LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform in Bicol (DAR-5) will shortly turn over a P3.7-million communal irrigation system (CIS) in Camarines Norte that is expected to help boost rice productivity in the province.
to a farmer-irrigators’ association in Camarines Norte anytime this month.
Camarines Norte DAR chief Camilo A. del Monte said in a social media post that the project was funded under their Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in partnership with National Irrigation Administration-Irrigation Management Office (NIA-IMO).
The CIS facility, del Monte said, will irrigate over 40 hectares of rice farms and will benefit some 60 rice farmers including agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who are members of the Batobalani Paracale Farmers Irrigators Association, Inc.
Del Monte said the initial inspection of the diversion and canal lining works in Barangay Batobalani, Paracale town was conducted last February 22.
Meanwhile, Engr. Carol L. Rañola, acting provincial manager of the NIA-IMO, said the facility is meant to help rice farmers in the community to further improve their harvest and raise their farm income.
“The irrigation facility’s construction began in May 2021 and was completed end of the year. The facility will be formally turned over to the farmers’ association after NIA completes its final inspection anytime this month,” the post read.
Elsa E. Quimson, president of the irrigator’s association, said with the CIS, they intend to add another cropping season and raise their average yield from 60 cavans to 80 cavans per hectare.
On behalf of their association, Quimson also vowed to take care of the said facility which would benefit their community by providing timely and reliable irrigation service.
“We would benefit greatly from this project because one of our primary concerns is irrigation. We solely relied on rain water to irrigate our rice fields. With the facility, water from then Submakin River will now reach our farms, thanks to the DAR initiative,” she said. (With a report from Eliakim Neric/PNA-OJT)
