The rehabilitation of irrigation canals in Apayao will allow farmers to have a third cropping, increasing rice production in the province by an average of 1.8 million tons per season.

Governor Elias Bulut Jr. on Tuesday said the ongoing rehabilitation involves cementing the base to prevent seepage, raising the sides, and redirecting water to the newly opened irrigated lands.

“Farmlands in the province are all irrigated. The lowland towns of Pudtol, Sta. Marcela, Luna and Flora have irrigation canals and the upland municipalities of Conner, Kabugao and Calanasan have communal irrigation systems for the water needs of the farmlands,” he said in an interview.

The provincial government got funding for the rehabilitation from the National Irrigation Administration.

Bulut said farming comprises 80 percent of the lowland municipalities’ economy and about 30 to 40 percent for the highlands.

Around PHP444 million in production losses have been recorded in the region as a result of the dry spell caused by the El Niño phenomenon.

Apayao experienced just minor effects, like delays in production.

The first cropping is usually from November to March while the second season is from the last week of May to October.

“Madedelay and second cropping dahil sa mababang level ng tubig. Magiging June to July. Kaya ang harvest natin delayed din. Pero may mapo-produce tayo kasi may tubig at irrigation naman tayo (Second cropping will be delayed because of low water level. It will be from June to July. That’s why harvest will also be delayed. But we will have harvest because we have water and irrigation),” Bulut said. (PNA)

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