Big ticket irrigation projects to boost Cordillera’s food production

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA)-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) said three big-ticket irrigation projects will further boost the region's food production capacity. A total of PHP4.25 billion worth of projects for implementation from 2023 to 2027 will boost production and add to the current 113,539 hectares of irrigated land. To date, about 61 percent of the 185,406 has. farmland are irrigated, or a gap of 71,867 has. Engineer Benito Espique, NIA-CAR regional manager, in an interview Wednesday, identified one of the big-ticket projects as the PHP1.493-billion Alfonso Lista Pump Irrigation Project in Ifugao province that will irrigate 2,300 has. and will benefit 1,315 farmers. The PHP850-million Marimay Small Reservoir Irrigation project in Apayao province will irrigate 1,178 has. This will benefit 608 farmers upon its completion in 2025. And the PHP1.91-billion Lower Apayao river irrigation project that will irrigate 1,211 has. and benefit 719 farmers upon completion in 2027. Apayao i s currently 37 percent irrigated with 12,569 has. developed out of the 33,910 potential irrigable areas; Benguet is 64 percent irrigated with 16,442 has. out of the 25,746 potential areas. Ifugao is 79 percent irrigated with 20,469 has. of the 25,830 potential irrigable areas; Kalinga is 69 percent irrigated at 30,487 has. out of the 44,190 has. of irrigable areas; Mountain Province is 43 percent irrigated with 12,823 has. out of the 30,600 potential areas. Abra has the highest accomplishment with 20,749 has. of developed areas out of the 25,670 has. of potential irrigable areas. Espique said Cordillera has four major irrigation systems-the Upper Chico River Irrigation System servicing 17,660 has. of land in Tabuk City and Pinukpuk in Kalinga and the municipalities of Quezon and Mallig in Isabela. Another is the West Apayao Abulug irrigation system which has a service area of 6,212 has. in Apayao and Cagayan. Also, the Abra River Irrigation System (ARIS) that serves 3,329 has., and the Hapid Irrigation S ystem in Ifugao that serves 3,202 has. Aside from the national irrigation system and the communal irrigation system, Espique said there are also 30 solar powered pump irrigation projects completed from 2023 to Oct. 15, 2024 worth PHP118.9 million on top of the 20 other pump irrigation projects that received funding of about PHP1.48 billion this year, which are 70 percent accomplished. The amount varies depending on the size and location of the projects. 'While we have minimal production in terms of rice and corn, the government continues to provide funds for us to pursue our irrigation systems which are essential in food production,' he said. He added the region's farmers also pursue to improve their productivity with the adoption of new technologies for seedlings and growing. Source: Philippines News Agency