Nangel said that the prioritization of non-functional irrigation systems, classified as national irrigation systems (NIS) and communal irrigation systems (CIS) is in line with the RSSR formulated by the Department of Agriculture under the leadership of Secretary Proceso Alcala which has been supported by President Aquino.
“An initial P30 billion to be sourced from allocations under the General Appropriations Act and loans will be used to finance up to 2013 the rehab and restoration of NIS and CIS nationwide,” Nangel said.
NIS involves systems with serviceable areas of 1,000 hectares and above, among which are the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System which operates the Pantabangan Dam, the Magat River Integrated Irrigation System which supervises the Magat Dam and the Angat-Maasim Irrigation System which manages the Angat Dam.
CIS refers to smaller systems that irrigate less than 1,000 hectares.
Nangel said of the NIA’s total budget of P92.7 billion up to 2016, 68 percent will be allocated for the first three years in which the agency is targeting 2.8 million metric tons of the total incremental palay production from new and restored serviceable areas. This represents 36 percent of the 4.88 million metric tons of the total targeted incremental production.
“For the first three years, NIA expects to generate 166,671 hectares of new serviceable areas, restore 102,612 hectares of inactive serviceable areas and rehabilitate 181,787 hectares of active serviceable areas,” Nangel said, adding that the NIA will be spending an average of P250,000 per hectare for area generation, some P120,000 per hectare for area restoration and P90,000 per hectare for area rehab.
Aside from focusing on increasing the serviceable area, irrigated area and cropping intensity, the NIA will also embark on promotion of rice-intensifying cropping pattern to increase palay output.
Nangel said NIA will prioritize short-gestation projects fast-track irrigated area roll-out and promote crop yield-enhancing farming system to expand the serviceable area. “This will adopt water saving irrigation methods, including controlled irrigation practices,” Nangel added.
Regarding NIA priority projects up to 2016 in support of the DA’s RSSR, Nangel said that the agency is spending P12.7 billion for agency projects in 2011, P30 billion in 2012, P20 billion in 2013, P15 billion in 2014, P10 billion in 2015 and P5 billion by 2016.
This will be utilized to generate 286,262 hectares, restore 166,130 hectares and rehabilitate 358,887 hectares by 2016. Of the targeted generated areas, some 27,130 hectares are expected to be realized this year; 74,140 has. in 2012; 65,401 has. in 2013; 56,575 has. in 2014; 41,428 has. in 2015 and 14,221 has. in 2016.
Nangel said that for the five-year period, the targeted harvested areas will be 16,917,211 hectares broken down into 8,058,210 for the wet season; 7,687,630 has. for the dry season and 1,171,371 has. for the third crop.
“Our country has 30 million hectares of agricultural lands of which 3,126,340 hectares are potential irrigable area based on the 3 percent slope criteria. Of the 3,126,340 hectares, NIA has developed 49 percent or 1,542,668 hectares involving 767,006 hectares for NIS, some 558,333 hectares for CIS and 217,329 hectares for private irrigation systems,” Nangel said.
He explained that the government also has identified 1,584,232 hectares in remaining potential areas to be developed. (Jason de Asis)
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