The completion and rehabilitation of 15 small-scale irrigation systems in different provinces in the Caraga Region is seen to benefit palay farmers in the area, the Department of Agriculture in Caraga Region (DA-13) said Tuesday.
Amounting to PHP46 million, DA-13 said the small-scale irrigation projects or diversion dams commissioned last year were based on the proposals submitted by farmers’ groups and irrigators’ associations in the region.
Seven of the completed small-scale irrigation projects are located in the province of Agusan del Sur, four in Surigao del Sur, three in Surigao del Norte, and one in Butuan City.
Among those rehabilitated last year include the irrigation system in Loreto, Agusan del Sur and in the towns of Tubod and Tagana-an in Surigao del Norte, DAR-13 said.
Regional Technical Director Nicandro M. Navia Jr. said DA-13 has already turned over one completed irrigation project in Barangay Burgos, Cortes, Surigao del Sur.
Navia said the project, dubbed as the Igang-Caman-onan and Kagbaye Diversion Dams had a total allocation of PHP6.38 million. The project was handed over last week to the officers and members of the Cagbaye Farmers Irrigators Association (CFIA-SWISA) and the Camam-onan Farmers Samahang Walang Iwanan sa Agrikultura (CFSWISA) in the area.
“We are more than willing to partner with the local government units to make idle lands productive that the farmers can benefit,” Navia said.
DA-13 is set to hand over to farmers’ organizations the other completed small-scale irrigation projects, he added.
Navia said the construction of diversion dams was part of the small-scale irrigation project under the DA Rice Program implemented in partnership with the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM), in coordination with the local government units.
“The agriculture department focuses to build more agriculture infrastructures to help the farm sector to improve rural productivity and increase the income of local farmers through Secretary William D. Dar’s agri-industrialization strategy,” he added. (PNA)
