IRRIGATORS SUPPORT 3- CROPPING CYCLE PER YEAR TO INCREASE RICE PRODUCTION, REDUCE IMPORT

April 20, 2024 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet

The National Confederation of Irrigators Association (NCIA) support the national government’s rice program,
introducing three-cropping cycle per year to increase local rice production and reduce the country’s dependence on
import. Apayao Vice Governor Remy Albano, NCIA president said his group strongly support the President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., program to reduce rice importation by securing three cycles of rice yields annually—two croppings in the dry season and one cropping in the wet season— to match and produce more than the usual rice import volume of three million metric tons (MMT) per hectare.

In his speech during the Benguet Farmers Federation of Irrigators Association Inc. (BFFIA) 33rd General Assembly on Saturday at the National Irrigation Administration – Cordillera (NIA-CAR) office, NCIA President Remy Albano
explained that having two cropping periods during the dry season increases rice yields from 5 MMT to 8 MMT per
hectare, which exceeds the import volume. “Kayat ni presidente, 3 croppings iti rice ti maysa a tawen. Two croppings ti dry season, maysa ti wet season. Ta nu duwa ti dry, if we could produce 5 million tons per hectare, 8 million ti ma’produce tayu, nu madoble,” Albano said.

Mr. Albano also noted that some farmers already reach as much as 4-5 tons per hectare yield, which totals to 5-8 MMT rice yield. This exceeds both the volume of rice imports and the national rice demand of 6 MMT each year, revealing potential reductions in rice importation. According to him the country’s significant increase in rice yield was marked by an increase of irrigated areas, especially in rice producing provinces. He cited other strategies including the creation of Municipal Agriculture Cooperatives that will manage rice storage facilities and act as the market linkage to connect farmers directly to consumers.

Ruffa Mae Payangdo-UB Intern/ ABN