TABUK CITY, Kalinga—The Department of Agriculture will convert 20,000 hectares of rainfed and idle lands in the province for rice production this year under its Masaganang Ani sa Nayon Project.
Joe Casibang, Kalinga Rice Program Coordinator, said the Project MANA sites are located in the rice producing towns of Pinukpuk, Tanudan, Rizal, and this city.
Casibang said the province contributes at least 1.3 percent to the rice requirement of the country, and this is seen to increase with the Project MANA.
At present, the country needs to fill in additional five to ten percent of its rice sufficiency requirement, he added.
Project MANA has two phases: the identification and opening of potential ricelands that are rainfed and idle lands, and the provision of needed farming interventions through small irrigation systems.
The DA is distributing 150 free units of mechanized water-pump and accessories for these interventions. Casibang said the department will also construct small water impounding projects in this city and in Rizal town.
“The project is under the DA’s effort to increase rice sufficiency level in the country by opening new areas for rice production,” he said.