The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) said planters in Pangasinan will see higher yields due to a new irrigation project.
Jica said the National Irrigation Sector Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (NISRIP) will boost the agriculture sector and benefit some 1,565 farmers in San Fabian, Pangasinan.
It estimates that the NISRIP will help increase farmer’s yields to 5 tons per hectare during the wet season and to 4.8 tons per hectare during the dry season.
“Philippine agriculture reported growth despite the pandemic, and this project can help enhance the potential of this sector in economic recovery,” said Jica Senior Representative Ohshima Ayumu in a statement.
“There are several other industries closely linked to agriculture and by helping raise farmers’ productivity through better infrastructure, the multiplier effect to the economy will be further realized.”
Jica said the NISRIP has been empowering Filipino farmers by raising their productivity and improving their income. Overall, some 25,000 farmers are seen to benefit from this development cooperation.
Apart from Pangasinan, the project is also being implemented by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in Ilocos Norte, Pampanga, Quezon, Palawan, Iloilo, Bukidnon, Davao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and Agusan del Sur.
Aside from rehabilitating and improving irrigation systems, NISRIP also supports capacity building of farmers and irrigators associations in operating and maintaining the infrastructure. Five river irrigation systems have already been rehabilitated in the Philippines under NISRIP.
Since the 1960s, Jica has been supportive of the Philippine agriculture sector, with about 7 percent of Jica’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocated to the sector.
The Japanese bilateral aid agency likewise helps enhance the value chain including not only production but also processing, distribution and consumption of agriculture products.