14 Farmers Get Drip Irrigation System

The Cebu Provincial Government recently completed the installation of drip irrigation systems in the farmlands of fourteen fruit and vegetable farmers.

A project of the Provincial Agriculture Office that started in January 2014, one farmer per town or city got one drip irrigation unit from the Capitol. Each drip irrigation unit costs P70, 000.

The towns that benefited from the project are Oslob, Asturias, Samboan, Dumanjug, Poro, Tabuelan, Borbon, Sibonga, Liloan, Argao, Ginatilan, Alcoy, and the cities of Naga and Carcar.

Drip irrigation is a form of irrigation that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to trickle slowly to the roots of plants through a network of valves, pipes and tubes.

“Pasalamat gyud ko og dako nga nakahunahuna ang province sa maong proyekto kay sa previous administration, wala man ni. Dako kaayo siya’g natabang sa akoang farm (I’m grateful that the current administration is able to come up with this kind of project. There was no similar project during the previous administration. This is a big help to my farm),” expressed Domiciano Binigay, a tomato farmer in Barangay Tumalog, Oslob.

Binigay has been supplying Robinsons and Gaisano Malls in Cebu City with his salad tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers.

The system was installed in his 1,200-square-meter farmland in January and has given him good production with less labor.

“Daghan gyud og benefits ang drip irrigation. Unta makatilaw pod ang ubang farmers ngari sa Oslob (Drip irrigation provides numerious benefits. I hope other Oslob farmers will also be able to experience such benefits),” the farmer of 7 years disclosed.

Oslob’s Municipal Agriculture Officer Proceso Bomediano said that he already sent a letter of intent addressed to Governor Hilario Davide III requesting for additional drip irrigation units.

The letter was sent in March and if approved, will aid the Oslob Farmer’s Association composed of 25 members.

Agricultural Technologist Paulino Molit, said the Provincial Agriculture Office – Engineering Unit, has approved the request.

Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan K. Saragena also disclosed they are eyeing 15 new farmlands for next year. Due to a limited budget the province can only select one farm per place every year.

By Renra Faith Sayon

www.cebu.gov.ph