Irrigation office assures farmers enough irrigation water

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) office here has assured that many irrigation systems and water impounding facilities in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) have been rehabilitated in anticipation of the dry months.

NIA regional director John Socalo said this was done to complement the efforts of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the country to achieve food sufficiency especially, rice.

Most NIA Cordillera projects are in the provinces of Kalinga and Ifugao where rice is extensively grown throughout the year both for domestic consumption and for export.

"Kalinga Province has the most rice fields serviced by irrigation systems and could have at least three cropping season every year," Socalo said.

He said that NIA has already anticipated the possible effects of the downtrend of rainfall in the area which started during the last three months of the year and which could last up to April next year.

He said that if the predicted drought shall happen, the impounded water especially in the giant reservoirs in Luzon could augment the available natural resources like rivers and streams.

Meanwhile, Abra province which has good irrigation sources is eyed to be a "food basket." The province was recognized as a good corn producer.

"And with improved irrigation systems, these could help farmers mobilize more resources for agricultural production," he said.

In Benguet Province, the introduction of various agri-based infrastructures like irrigation systems, farm to market roads, trading center and cool storage had helped in sustaining vegetable and fruit production as multi-million peso industry. (Aure Galacgac)