DA turns over solar power irrigation system in Sultan Kudarat

MANILA, Philippines — The government has constructed another unit of solar powered irrigation system in Sultan Kudarat as part of efforts to help ensure sufficient rice supply in the country.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the DA has turned over the P5.3-million SPIS to Isulan in Sultan Kudarat.

The SPIS has a total service area of 60 hectares of rain fed rice land and has solar panels that can generate electricity enough to irrigate rice areas daily.

The unit was completed in three months.

With the SPIS, rice farmers can now plant three times a year, allowing them to save at least P100,000 per cropping on diesel fuel expenses.

Since DA started the SPIS in March 2017, it had provided funding for 169 units of SPIS nationwide.

The SPIS, one of DA’s flagship programs, aims to ensure sufficient rice supply in the coming years and could even result in surplus production in the country.

It is part of the 10 priority agenda which aims to increase rice production by providing the water needed by farmers to irrigate their farms and enable them to plant and harvest at least twice a year.