Laguna Loop Survey (1978)

The Laguna Loop survey is a farm household level data set collected by the IRRI - Agricultural Economics Department prior to the introduction of the high yielding varieties of rice. This initial survey refers to 1965 dry season - data that provided excellent benchmark information from rice farming respondents. The study was based upon a survey in which information was obtained regarding farm practices and costs and returns and other associated data related to rice production. The subsequent surveys have been taken every two to four years to note the pattern of adoption of the high yielding varieties, paddy yield, prices, various farming inputs, labor use, land tenure arrangement and the changes that have occurred in farming practices and costs and returns that have occurred overtime. These data are extremely useful historical records of the changes that have occurred during the four decades, the dynamic period of Philippine rice production. The sample farms are selected from the six municipalities in Laguna province - namely: Calauan, Bay, Calamba, Cabuyao, Sta. Rosa and Binan . In the later years - some of the farmers discontinue farming because their rice farms were converted into industrial and residential purpose. Hence, there was a reduction in the number of respondents per year or per season in the later years. Generally, the focal objective of this study is to track the changes in the farmer's rice technology, cultural practices, land tenure, mechanization, and labor practices that occurred during the survey period from 1965 to 2008. A number of publications, research papers, reports, and vast collections of Masters and Dissertations theses have already been published that utilized this very exhaustive panel data sets.