PIA Press Release
Thursday, January 26, 2012 NIA 2 introduces five rice-cropping in two years schemeCAUAYAN CITY, Isabela, January 26 (PIA) -- The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) 2 has introduced a five rice-cropping in two years time scheme to ensure more yield for a period of two years.NIA 2 director Engr. Vicente E. Galvez said the scheme would help the government attain its rice self-sufficiency program come year 2013 and it would also help farmers gain income through farming. The scheme will also evade calamities which affect palay that are about to be harvested in September and October cropping season by moving the planting season a little bit backward. Galvez said the usual cropping season starts at July for first cropping season and November for the second cropping season in the region. Based on the demonstrations and study conducted by the NIA 2, Galvez said the first cropping season will be started after the harvest this March 2012 and the scheme will also be introduced to farmers under the Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (MRIIS). Irrigation water systems under the NIA will operate two weeks after harvest this March to ensure the continuous flow of water for rice lands. The program of NIA will run until 2013 and it will be sustained depending on the climate situation. NIA 2 has piloted the program in some areas in the region and seems effective and the agency will try to expand to other areas using the existing facilities of NIA. These areas in the region include the NIA operated pumping stations where water for irrigation are pumped up from the rivers and mini dams that are constructed by the Department of Agriculture (DA). (TCB/MGE/PIA-Isabela) | 
