AN official from Davao City Agriculturist’s Office (Cagro) said they are proposing to add five irrigation projects in the city next year.
“We proposed five projects for the city to fund [from] the NDRMF (National Disaster & Risk Management Fund) sa local disaster fund nato, hopefully ma-approve to siya,” Cagro officer-in-charge Edgardo Haspe during the AgriBiz Media Forum at SM Lanang Premier, June 20.
Haspe said the additional irrigation projects will be placed in Toril, Marilog, and Paquibato areas.
“Hopefully next year kay dapat katong gipropose natong budget is ma-implement nato dayon (we can have it next years becaue),” he added.
Haspe said currently the city houses over 60 watersheds for farmers .
However, with the looming El Nino forecasted to occur later this year by up to six months, he said these water catchments and irrigations are not enough to sustain the production, especially for the corn, rice, and high-value crops.
“Somehow makatabang siya nga maka-conserve siya sa duol duol na areas wherein asa to na-establish ang atong rain catchment (Somehow these can help conserve the production in nearby areas where our rain catchments are established),” Haspe said.
Meanwhile, he also said currently, Cagro and the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) are closely coordinating to have the ongoing irrigation projects in the city completed within the year.
The official said Cagro and NIA have two ongoing projects in Barangays Suawan and Bantol under Marilog District for irrigation projects in Davao City. ICE