AGRICULTURE Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said the country’s rice sufficiency can be attained after 2013 with irrigation projects on the way in Mindanao.
Alcala recently expressed his confidence that the Aquino administration will attain sufficiency in rice as the Department of Agriculture (DA) will allot at least P500 million next year to establish nationwide hundreds of small irrigation projects (SIPs).
The SIPs are considered more cost-efficient, faster to construct, and easier to maintain and manage.
One project now in the works is the construction of Cateel Irrigation Project in Cateel, Davao Oriental with a total project cost of P255million and contract duration of 580 days.
The project is being funded by the Department of Agriculture’s – Mindanao Rural Development Program (DA-MRDP).
Cateel is an east coast town that boasts an area of 22,952 hectares devoted to rice production. The said irrigation project aims to provide sustainable irrigation water for approximately 1,600 hectares of suitable lands covering 11 barangays.
“Gusto po nating tumaas ang rice production natin kahit sa tag-init. (We would like to increase rice production even during dry season). (With this,) we would be expanding the areas that will be irrigated and we will be safe and secured in the coming years despite calamities,” Alcala said. [DA-MRDP/NOEL T. PROVIDO]
In the same forum, World Bank operations officer Ferlizardo Virtucio, Jr. stressed that in meeting rice sufficiency target, the agriculture sector should also improved postharvest practice particularly its milling recovery.
“The Philippines only has a 62% recovery rate in the rice milling process. So if the country can bring that up to 70%, it will help boost total production and farmers’ income,” Virtucio said.
“We are appealing to the private sector to invest in modernized rice mills that can increase the rice recovery,” he added. [DA-MRDP/Noel T. Provido]
