DAR has turned over a P10-million solar-powered communal irrigation system.
To boost rice and corn output in Quezon II, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has given a farmer-irrigators group a P10- million solar-powered communal irrigation system (CIS).
Cornelio Villapando, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II said the initiative is supported by the National Irrigation Administration and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program-Irrigation Component (CARP-IC) (NIA)
Villapando said the recently- installed CIS in Brgy. Hagonghong, Buenavista, Quezon, has 108 solar panels that can irrigate over 35 hectares of rice and corn lands, benefiting over 53 farmer-members, including agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) who are members of the Hagonghong Irrigators' Association (HIA).
“The town of Buenavista can be considered an Agrarian Reform Community (ARC) because it is one of the towns with the largest distributed lands by the agency. This irrigation system is a great help to our farmer-beneficiaries planting rice and corn,” he said.
He reiterated the importance of collaborating with the appropriate agencies in implementing these kinds of projects.
Engr. Edwin Nazareno, acting NIA-Quezon Irrigation Management Office Division Manager expressed his gratitude to DAR Quezon II for their utmost support to the project, while Municipal Vice Mayor Alvin Ray U. Rivera appealed to the farmer-beneficiaries to take care of and love the project so that it will be beneficial even for the next generation.
HIA President Alvin Ray U. Rivera assured the two agencies that their association will be responsible for maintaining and taking care of the said irrigation system.
Tags: #DAR, #NIA, #renewableenergy, #ARBs, #riceandcornfarmers