M’LANG, Cotabato Province (PIA) — The National Irrigation Administration, through its M’lang Malasila Rivers Irrigation System (NIA-MMRIS), has urged irrigator associations (IA) to implement vegetable gardening along irrigation canals to boost food production.
Engr. Milbrend Anne B. Alburo, the chief of the NIA-MMRIS system, said that the initiative is under the agency’s “Gulayan sa Canal” program, which encourages vegetable gardening along irrigation canals to boost sustainable farming practices and food supply in support of the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty program.
The program, she pointed out, not only aims to increase food production but also enhance community involvement in agriculture and improve farmers’ livelihoods by maximizing use of available spaces near irrigation canals.
“Also, through this program, our IAs and farmers gain additional income,” Alburo added.
Also, the program also complements the KADIWA sa NIA, another initiative of the agency that aims to establish a direct market chain between farmers and consumers by providing a platform for selling and purchasing goods.
“We encourage our seven IAs to implement the Gulayan sa NIA Canal every cropping season. Aside from the additional income of our farmers and IAs, they can supply vegetables at a lower price to the local market as part of the Kadiwa program,” the official stated.
According to the NIA, it plans to recognize irrigator associations that have effectively adopted the Gulayan sa NIA Canal’s vegetable gardening project in its second year of implementation this year.
Participating IAs this year include BNBL IA, Buayan-Langkong IA, DLS IA, Tulunan IA, AMYON IA, BIMADU IA, and LIDANAMA IA.
BIMADU IA president Jerry Malones described the program as an alternative source of income, a huge help for their association and others.
“Itong aming gulayan sa canal ay patuloy namin itong ginagawa sa bawat cropping. Nakikita namin na malaki talaga ‘yong impact na kung saan ma-encourage din namin na magtanim ‘yong ating mga magsasaka sa kanilang mga sakahan para makatulong din sa pag-angat ng kanilang buhay,” he said.
(We continue to maintain this garden by the canal with each cropping season. We see that the impact is truly significant, and we can encourage our farmers to plant in their fields to improve their lives.) (SJDM – PIA Cotabato Province)
