LAUREL, Batangas (PIA) — An official from the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is pushing to shift the country’s farming calendar to the last three months of the year to minimize the damage caused by extreme weather to agricultural products.
In an interview during the Irrigators’ Association (IA) Congress on April 2, Eduardo Eddie Guillen, NIA Administrator, highlighted that cropping intensity in the country is often wasted during the rainy season, which farmers have traditionally designated d as a planting season.
Cropping intensity refers to the number of times crops are grown and harvested on the same land within a year.
“The cropping intensity here in the Philippines is only at around 1.6 to 1.8 percent even if we have two planting seasons. That’s why we changed the cropping calendar from December to October so harvest season can fall in February when there is no typhoon,”
“If our farmers plant in December, just in time when we release water from dams, they can use the water for land soaking.”
NIA is also constructing solar pumps across the country to enhance irrigation and strengthen farm production against climate change.
Nemesio Yaddao, President of the Magat River Integrated Irrigation System, expressed optimism that the IA Congress will provide farmers with valuable knowledge about government programs designed to boost farmer productivity.
With NIA’s support, the Magat River Integrated Irrigation System has gained access to various agriculture programs, including irrigation, national solar projects, and cooperative development, which have improved water infrastructure in remote areas.
Although Central Luzon was among the regions affected by the El Niño phenomenon in 2024, NIA played a crucial role in mitigating its effects on farm productivity.
“NIA helped us plan how we can mitigate the effects of El Niño, so we were not affected badly. I am thankful to the NIA Central Office for helping us,” Yaddao added.
Meanwhile, an official from the Batangas Provincial Government stressed the importance of the need to prioritize boosting farmer income to increase productivity as a means to enhance productivity.
“While irrigation leads to increased yield, and farm mechanization improves productivity, it is equally important that discussions also revolve around increasing farmer income.” Provincial Administrator Wilfredo Racelis said.
Increasing farmer income should also be given attention as NIA’s farm irrigation project continues to increase productivity. (PB/PIA4A)
