LINGAYEN–Pangasinan has maintained its status as a major rice producer and supplier for the Northern Luzon area as palay production in 2006 improved to 1,003,997 metric tons from 958,034 metric tons the previous year.

      Provincial Agriculturist Jose Almendares attributed the production growth to “intensive implementation of irrigation projects, integrated pest management, hybrid rice production and other support programs initiated by Gov. Victor E. Agbayani.”

      Almendares also said total corn production for the year 2006 reached 199,474 metric tons, 6% higher than the 187,773 metric tons in 2005.

      He said Agbayani has prioritized the rehabilitation and the construction of new irrigation systems to enable farmers to harvest at least twice a year.

       Last year, the province was able to complete the rehabilitation of 11 communal irrigations systems (CIS) worth P32.14 million.

      Rehabilitation work on nine other CIS units is ongoing.

      “The governor has programmed the rehabilitation of 18 more irrigation facilities,” Almendares said.

      The total service area of these irrigation systems is 2,924.84 hectares.

       He added that the province also spent P4 million to complete the rehabilitation of the Agno River Irrigation System which services about 1,000 hectares in Urdaneta City and parts of Villasis and Asingan towns.

      Aside from irrigation systems, the province also constructed at least 34 units of small farm reservoir and distributed some 38 units of shallow tube wells last year.

      “We have also noted that the farmers who used hybrid rice seeds were able to increase their yield by 20 percent,” Almendares said.

      The province was able to increase its hybrid rice production coverage to 16,611 hectares, he said.

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