14 fruit and vegetable farmers in Cebu get drip irrigation system

• Source:http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?nid=2&rid=883165
• Saturday, May 7, 2016

(PNA), LDV/EB/PJN

CEBU CITY, May 7 (PNA) -- The Cebu Provincial Government has completed the installation of drip irrigation systems in the farmlands of 14 fruit and vegetable farmers in the province.

The project, which was implemented by the Cebu Provincial Agriculture Office starting in January 2016, picked one farmer per town or city as a beneficiary for the drip irrigation unit which costs Php70,000 each.

The beneficiaries of the project are the towns of Oslob, Asturias, Samboan, Dumanjug, Poro, Tabuelan, Borbon, Sibonga, Liloan, Argao, Ginatilan and 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.

“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,” said Domiciano Binigay, a tomato farmer in Barangay Tumalog, Oslob.

Binigay has been supplying the 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.

“Drip irrigation provides numeroous benefits. I hope other Oslob farmers will also be able to experience such benefits,” Binigay said.

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

Cebu Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Roldan K. Saragena said they are eyeing 15 new farmlands for drip irrigation for next year.