El Niño Dispatch
NIA assures sufficient irrigation water in Nueva EcijaOfficials of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) have assured farmers in the country’s top palay-producing
In a recent consultative meeting with farmer leaders and heads of the NIA plus other agencies attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA), Antonio Nangel, the department manager of the NIA-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (UPRIIS) allayed fears of an impending drought, saying that Pantabangan Dam can sufficiently sustain the water requirements of the standing crop and can even accommodate the quick turnaround cropping or third cropping and “ratooning” farming.
Rice ratooning is the ability of standing crops to regenerate new tillers after harvest.
In a report to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Nangel said the UPRIIS is strongly pushing for rice ratooning because it has low irrigation requirement, lower production cost, and higher yield per unit area in less time.
“The Pantabangan dam water level of 207 meters, as of February 9 is still above the operation rule curve,” he said. “Given the 102,550 hectares we programmed this dry crop in 2010 and its total water requirement of 1,283.71 MCM until harvest time in April, Pantabangan Dam is still at the ideal or safe level of 194.00 meters. With this water elevation, UPRIIS can still program around 25,000 hectares for third cropping or Quick Turnaround (QTA) or Ratooning or both at the same time.”
Present during the consultative meeting were DA Region 3 Director Redentor Gatus and Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Director Ronilo Beronio, both of whom lauded the efforts of UPRIIS to mitigate the adverse effects of El Niño on rice production in
Gatus assured farmers during the meeting that seed and fertilizer subsidies would be made available to those adopting the QTA, while Beronio said PhilRice is preparing flyers to disseminate information on rice ratooning.
The meeting was also attended by representatives from the National Food Authority (NFA), Land Bank of the
UCFIA has 380 IAs as members within the service area of UPRIIS in Nueva Ecija, parts of Bulacan, Pampanga and Tarlac. It has 76,000 farmer-members who actively participate in the operation and management of irrigation systems covered by UPRIIS as well as in the collection of irrigation service fees.
The bold move of UPRIIS in programming 25,000 hectares for QTA and ratooning this year is supported by different intervention programs with farmers as direct beneficiaries.
Owing to the well-observed procedure in water releases from Pantabangan dam during typhoons, the UPRIIS was able to program 100% of its firmed up service area equivalent to 102,550 hectares.
By April or when the standing crops shall have been harvested, the dam elevation is projected at 194.00 meters.
Earlier, the DA said it is rationalizing the use of irrigation water by scheduling their use in farming communities as part of the conservation measures it is currently implementing to ease the impact of the El Niño dry spell on the agriculture and fisheries sector.
DA Undersecretary Bernie Fondevilla said that while water in irrigation facilities and dams remain adequate, it is better to conserve this precious commodity while the country is experiencing a moderate but prolonged El Nino attack.
Citing the assessment by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Fondevilla said in media interviews that while the latest onslaught of El Niño appears to be a mild or moderate one, it could be longer than usual, though, and could possibly last till July instead of only in May or June.
“We are rationalizing the use of irrigation water but that doesn’t mean that it is not enough,” Fondevilla, who chairs the task force, said. “Water supply remains adequate for our farms and we are just resorting to conservation in the face of a Pagasa-forecasted prolonged dry spell this year. So what we will do is to provide our farmers with just enough water that they need and schedule its release so that we wouldn’t waste water in irrigating their croplands. “
Fondevilla said the DA would coordinate with local government units (LGUs) so it can maximize the use of irrigation water by scheduling or synchronizing its release in El Niño-affected farms.
He said water conservation measures should be implemented even beyond El Niño’s onslaught as part of the government’s long-term measures to ensure the adequate supply of water to farms. (DA Press Office)
