FOLLOWING the swift completion of a solar-powered irrigation system in a barangay of Llanera in Nueva Ecija, local farmers have already started to benefit from the facility, allowing them to expand their production areas.
Members of the Caridad Norte and Sur Irrigators Association (CNSIA) claimed that the facility provided them the opportunity to expand their ricelands from 100 hectares to 200 hectares with the sufficient water supply coming from the solar-powered pump.
CNSIA vice president Roger Bautista proudly said majority of their members have become more active in tilling their lands, which formerly depended on rainwater alone.
From the former 70 hectares of vegetable plantations, the other farmers were also able to expand the area to 100 hectares, providing additional income to the local vegetable farmers.
The Caridad Norte and Sur Solar Irrigation System which was constructed in Barangay Caridad Norte is under the Solar-Powered Irrigation System (SPIS) program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that is being advocated by DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.
The SPIS is a pilot project of the DA Regional Field Office 3 (DA-RFO 3) to enhance and sustain rice production in the highland rainfed areas of the municipality.
It was realized through the efforts of DA-RFO 3 regional executive director Roy M. Abaya and DA-RFO 3 Assistant Regional Director for Operations & Extension Crispulo G. Bautista, Jr.
According to the DA-RFO 3, the solar-powered water pumping facility, which is said to be the very “first and biggest” of its kind in Luzon, was constructed and installed by Bacolod City-based R.U. Foundry and Machine Shop Corporation (RUFMSC), a proponent for the development of agriculture in the country.
More than 125 rice farmers who are members of the cooperative can now cultivate more crops with the completion of the solar-powered irrigation system which the DA implemented.
Composed of 140 Lorentz solar panels, a 40-horsepower Lorentz submersible pump, state-of-the-art electronic control devices, highly-reliable flow meter gauge, concrete storage tank, and irrigation distribution pipelines, the facility is expected to supply the water needs to irrigate some 50 to 70 hectares of farmlands, in a rotation basis, in Caridad Norte and Caridad Sur, which formerly depended on rainwater only.
Access to irrigation water is the key for many small farmers in Llanera to sustain their livelihoods and attain food security.
With lack of electricity, diesel-operated water pumps are usually used to pump water for irrigation purposes.
But the use of diesel-powered engines has several disadvantages like the ever-increasing prices of fuel which will directly affect the economic success of the farmers, and of course, its harsh effect on the environment.
Renewable energy options, like the solar-powered irrigation system is a very promising solution to help attain sustainable agriculture in the countryside.
Solar-powered irrigation systems are designed to help farmers in the remote areas to irrigate their farmlands, which will eventually increase their production during the dry months.
Solar-powered irrigation facilities will also enable the farmers to shift from expensive and pollution-causing diesel-powered pumps to sustainable and more efficient water sources. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
