IMPASUGONG, Bukidnon – Aiming to boost agri-fisheries production of Impasugong, Bukidnon, the agriculture department in Region 10 turned over the Solar Powered Irrigation System (SPIS) to the local government of the town.

Said irrigation system worth more than P1.86 million will benefit the farmers of said barangay, covering eight hectares of highly elevated farmlands, planted mostly with high value crops.

It has 30 solar modules at 320 Watt Power per module to drive the 7.5 horsepower surface pump with 3 inches diameter.

The water that comes from Kalabugao River will be pumped up into an elevated concreted reservoir with a capacity of 27 cubic meters.

DA- 10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado said, the project is funded under the department’s High Value Crops Development Program, which started on February 17, this year and completed on June 21.

“Amid the ongoing health crisis, DA has worked hard to complete the project as soon as possible to help the Kalabugao farmers conveniently irrigate their vegetable farms. With this, they can utilize their time with other productive activities while coping with the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic,” he stressed.

The Kalabugao SPIS is DA-10’s 9th small scale water impounding system project in Bukidnon.

According to Impasugong Mayor Anthony A. Uy, DA’s SPIS project is significant to irrigate the farms in the barangay, which is planted mostly with tomatoes, bell pepper, squash and cabbage.

He hopes that DA-10 will continue to assist the town’s farmers and fisherfolk to become more productive, thereby uplift their economic status.

At present, Impasugong has a total of 3 hectares vegetable production area.

“Farmers are starting to plant vegetables in different areas with the availability of water through the SPIS,” said Dianne Jane Gante, the Report Officer of the municipal agriculture office of said town.

Along with the turnover of the SPIS, the town has also received other agri-fishery interventions from DA-10 that will also benefit other barangays.#(EMBentulan)