Smaller, efficient systems needed to fill up food need

On Saturday, Oct. 20, I led the opening of a water diversion canal in Kanibong, Tulunan, North Cotabato which would provide water to about 600-hectares of rice farms.The project, costing P49-Million, was completed in one year and is expected to increase farmers’ production and reduce poverty.Water is an indispensable requirement in the program to increase rice production.Sadly though, the concept of constructing irrigation facilities by building mega-dams is outdated.The Department of Agriculture now is pushing for smaller and more efficient irrigation systems,especially the solar-powered irrigation system (SPIS), which is much cheaper, faster to put up, allows more rice croppings, and makes rice sufficiency attainable.The conventional system of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) at present does not suffice for all of the country’s farm irrigation needs.We have land, but the issue is providing water there. So, we must think out of the box.Of the 3.9 million hectares of rice farms nationwide, only 1.2 million hectares are irrigated.The remaining 2.7 million hectares depend on rain and the farmers can plant only once a year.It takes years for NIA to build its conventional irrigation system’s infrastructure, including dams.Government must irrigate 80,000 hectares annually to cope up with the rice needs of the growing population.The NIA, however, could provide water for only about 30,000 hectares a year, resulting in a deficit of around 50,000 hectares.It is impossible to catch up if we just rely on the conventional way of irrigating.There are more efficient options- small communal irrigation, wind-powered irrigation, ram pump and Solar Powered Irrigation System (SPIS).The SPIS can be set up within months while the smaller irrigation systems are more ideal for small rice farming areas.The SPIS consists of just solar panels, a pump and operating device, water storage facility, and pipes for water distribution.The development cost of SPIS is about PHP105,000 per hectare compared to NIA’s conventional irrigation systems which cost as much as P450,000.There is a need for paradigm shift in irrigation systems construction and it must be done right away.Or else, we will never be able to provide for the rice needs of this country.