The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) continues to install solar-powered irrigation systems (SPIS) to benefit more agrarian reform communities in the province.
As of February, DAR’s project status report indicates that out of 21 targeted units, 16 have been completed by the agency.
“We hope to complete the installation and turnover before the end of this year,” DAR Ilocos Norte chief agrarian reform program officer Rommel Aquino said in an interview on Monday, following the conduct of a final inspection of one of the solar projects in Barangay Maruaya, Piddig town.
With a total budget of PHP50 million, the DAR and the provincial government signed a memorandum of agreement on June 26, 2024, to implement the Climate Resilient Farm Productivity Support (CRFPS) project.
This includes installing SPIS, which is expected to reduce farmers’ production costs by around 60 percent, as they no longer need to purchase gasoline for their generator sets.
“Solar irrigation is a big help to farmers like us. With steady and affordable water, it allows us to plant more and earn more,” said Crisner Lagazo, one of the beneficiaries of a solar-powered irrigation system in Barangay Sulbec, Pasuquin town.
To help farmers boost productivity amid rising oil prices, the provincial government, in partnership with DAR, has been distributing solar irrigation projects, particularly in remote areas facing water shortages.
Two types of solar-irrigation projects are being installed: a PHP1.3 million unit that irrigates three to five hectares, and a PHP5 million unit that covers eight to 10 hectares. (PNA)