Just in time for the start of the planting season in Caraga Region, Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol spends his last day of work for the year 2018 by providing the rice farmers’ long-dreamed irrigation project.

Piñol leads the turnover of the first of the five Solar-Powered Irrigation Project (SPIS) established in Caraga Region located in Brgy. Sinobong, Veruela, Agusan del Sur. This was received by Chairman Angelo D. Jalucon of the Cautan Sinobong Farmers Association (CASFA), a 58-member association. The P6 Million worth SPIS with a 25 Horsepower Irrigation Pump can irrigate up to 60 hectares, and more if additional pipes are added to reach farther areas.

Secretary Manny Piñol with Veruela SB Member Salimar Mondejar and DA-Caraga Regional Executive Director visits the Sinobong Solar Powered Irrigation that is ready for turnover. Behind SB Mondejar is Vice Mayor Candelario Viola, Jr. who joins the team to see how SPIS works to help his constituents.

SPIS is a project introduced by Piñol as part of his 10-Priority Agenda in lifting the state of rice farming in the country. It aims to increase rice production by providing the water needed by farmers to irrigate their farms and enable them to plant and harvest at least twice a year thereby increasing productivity.

“Compared to the big NIA Irrigation systems that are costly and require millions of pesos for its construction, the SPIS is cheaper and can be built within three months,” said Piñol.

With the establishment of more SPIS, Piñol hopes to introduce later another technology called Fertigation. As the name implies, fertigation is a process in which fertilizer is applied with the irrigation water. “Through this technology, fertilization becomes more accurate and uniform for every rice area,” Piñol added.

The SPIS Project of the DA goes in tandem with the Easy Access Credit Loan Program called Production Loan Easy Access (PLEA) that gives farmers the access to a loan of only 6% interest rate without collateral payable in 2 years for rice farmers. The Department of Agriculture hopes that through this two flagship program under the Duterte Administration, farmers will finally graduate from the cycle of lending from loan sharks which hits them twice to poverty. In 2019, a budget of P3.4 Billion has been allocated for easy access credit financing under the Agricultural Credit and Policy Council (ACPC).

During the turnover ceremony and open forum with farmers, Piñol commits to allocating P5 Million under the PLEA Program of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council as initial fund for the farmers in Veruela, Agusan del Sur.  According to Secretary Piñol, each farmer can avail the loan provided that they undergo the orientation, financial literacy program, and register under the Farmers Registration System.

In addition, Piñol directed DA-Caraga Regional Executive Director Abel James I. Monteagudo to conduct a Rice Derby in the municipality of Veruela to determine the most suitable variety of rice for the locality. LGU shall identify the 5-hectare area for the said project, preferably those that benefit from the solar irrigation system. Rice Derby is a technology demonstration initiative of the DA where Rice Seed Companies will be given a one-hectare area to showcase the yield capacity and performance of their product. The farmers will then choose the best variety through the result of the demonstration.

Piñol also committed to providing the municipality a 1.5-kilometer Farm-to-Market Road (FMR) after seeing for himself the lack of good road network from the SPIS Service area to the barangay center.

“I would like to provide you a 1.5-kilometer FMR project but this would be included in the year 2020 since our budget for 2019 is already done. I would also instruct Director Monteagudo to establish a Multiplier farm for Native Pigs and native Chicken in this municipality. I am also instructing the Rice Focal Person of the Region to provide one rice seeds each to the 58 farmer-recipients of the SPIS,” Pinol said.

Mayor Myrna Mondejar of Veruela expressed her joy for the agriculture assistance received by the municipality and also commits to putting up their own counterpart to widen the coverage of the project to help more farmers. (Emmyou T. Presilda/DA-Caraga)