Irrigation improves farmers’ lives — Laurel
Aside from irrigating farm lands in Lupao, the project will also offer tourism and fishery opportunities to residents of the area
Photograph Courtesy of DA
Daily TribuneAside from irrigating farm lands in Lupao, the project will also offer tourism and fishery opportunities to residents of the area
Photograph Courtesy of DA
The Department of Agriculture has cited the benefits of the P2.43-billion irrigation project which broke ground at Doña Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan last Wednesday and according to DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., the project will boost farmers from Bulacan and Pampanga.
Laurel said that the Bayabas Small Reservoir Irrigation Project will greatly benefit rice and crop producers aside from improving the lives and livelihood of farmers and aquaculture investors.
The DA chief accompanied President Marcos Jr. in inaugurating the P1.28-billion Balbalungao SRIP in Lupao, Nueva Ecija and in turning over in Subic the first batch of heavy equipment procured by the National Irrigation Administration.
The Balbalungao SRIP will cover 976.2 hectares and benefit 560 farmers. Aside from irrigating farm lands in Lupao, the project will also offer tourism and fishery opportunities to residents of the area.
It is part of NIA's three-year, P2.59-billion re-fleeting program that will involve more than 330 excavators and other heavy equipment to support various irrigation projects and maintenance activities.
Meanwhile, NIA's Bayabas SRIP will irrigate 150 hectares of new areas and 27,828 hectares in 17 towns in Bulacan and Pampanga. The project is also expected to help ease the lingering flooding problem in the two food-producing provinces just north of Metro Manila.
Laurel said the Bayabas SRIP is also envisaged to generate electricity from solar and hydropower components of the irrigation infrastructure, and help in promoting aquaculture in the area.