Irrigation to tap unproductive land

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PNA) — An accelerated irrigation program can convert the remaining unproductive, unirrigated but potentially irrigable lands as well as underperforming irrigated farms into productive opportunities for both the farmers and the government.

Bohol Third District Rep. Arthur Yap emphasized this in House Bill No. 5368 seeking to mandate the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to undertake a six-year accelerated irrigation program for the construction of irrigation projects.

It is aimed at insulating irrigation policy and investments from the vicissitudes and volatility of political considerations, accelerating irrigation development to attain food security and a sustained productivity as key strategies to raise the quality of rural life and pursue national development.

The current national production figures shows an increase of 10 percent in local production and this translates to about one million metric tons of rice or a substantial percentage of the annual rice imports. (PNA)