Solar-powered irrigation system to Bukidnon

MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon — The Department of Agriculture (DA) regional office in Northern Mindanao has turned over three agricultural infrastructure including solar powered irrigation system to the local government of San Fernando Bukidnon amounting to more than P12 million official, an official announced on Friday.

Regional Executive director Jose Apollo Pacamalan, in a statement, said a certificate of turnover was for P 7.4 million worth Solar Powered Irrigation System (SPIS) to San Fernando Mayor Rogelio Yeke and barangay captain Noel Espares of Kayaga in a ceremony held on Wednesday.

The SPIS is funded under the agriculture department Rice program for 2024 with a solar array of 80 panels and pump power of 22 kilowatts which can service up to 20.5 hectares of rain fed rice production area.

Espares said this configuration benefits local farmers by ensuring easy access and optimal cropping intensity and yield, higher productivity and increased income.

“In the past water used to be sourced from the creek, making out farming dependent on days when there is heavy rainfall to meet our needs for sufficient irrigation. Our farmers will largely benefit from this solar-powered pump provided to us by the DA,” he said.

Also under the same program the agricultural regional office handed over the improvised and rehabilitated diversion dam worth P4.5 million to the Candelaria Balongkot Irrigators association.

The improvised 500-meter diversion dam located in sitio Riverside, spanned across 60 hectares agricultural production area, paving way for increased productivity on the farmers in the vicinity.

Also turned over was a 180 square meter nursery with P495,95 thousand to a farmers multipurpose cooperative funded under the coconut farmers and industry development plan situated in Barangay Halapitan which has a capacity to house over 20 to 30 thousand coffee and cacao seedlings expected to benefit over 200 coconut farmers in the area.

The nursery allows the farmers to grow seedlings provided by the government for inter cropping of coffee and cacao under coconut plantations in the said areas.