Solar irrigation will make Abra top aggie producer: Pinol

LA PAZ, Abra -- Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol ordered the regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to prioritize Abra in its list of beneficiaries for its solar-powered irrigation system (SPIS) as part of DA’s vision to make the province one of the country’s top agricultural producers.

“Napakaganda ng lupa dito sa Abra, clay at malaki pa ang lupa na pwedeng magamit. Marami pang mga agricultural potential kaya inutusan ko ang DA regional office na i-prioritize ang Abra para sa solar-powered irrigation (Abra has a lot of potential, it has good quality soil, clay, and still has a vast land that can be utilized. It has a big agricultural potential that is why I ordered the DA regional office to prioritize Abra for the solar-powered irrigation),” Piñol said during the turnover of four SPIS built in the towns of Tayum, Danglas, Bucay and La Paz.

After seeing the terrain of Abra last week, Piñol said: “there is no other way to irrigate these areas but through solar-powered irrigation system.”

Piñol said Abra will become progressive due to its good soil aside from being famous for its hardworking and industrious people.

“The solar powered irrigation system can be installed in high elevation areas and with high slopes. Unlike the traditional irrigation system which is for a three degrees slope, the solar system can be installed in high slopes for high elevation farms because they are piped, no need for an open canal where the water can flow,” he explained.

“Nakita ko yung sakahan nila, maski once a year lang ang production nila, maganda ang pagkaka set up so that is the direction right now (I saw their farms which while producing only once a year were set up properly, so that is the direction now),” he added.

 The top DA official also met with local farmers, assuring them of President Rodrigo Duterte’s vision to make the country food self-sustaining through long-term programs and projects that would boost agricultural production.

Piñol said he wants Abra to be the first to come up with a 10-year agricultural master plan that would help in achieving the full potentials of the province.

He said he finds Abra to emerge as top producer of rice and fruits, praising the province’s sweet lanzones, rambutan and mango similar to sweet mango from Zambales and Guimaras.

“Five to ten years from now, it will be a progressive agricultural province. We just need to improve the technology,” he said.

Piñol suggested to Abra Gov. Jocelyn Bernos to convert their over-harvest mango into processed products such as mango chips, mango puree and juice.

Bernos has expressed willingness to do its share to attain vision of making Abra a top producer of rice and fruits.

“If our good Secretary is ready to help us, we are more ready. This kind of project is for Abreño, so we are very willing to have a counterpart to whatever projects they have for Abra,” Bernos said.

She informed the Secretary that the provincial government has purchased truck-type water drilling equipment for additional water sources using solar-power.

The governor cited stressed the need to improve their rice production as well as their fruit bearing plants aside from the bamboo, which is Abra’s one-town-one-product that they want to improve and market.

The four SPIS turned over by Piñol on Thursday were constructed with the capacity to irrigate 10 hectares and even up to 50 hectares of farmlands if additional pipes are to be installed for irrigation.

Piñol also raised the possibility of investing in batteries to be able to save the excess power produced by the solar system and use them to light up the houses.

“I’ll teach you how to properly utilize your drilling machine so that water can be sourced in areas far from the rivers. The underground water can be obtained with the use of the solar power, even if the area does not have an electricity,” he said. (PNA)