P7-B irrigation plan for Nueva Ecija farmers key to rice program

CABANATUAN CITY—The implementation of a P7-billion irrigation project for farmers in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac is a key component of the government campaign to boost rice production and attain rice self-sufficiency, a top official of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said.

NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel said the Casecnan Multipurpose Irrigation and Power Project’s (CMIPP) Phase II include the construction of irrigation canals from Pantabangan Dam to the towns of Talugtog, Nampicuan and Lupao, and the cities of Muñoz and San Jose in Nueva Ecija, and Victoria town in Tarlac.

The project would irrigate 20,321 hectares on top of the 40,000 ha serviced by the CMIPP’s Phase I.

“This development will increase rice productivity from the current 390,771 metric tons (MT) per year to the target of 599,066 MT,” Nangel said.

CMIPP’s Phase II would maximize the use of water diverted to Pantabangan Dam through an underground tunnel from Taan River in Nueva Vizcaya, he said.

In Pangasinan, farmers started producing their own certified seeds to increase their yields.

Farmers in the 48 towns and cities of Pangasinan received certified palay seeds from the provincial government and Department of Agriculture (DA) last week.

“These seeds will be used to produce the next batch of certified seeds that will also be given to other farmers,” said Cris Bautista, DA regional technical director.  Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon, and Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon