Abra rice farmers may soon be doubling production and income following the installation and completion of four Solar-Powered Irrigation System (SPIS) units in various rice-producing areas in the province.
“This (SPIS) is ideal for Abra,” Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Manny F. Piñol said during the Biyaheng Bukid held in the municipality of Tayum on May 23, 2019.
During the event, the agriculture chief told Abra Governor Jocelyn Valera-Bernos that he sees much potential for the agriculture sector in the province.
“You have good-quality soil in your hilly land areas. This could be served by an SPIS as long as it has a nearby source of water,” he explained.
The DA team launched the completed SPIS projects in Abra amounting to P23.99 million. These include the Abot SPIS in Cabaruan, Danglas, the Bangbangcag SPIS in Bucay, the Piddocol SPIS in Malabbaga, La Paz, and the San Vicente SPIS in Bagalay, Tayum. The irrigation systems are expected to benefit more than 173 rice farmers in the province.
While there are still two ongoing SPIS projects in Abra, Piñol has requested Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Regional Field Office (RFO) Director Cameron Odsey to“prioritize Abra SPIS projects.”
In his message, Piñol announced that he will return after a year to assess the impact of the projects.
Many rice farmers in the province, being in upland areas, depend on rainfall for irrigation. They plant and harvest only once a year. “Makapaminduwa, mamitlo kami ngata tatta nga agtalonen (We can now plant [rice] two to three times a year),” Bagalay Solar Power Irrigators Association President Alfonso Tuazon said about the benefit of the SPIS.
Tuazon shared that he accepts the secretary’s challenge for his group to improve on their production and livelihood as a way of expressing their gratitude to the DA. He added, “Syempre, daytoy ti pangrugian siguro ti panagprogreso ditoy yanmi ditoy Sitio San Vicente, Bagalay (Of course, this could be that start of our progress here in Sitio San Vicente, Bagalay).”
Piñol encouraged the Abrenian rice farmers to strengthen their group, because he said that the goal of the DA is for the farmers to be the processors and marketers of their own products. He suggested that Abra could establish a rice processing complex and the farmers could develop an Abra rice brand.
During his first visit to province, the DA secretary has brought with him a number of good news for the local farmers. This year, farm-to-market roads will be constructed in the towns of Bangued, Bucay, Danglas, Peñarrubia, Sallapadan, and Lagangilang. Good quality seeds, access to credit facilities, and farm equipment such as tractors, rice planters, rice harvesters, and dryers will be provided to the Abrenian farmers.
Piñol announced that he will soon return to Abra for the preparation of the province’s agricultural master plan, wherein the stakeholders will identify needed interventions to boost the agriculture sector of Abra. ### (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-AFID)
