THE National Irrigation Administration (NIA) urged irrigation associations in the country to continue co-sharing responsibilities once the free irrigation system will be implemented starting next year.
NIA administrator Peter Laviña said in Monday’s Kapehan Sa Dabaw at SM City Davao-Annex that under the Duterte administration, they will strengthen its partnership with irrigation associations.
“In maintaining the irrigation systems, we would like the irrigation associations and farmers to do their part in sustaining these projects,” Laviña said, adding that beneficiaries tend to neglect some projects given free to them.
Laviña also encourages irrigation associations to generate their own income through membership fees and by planting more and diversifying into inland fisheries.
He underscored that sustainable irrigation system is needed to achieve the rice self-sufficiency goal of the Department of Agriculture.
Free Irrigation
Laviña said the Congress already approved and allocated P2 billion for NIA’s next year budget to implement free irrigation program.
The NIA administrator said with the implementation of free irrigation, beneficiaries have to be identified.
“We have to qualify now because we observed that many are enjoying the free irrigation even when they can afford like banana companies, fish pond owners. Maybe we can have subsidized rates just like what was implemented before during former President Joseph Estrada’s term,” Laviña said.
Under the present arrangement, NIA and the associations agree on a sharing agreement, maybe 60-40 or 50-50, with regards the fees being collected.
This arrangement does not distinguish between the big companies and the small farmers.
More irrigation systems
In a recent study, NIA revealed the country has only covered 57 percent of the total irrigable lands in the country at 3.02 million hectares.
“We still have to cover 43 percent of our flat land which can be potentially irrigated,” he said.
For next year, NIA’s budget for new projects will reach some P12 billion to P14 billion.
Also, China has committed six irrigation projects amounting to P42 billion during President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit.
He added that NIA will also harness the full potentials of the country’s water resources to produce more hydro-electric power to help rural electrification.
NIA-Davao manager Engineer Felix Raso said that irrigation systems present in the region are located in Carmen, Davao del Norte, Compostela, Compostela Valley, Lupon, Davao Oriental and Digos, Davao del Sur.
Institutional changes
Laviña said that institutional changes in NIA will soon happen enabling the agency to be more effective in serving farmers.
“It is going in the direction of giving more the power to the regional and local offices. Especially, the current administration is pushing for a federal form of government,” he said.