farm size in Central Luzon is about 1.8 ha; some
farms are a fraction of a hectare, while others are as large as 5 hectares.

Costs of outside labor

In the real world, the days of labor and the cost/day for each of the
individual operations (transplanting, weeding, etc.) may differ, partly
because the effort involved varies and in part because it may be in the form
of family or exchange labor. For the purposes of the simulation, however, we
have limited the cost range based upon recent data. The average cost for
farm work recently, incorporating imputed costs for family labor and
exchange is 250 pesos per day.

Type of rice (seed) used

Some traditional rice varieties are still available, but are now planted in
limited amounts in situations where the market pays a premium price for the
characteristics of that variety. Over the years, plant breeders have developed
a number of High Yielding Varieties (HYV) suitable for the Philippines; IR64
was the most widely used for many years, but a recently developed variety,
RC222, is now popular.
We assume the cost of seed to be 50 pesos/kg, and the seeding rate at 80
kg/ha.

Use of systemic pesticide, I.P.M., or nothing

Systemic pesticides were a widely-used preventative practice (before any
sign of insect infestation); they are applied to the water shortly after

transplanting where they are absorbed by the roots. They are intended to kill
the larvae of most insects and provide some residual protection after
infestation. While they have been found to be effective occasionally, they
also have been found to adversely impact significantly on beneficial
organisms, often resulting in yield reductions as high as 20 percent or more.
The average cost is approximately 600 Pesos/ha.
Integrated pest management (IPM) is an ecologically-based strategy that
focuses on long-term prevention of pests or their damage through a
combination of techniques such as biological control, habitat manipulation,
modification of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties.

Pesticides
Pesticides are used only after monitoring indicates they are needed
according to established guidelines, and treatments are made with the goal
of removing only the target organism. Pest control materials are selected
and applied in a manner that minimizes the risks to human health, beneficial
and non-target organisms, and the environment.
Given the variable nature of the IPM practices, both in time and space, Game
Of Rice assigns an average cost for the monitoring labor per hectare, with
additional costs based on the specific measures that are taken in response to
the monitoring.

Cost and amount of nitrogen fertilizer

The primary nutrient used in rice production in Central Luzon is Nitrogen,
typically in the form of Urea, which is 45% N. In some situations a complete
fertilizer (NPK) might be used, or smaller amounts of Phosphorous, as P2O5,
and Potassium, as K2O, might be added individually. For simplicity and since
Urea is the primary product used, we have limited the decision to that
quantity of Urea you want to apply. Urea cost is 45 pesos/kg. Remember
that as you apply more fertilizer the increase in yield declines (law of
diminishing returns) until the point is reached where adding more urea will
just cost you money.

Method of Cropland Preparation

In the past, fields were plowed using animal power (carabao), however in
recent times, except for those farmers with very small holdings, most
farmers use small tractors that they own or hire, taking advantage of the
speed and improved weed control.

Method of weeding and herbicide applications

Weeding has traditionally been done by hand, but the use of herbicides, a
recent innovation, is now popular. Central Luzon farmers do not, in general,
use rotary weeders. Thus, we have provided the following weeding choices:
1. Hand weeding
2. Granular herbicide (2,4-d Isopropyl Ester)
3. Both used
When a hand weeding is done in combination with herbicides, the hand
weeding is usually done last.

Snails
Snails are an increasing problem as the eat the young rice seedlings.
Common practices are to use molluscicides or to hand-pick the snails. Some
farmers use ducks to eat the snails.

Method of threshing
Except for smallest farms, the increased yields have encouraged many
farmers to utilize custom machine threshing, rather than staying with hand
threshing.

Market value of rough rice

This varies with variety, quality and season. For the non-traditional rice, the
recent (2013) price is 20 pesos/kg.

Review your choices

At this point you will receive a table showing your choices and will have the
opportunity to make and changes. By pressing If you do not want to make
any changes select 'no' and click 'Continue'.

Initial estimates
This table will provide you with potential yield estimate and warn you about
potential crop damage ahead due the typhoons or pests.

You must now make three more decisions:

Do you wish to spray insecticides?

Well we know you are a smart farmer and have been out inspecting your
fields for signs of damage so you decide. In short it may pay to spray in
some years and not in others.
Do you wish to protect your crop against birds?
This is usually done by family labor, often children. The imputed labor for
this is highly variable. For the purposes of the simulation we have specified a
single value.
Do you wish to use raticide?
Rats are attacking some of your fields. For many years the standard
recommendations for rat control were to apply either an acute raticide or a
chronic poison. The former gives immediate relatively short-term results,
while the latter is more effective over time although more costly and more
labor consuming. Both types of poisons have the disadvantage of having
significant adverse environmental effects. Current recommendations stress
collaboration among farmers to transplant at the same time and emphasize
the management modifications that minimize the food availability during the
rat breeding season. It is obviously too difficult to simulate these practices in
our game.

Operating costs and material inputs

This table will provide you with total operating costs, fixed costs listed below
and net profits subtracting all costs from the gross returns (yield times price
of paddy).

Additional fixed costs

In addition to the costs associated with growing the crop, there are costs
that are associated with the land itself. These include the LAND TAX and
IRRIGATION FEE both of which are fixed costs.. For the purposes of the
game, you can assume there is no mortgage payment required.

Do you wish to play the game again?

If you decide to play the game again, you will have an opportunity to change
any decisions you have made earlier regarding management practices.

Click below to continue on to the game

Instructions for classroom presentation

If the game is to be played by a class, the instructor may wish to have the
participants play independently or as teams. The winners could be
determined either by the average yields obtained, or by the average net
returns. The evaluation would be easier it all the participants started with
the same farm size and tabulated for each crop, the yield, gross return,
operating cost, total cost, and net return. The question of whether the
winner was a better manager or just fortunate in having fewer of the
unpredictable events would be an interesting point of discussion.
The attached table is a convenient way for the participants to record their
results.
Click here to download the attachment...

Robert Huke, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

Carol Anne Ferguson, "A computer simulation game of technology adoption

and adaptation" MS Thesis, Cornell University 1987., Ithaca, New York,
U.S.A.
2

See Piedad Moya, Kei Kajisa, Randolph Barker, et al, 2015. "Changes in rice
farming in the Philippines: Insights from five decades of household-level
survey." Los Banos, Philippines: International Rice Research Institute.
3

Game of Rice. 1985, 2014. Robert Huke, Carol Ferguson, Randolph

Barker, Gilbert Levine, Mark Wilson. This is an Open Access program with
some rights reserved, in accordance with the policies of the International
Rice Research Institute. Los Banos, Philippines. This 2015 revision was
supported by a grant from the Podell Emeriti Awards for Research and
Scholarship Program of Cornell University.