Farmers urged: Increase crop cycles

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is urging farmers to plant more crops per year to help close the country’s rice supply gap.

The agency is aiming for two crops during the dry season and at least three overall to boost production, NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen said Tuesday.

The push comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted a 3 million-ton shortfall in local rice production despite last year’s record harvest.

Large irrigation projects are key to achieving three cropping cycles annually, Guillen said.

The government has inaugurated several irrigation projects this year, including the P940 million Sulvec Small Reservoir Irrigation Project in Ilocos Norte, the P19.7 billion Jalaur River Multipurpose Project-Stage II in Iloilo, and the P65.77 million Cabaruan Solar-Powered Pump Irrigation Project in Isabela.

The NIA has also distributed 15 mass solar-powered pump irrigation projects and two small solar-powered irrigation projects in the Cagayan Valley region.

The agency plans to start construction on the P20.7 billion Panay River Basin Integrated Development Project in Capiz in 2026.

Guillen said increasing farm productivity through timely distribution of hybrid seeds and fertilizers is also crucial.

The NIA is seeking a P200 billion annual budget to irrigate 1.2 million hectares of unirrigated land.