National Irrigation Administration – Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems (NIA-UPRIIS) Division 1 prepares for the possible effects of El Niño in portions of Nueva Ecija.
The office covers the municipalities of Licab, Lupao, Quezon, Santo Domingo, Llanera, and parts of Talavera as well as the Science City of Muñoz and San Jose City.
NIA-UPRIIS Division 1 Manager Felix Teaño Jr. said among the measures being undertaken include cloud seeding, alternate wetting and drying technology, dry land preparation, and the use of early maturing varieties of rice wherein the agency partnered with the Philippine Rice Research Institute in educating the farmers.
Teaño added that the Balbalungao Small Reservoir Irrigation Project (BSRIP) in Lupao is also a big help.
The 967.19-hectare dam, which was inaugurated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. last week, can irrigate approximately 500 to 900 hectares of farmland that benefits about 560 farmers from four barangays in the town.
NIA-UPRIIS Division 1 aims to irrigate about 14,000 hectares of farmland this dry cropping season, exceeding the original target of about 11,000 hectares.
The dry cropping season is from December until April next year.
Data from the agency show that an estimated 8,000 out of 22,474 hectares of its covered farmland are at risk of being affected by the drought. (CLJD/CCN-PIA 3)