IN keeping with the administration’s program to reach a level of food sufficiency, especially with regard to our staple food – rice, the Department of Agriculture has secured the release of close to R2 billion to fasttrack the rehabilitation and repair of the country’s national and communal irrigation systems in time for the rice planting season.
As one of the government’s priority programs to ensure food sufficiency for the nation, the Department of Agriculture led by Secretary Domingo Panganiban hopes to sustain the investment in the subsequent years with the fund for 2007 expected to exceed R3 billion. The three-year rehabilitation programs hope to achieve rice sufficiency for the country by 2009.
According to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) data, of the total 3.126 million hectares riceland nationwide, only 44.84 percent or 1.402 million hectares have functioning irrigation systems. Some 1.724 million hectares have either defective irrigation systems or rely primarily on rainwater for rice planting activities. So far a total of 21,703 hectares have been reached by water from the restored systems. The objective of the program for 2006 is to irrigate 90,000 hectares. With the support given by the government to the irrigation program, it is expected that more than 618,000 hectares would be covered in the next three years.
The Department of Agriculture must be commended for this program that will definitely boost productivity, increase the incomes of farmers, and bring forth food sufficiency.
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