Image from TesfaNews In line with the campaign promise of President Rodrigo Duterte to provide free irrigation to farmers in the country, the Department of Agriculture (DA) will put up solar-powered irrigation system to be piloted in identified areas.

This was revealed by Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol as they push to capacitate farmlands that have been wanting of water system to ensure harvest.

Piñol said he will request Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año to send memorandum to local governments to submit to DA listing of areas which could be served by solar-powered irrigation.

Some 2,000 solar-powered irrigation system projects all over the country will be laid out by the DA until 2019 which could provide water to 100,000 rainfed areas.

It is calculated by DA that once the areas identified are provided with sufficient water, an additional 1,000,000 metric tons of rice will be produced.

This as Piñol called on local chief executives in the country to initiate water impounding programs in their localities.

This will serve as their counterpart to the DA’s advocacy of solar-powered irrigation system.

The Agri chief said by doing these things, the target for rice sufficiency can be attained if there would be enough water.

Last year, President Duterte switched-on the prototype of this project in M’lang, North Cotabato, and the DA has completed the first fully-operational irrigation project in Matalam, North Cotabato.

Around 169 similar projects are expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, DA released P168 million worth of farm machines and post-harvest facilities to local governments and farmers’ associations in Region 12.

The activity which was done at the agency’s research and experiment station is in connection with the intensified farm mechanization program of the DA.

Piñol spearheaded the mass distribution of farm machines received by local officials coming from the four provinces and two cities covered by the region.

Some of the farm machines being turned-over were rice and corn combine harvesters and tractors.