Tuesday, July 28, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES [ BusinessWorld Online ]
TACLOBAN CITY — The National Government will undertake major irrigation projects aimed at hiking rice production in low-yielding areas in Leyte and Samar.
Buenaventura Go-Soco, regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority in Eastern Visayas, said the projects, which will cost a total of P305 million, will be undertaken in Villaba, Leyte; Dolores, Eastern Samar; Balangiga, Eastern Samar; and Catubig, Northern Samar.
"These will support thousands of rice farms and farmers in low-yielding areas of the region," Mr. Go-Soco said, adding that all of them have been programmed for implementation this year.
Eastern Visayas has a total rice area of 160,000 hectares. Only 35%, or 57,000 hectares, are irrigated. The three Samar provinces have the smallest area backed with irrigation systems.
Based on the 2008 data released by the National Statistical Coordination Board, rice production increased by only 7.9% last year, almost half the 14.2% growth rate in 2007.
"Growth was not that high, despite government’s effort in restoring and rehabilitating irrigation facilities and providing direct assistance to farmers," Mr. Go-Soco said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) aims to plant rice in 143,000 hectares in Eastern Visayas for the May-October cropping period to achieve a 10% growth to 540,000 tons from last year, Leo P. Cañeda, DA regional executive director, said. — SQM
_____________________________________________________________________________________
