BACOLOR -- Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol will personally lead the turnover ceremony of Caridad Norte and Sur Solar Powered Irrigation System (SPIS) Project on February 7 at Barangay Caridad Norte, Llanera, Nueva Ecija.

The SPIS project, composed of 140 panels, works like any other available and commonly used water pumps. The main difference is that solar powered pumps run on solar energy and do not require any fuel (diesel, kerosene, gas, etc.) or external source of electricity (from an electric company) to deliver water.

The SPIS can continuously operate for eight hours daily which could irrigate 29 hectares rice area. With irrigation interval of one day, the SPIS could irrigate a maximum of 58 hectares rice area for second crop period thus may result to the incremental rice production in the upland rice areas of the municipality of Llanera.

Caridad Norte and Sur Irrigators Association Chairman Roger Bautista expressed his gratitude to Agriculture Secretary Piñol through the Department of Agriculture in Central Luzon for awarding the said project.

The beneficiary of the said project is composed of 125 Nueva Ecija rice farmers-members.