Philippines : Gov’t needs to spend P220B annually to achieve rice sufficiency — NIA
The Philippines’ National Irrigation Authority (NIA) estimates P220 billion annually is needed to irrigate 1.2 million hectares for rice sufficiency. Traditional irrigation costs P1.2 million per hectare, solar pump systems cost P200,000-P300,000, and repairs cost P500,000 per hectare. However, lawmakers proposed cutting NIA’s 2025 budget by 25%, reducing it from P92.5 billion to P69.3 billion.
THE National Irrigation Authority (NIA) said it would cost about P220 billion per year to irrigate a total of 1.2 million hectares of farmlands needed to achieve rice sufficiency, its chief said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a House of Representatives committee hearing, NIA Administrator Eduardo G. Guillen said improvements to the country’s irrigation facilities, while costly, are a key factor in raising palay productivity amid the country’s increasing dependence on rice imports.
“We need a higher budget to complete the required 1.2 million hectares in around 10 years. We need to invest around P220 billion per year,” Mr. Guillen told congressmen in Filipino.
“Our agricultural productivity is really low. So, one key to increasing our productivity level is through irrigation,” he added.
The government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. vowed to improve the country’s agriculture sector by investing in irrigation systems, with the goal of irrigating at least 45,000 hectares of new farmland this year.
Mr. Guillen said it costs about P1.2 million per hectare of new farmland and takes three years to operationalize traditional irrigation facilities, while solar pump irrigation facilities cost P200,000 to P300,000 per hectare.
Meanwhile, repairing deteriorated and faulty irrigation structures would cost around P500,000 per hectare, he added.
Lawmakers part of the 2025 budget bill’s joint panel decided to slash NIA’s budget by 25%, to P69.3 billion from the P92.5 billion allocated by the House of Representatives in its General Appropriation Bill (GAB).
“Our House GAB became P90 billion, but we are waiting to see the outcome from the bicameral committee. When we went to the Senate, I think they reduced the amount the House of Representatives added,” said Mr. Guillen. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
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Source : Business World
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