|
GRATEFUL
FARMERS. Jubilant farmers in Umingan town headed by
their Irrigators’ Association President Prescillano
Rivera present a bale of palay to Pangasinan Governor
Victor E. Agbayani symbolic of their bountiful Hybrid
rice harvest. Various provincial agricultural programs
initiated by the governor such as the Irrigation Development
Program, Hybrid Rice Production Program, and the Grains
Marketing Assistance Program have dramatically increased
agricultural productivity and farmers’ incomes
in Pangasinan. The Irrigation Development Program
of the Province has improved irrigation in more than
9,000 hectares of farmland since 1999. |
The
Regional Development Council headed by Dr. Salvador T. Duque
has commended the efforts of Gov. Victor E.Agbayani to spur
agricultural production in the province.
Duque noted a dramatic increase in the harvest and income
of Pangasinan farmers which, he said, augurs well with the
overall growth of the local economy.
The latest initiative of the provincial government is the
rehabilitation of dilapidated irrigation facilities under
the management of the National Irrigation Administration.
Gov. Agbayani led recently the signing of a memorandum of
agreement which transferred to a group of farmers the management
of a portion of the Agno River Irrigation System (ARIS).
Jose Almendares, provincial agriculturist, said this development
was like a fresh shot in the in the arm for the farmers
who need to maximize the potentials of their farmlands.
Aside from the governor, the other signatories included
NIA Regional Director John Celeste and Helen Valenzuela,
president of the Urdaneta - Villasis Irrigators Association.
Turned over to the irrigators association was a portion
of ARIS that was rehabilitated by the provincial government.
NIA owns the irrigation systems, Under the agreement, 50
percent of the water service fees to be collected will be
given to the farmers to enable them to maintain and repair
the irrigation facility.
Gov. Agbayani said the provincial government invested about
P8 million for the repair of the irrigation systems since
NIA had no money to rehabilitate the same.
The rehabilitated project has a coverage area of 1,000 hectares.
Aside from the rehabilitation of NIA facilities, Almendares
said Gov. Agbayani is also expanding its program to rehabilitate
or construct new irrigation systems all over the province.
Since 1998, more than 60 irrigation systems had been constructed
or rehabilitated with a total coverage area of 16,000 hectares.
“With all these thrusts in agriculture, Pangasinan’s
position as the principal producer and supplier of rice
and other food crops in the region is assured,” he
said.
.gif)
