THE National Irrigation Authority (NIA) said the additional P40 billion that Congress realigned for their 2024 budget can irrigate an additional 57,000 hectares of rice lands.
This, in turn, can produce 570,000 metric tons more palay each year, said Administrator Eduardo Guillen.
“And if computed conservatively at P19 per kilo, it can generate P10.83-billion per year, with a payback period of four years or less,” he said yesterday.
Last week, a small committee tasked by the House of Representatives to amend the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024 realigned a total of P194 billion to fight inflation and “invest in people and the country’s future.”
The small committee led by Rep. Zaldy Co, chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, also made the following realignments:
* P20-billion to the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the rice subsidy program, to help sell rice at subsidized prices;
* P2-billion to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) for massive planting or replanting of seedlings;
* P1.5-billion for vaccines against the African swine fever (ASF); and
* P1-billion to the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority to build fishery and post-harvest facilities in Palawan and Kalayaan Group of Islands.
Guillen said this budget realignment for NIA focuses on agricultural productivity, which is among President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s top priorities.
“This significant sum of P40 billion will also play a crucial role in addressing both climate change and sustainability concerns. Solar-powered pump irrigation systems will revolutionize our nation’s irrigation coverage, reaching previously inaccessible areas while mitigating the impending effects of climate patterns like El Niño,” Gullen added.
The NIA in September presented its P42.5 billion proposed budget to senators, but lawmakers questioned their ability to provide a consistent irrigational system to farmers.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo, in particular, scored the agency’s request for an P800 million fund for the repair and maintenance of irrigation projects.
As of September, NIA said they had 10,496 communal irrigation systems. But there are 116,000 hectares of covered lands that have non-operational irrigation systems. (ABS-CBN News)
