BSWM helps farmers in Abra

“Now that we have a better irrigation system, farmers can plant even during the dry season” said Adrian Timbuan, a farmer beneficiary of the latest irrigation project, the small diversion dams of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) in Abra.

BSWM, the implementing office of the Department of Agriculture for small scale irrigation projects such as small farm reservoir shallow tube wells and pump irrigation systems has come up with the construction of small diversion dams from the open sources.

The small diversion dams have reached San Juan, Villaviosa and Bucay, the three major town in Abra.

Abra farmers now plan for the two cropping season for their palay production because of their diversion dams.

The irrigation projects of BSWM which now include the small diversion dams in Abra were pushed through with the joint efforts of Congressman Maria Jocelyn V. Bernos and the local government officials of Abra.

“Without these irrigation projects of the BSWM with the efforts of the local government, many small farming-communities not reached by the service of the National Irrigation System would not have water to grow crop, which could affect national food output an security”, said BSWM executive director Silvino Tejada.

BSWM also spearhead the promotion of the balance fertilization to supplement the use of inorganic fertilizer by establishing the Expanded Modified Rapid Composting facility in target areas.

It likewise promotes the use of the Modified Rapid Composting Technology for rice straw for the use of farmers as supplementary fertilizer. Ester Z. Gallardo, PSciJourn MegaManila