BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
CITY OF ILAGAN, Isabela (September 25)—A P72.6-million small water impounding project (SWIP) will irrigate an additional 256 hectares of farmland, which is expected to boost rice production in Isabela province.
Department of Agriculture (DA)-Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) Executive Director Narciso Edillo said the SWIP would also benefit around 177 rice farmers in Mallig town in the province.
“The SWIP will irrigate 256 hectares more rice land in the town in addition to already existing irrigated farmlands,” he added.
Mallig town Mayor Jonathan Calderon has expressed his thanks to DA-Region 2 for the water irrigation project in areas that only depended on rainwater for their rice-planting activities for many years now.
“This will surely boost the rice industry in the town of Mallig which will also help farmers increase their income with higher productivity,” he said.
Meanwhile, rice production in Region 2 has increased by 3 percent to 1.4 million metric tons (MT) during the first semester.
Dr. Marvin Luis, DA-Region 2 senior science research specialist, said the Cagayan Valley region was targeting 2.7 million MT this year: “It will be possible to reach the target without any calamity, abnormalities or unfavorable weather conditions until harvest season.”
In the area of surplus production, Luis cited the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) 2019 data showing that the Cagayan Valley region remained No. 1 for having recorded a 267-percent sufficiency level last year.
Based on the PSA 2019 data, Region 2 had contributed more than 2.64 million MT or 14 percent of the total 18.81 million MT production of palay (unmilled rice) in the country.
Also acting assistant chief of the DA-Region 2 Field Operations Division, Luis said the DA-Region 2 target of distributing 70,000 bags of hybrid rice seeds for 70,000 hectares is now 99 percent completed, while 92 percent of the 20,000 bags of inbred rice seeds had already been distributed.
He noted that the rice competitiveness enhancement fund (RCEF), with a target of 188,200 bags of inbred rice seeds for distribution in the region, is now 95 percent complete.
“The distribution of high-quality rice seeds which include hybrid seeds to farmers is one of the strategies in Cagayan Valley to respond to reported low yield or low utilization of high-quality seed during planting season,” Luis said.
He added that Region 2 had 136,000 hectares of land planted with high-quality seeds like hybrid seeds.
Luis has urged rice farmers to observe the correct timing in the planting of palay because when the flowering period of the rice plants occurs during the cold weather will cause sterility or the grains become empty.
Meanwhile, the DA-Region 2 fertilizer assistance program under the Plant Plant Plant Program has a total of 20,998 bags already distributed to 7,688 farmer-beneficiaries in 15 towns of Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela provinces.