NIA turns over irrigation system to farmers in Agusan del Norte
By Nora C. Lanuza
BUTUAN CITY – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) recently turned over water irrigation facilities to 869 farmers in Agusan del Norte.
The
P158 million project was funded under the 2023 Calamity Repair and
Restoration Fund.
The
project includes the construction of dam protection works, and canals to
provide better and stable water supply to farmlands.
The
Cuyago Irrigators Association is one of the irrigation associations that will
benefit from the project. Its members maintain a 115-hectare of farmland
planted to rice, corn and other crops.
“Dako
kaayo ug tabang sa amo nga mga farmers ang proyekto nga gihatag sa NIA,
segurado na nga adunay supply sa tubig ang among mga umahan ug pwede na pod mi
magdungan ug pananum kay naa naman mi sakto nga supply sa tubig (The project
provided by NIA is a great help to us, farmers. It ensured a stable water
supply for our fields. We can now have more opportunities to plant rice and
other crops since we have adequate water supply in the area),” said Nicolas
Lincuna, president of the Cuyago Irrigators Association of Barangay Cuyago in
Jabonga, Agusan del Norte.
According
to Lincuna, “daku na kaayo ug kabag-uhan sa irrigation system (The irrigation
system underwent significant improvements).”
“Before,
water supply from the irrigation system could only accommodate limited hectares
of our farmlands, so we needed to schedule our farming activities, but now our
entire rice farm already has sufficient water supply, and simultaneous planting
of crops is possible,” he recalled.
“The
water irrigation system is also free; we only collect operation maintenance
fees from the members during every cropping, and our rice yield has
significantly increased, which has benefited the farmers tremendously,” Lincuna
added.
Dexter
A. Sablaon, division manager of NIA Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte and
Dinagat Islands Irrigation Management Office (ASDI-IMO), said, “The irrigation
projects recently turned over will contribute to agricultural success as water
irrigation supply is a vital component for agricultural output and plays a
significant part in ensuring food security in the province and the whole
country.”
“During the ceremonial turnover, NIA and IAs signed a project completion agreement. As mutually accepted by both parties, the recipient IAs will take full responsibility for overseeing the aforementioned projects in close collaboration with NIA to ensure the longevity of the facility to benefit future generations,” Sabalon emphasized. (NCLM/PIA-Agusan del Norte)
