DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Feb. 3 (PIA) -- The two farmer associations in the province have each received a set of water pump worth P200,000 from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

According to Bernard Limbaga, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Agriculture Coordinating Ooffice (PATCO), the machines are expected to boost production by 10% to the targeted farm areas.

Farm areas have a current average production of 1.8 metric tons per hectare, said Limbaga.

The program beneficiaries are the the Sibulan Irrigators’ Association (SIA) and the Development on Economics Association for Meaning Life (DREAM-LIFE). 

The water pumps will serve a total corn area of 120 and 32 hectares  of SIA and DREAM-LIFE, respectively. 

SIA President Zosimo Catalan DREAM-LIFE President Rey Sanguenza said the intervention addressed their longtime concern of water provision during dry season, affecting corn production in their areas which is seen to benefit 57 farmers in both associations. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental)