Mobile solar irrigation systems to roll out by Jan.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it expects to distribute mobile solar irrigation systems by December or January, when El Niño is expected to peak.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel V. de Mesa told reporters that P1 billion from the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) Program will fund the deployment.

Mr. de Mesa has said that the DA had requested P3.5 billion from the UPLIFT Program for solar irrigation models, though he has since clarified that P3 billion will go towards solar irrigation systems, of which P1 billion will fund mobile systems.

Mr. de Mesa said distribution will prioritize farmland with sustainable sources of water.

The mobile systems will have settings for sprinkler and drip modes, as required by various crops.

“These mobile solar irrigation systems are not just for rice fields. They can be used for corn, vegetables and even livestock and aquaculture,” Mr. de Mesa said. — Maria Mikaela H. Tormon