Irrigated lands expand 1.2% in 5 yrs

MANILA, Philippines – Irrigated farm areas expanded by an average of 1.2 percent between 2008 and 2012 with the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) having the biggest increase in irrigation areas, according the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS).

This covers the national irrigation system, communal irrigation systems, private irrigation systems and agency-assisted irrigation systems.

In its 2012 Agriculture Structures and Resources report,BAS said the country’s total irrigated area as of 2012 was placed at 1.626 million hectares against 1.519 million hectares in 2008.

BAS said irrigated areas in the ARMM increased at a rate of 17.44 percent annually over the five year period. The total irrigated area in the ARMM is placed at 40,402 hecatares in 2012 compared to 23,387 in 2008.

This was followed by Western Visayas with an average expansion of 9.9 percent annually over a five-year period.

BAS said declining areas of irrigated lands were reported in Ilocos Region, central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Northern Mindanao and davao Region.

Irrigated areas in these regions fell by one to four percent annually over the five year period.

In the study, BAS said that as of 2012, the total irrigated lands in the Philippines comprised 52.03 percent of the potential irrigable areas against 48.62 percent in 2008.

Across regions, the proportions of irrigated lands to potential irrigable areas were highest in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at 86.73 percent, Central Visayas at 76.69 percent and Eastern Visayas at 75.92 percent.

A ratio of about 51 to 56 percent were reported in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol Region, Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula.

In 2012, ARMM had the smallest proportion of the irrigated lands to irrigable areas at 25.78 percent.

In 2011 and 2012 the national irrigation system supplied water to most of the country’s irrigated areas (44.90 percent).

About 32.23 percent were irrigated by communal irrigation systems and 12.32 percent by private irrigation systems.

There were 10.55 percent of the irrigated lands which irrigation system were provided by other government agencies.

Among regions, the use of national irrigation system was highest in Central Luzon covering 67.67 percent of the region’s irrigated farm lands in 2011 to 2012.

Communal irrigation systems were most widely used in Central Visayas, covering 61.85 percent of irrigated areas.

Private irrigation systems were most useful in In CAR, supplying water to about 33.32 percent of the irrigated lands.

Irrigation system provided by other government agencies covered 30 percent of the irrigated lands in Ilocos Region. –Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star)