Irrigators urged to protect Benguet communal forests
- Published on Friday, 17 February 2012 14:09
- Category: Benguet
By NIA-CAR
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Benguet farmers should help protect the communal forests of the province to stop the further decline of water resources in the region.
This was stressed by Governor Nestor Fongwan in his message to more than 100 farmer-irrigators’ during the Benguet Farmers Federation of Irrigators’ Associations (BFFIA) Annual Congress and General Assembly held at the National Irrigation Administration training center on February 16.
Fongwan said that Benguet has 76 communal forests which the farmers, as one of the prime water users, should sustain and develop. According to him, these forests give life to our rivers which in turn give life to livelihood of the people of Benguet, sustain vegetable industry and provide income-generating activity such as the hydropower.
Meanwhile, NIA-CAR Manager John Socalo cautioned against further conversion of watershed areas into vegetable gardens.
“As we aim to be self-sufficient in rice and other food staples, we cannot afford to create another problem by destroying our watersheds; we should be eyeing on the agricultural lands for expansion of farm areas,”Socalo said. He encouraged the irrigators’ associations (IAs) to plant trees along the water sources of their irrigation systems for sustainability.
The irrigators’ associations were also urged to strengthen their organizations and coordinate closely with the NIA in the validation and implementation of irrigation projects to facilitate the attainment of targeted areas to be restored and generated.
For 2012, Benguet irrigation projects under the agency’s regular fund have increased to 59 projects worth more than P59 million. This increase was a result of the budget trend reversal frontloading bulk of the budget of the Food Staple Sufficiency Program of the government and the Department of Agriculture to 2012 and 2013 focusing more on irrigation and post-harvest facilities. (NIA CAR)
