The National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) Division II, in partnership with the irrigators associations (IAs), has stepped up crop diversification practices in some towns in Nueva Ecija to minimize the effects of climate change in irrigated agriculture.
Engineer Alvin Manuel Sr., head of the NIA-UPRIIS Division II, said on Friday they adopted interventions in the towns of Talavera, Llanera, and Rizal in Nueva Ecija to reduce the possible effects of climate change, particularly in the supply of irrigation water.
Manuel said crop diversification as a strategic direction maximizes the use of land and optimizes farm productivity and income of the farmers.
He added a total of 2,529.51 out of the 23,762.48 hectares in the said towns underwent diversified cropping for wet and dry season.
“Moreover, diversification of crops provides a number of agricultural and economic benefits to the farmers,” he said in an official social media account post.
Manuel said crop diversification also provides agronomic benefits in terms of pest management and soil quality.
“Diversified cropping systems effectively contribute to climate smart agriculture against extreme weather events and will serve as an alternative source of income to the farmers,” he said.
The NIA started in 2019 to adopt diversified cropping in national and communal irrigation systems all over the country to mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change on the agricultural sector.
Source: Philippines News Agency