TUBA, Benguet – The Taloy Sur Irrigators’ Association (IA) of Brgy. Taloy Sur is now the owner-operator of a Model Farm after the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) turned over the facility for operation and maintenance in a simple ceremony in Brgy. Taloy Sur on March 23, 2022.
The Model Farm features a greenhouse with a total irrigated area of 231 square meters. It is equipped with a drip irrigation system, an elevated water tank and a fertigation tank along with other accessories.
With a total cost of one million pesos, the model farm project also included the farmers’ field school in which the members of the Taloy Sur IA conducted a comparative study on a greenhouse with drip irrigation versus an open field system for tomato and eggplant production. With the assistance of the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist-Tuba, the farmers’ field school ran from September 3, 2021 to March 18, 2022.
A simple graduation rite was held, after the turnover ceremony, for the 30 Farmer-irrigators who participated in the field school.
Mr. Elmer Saoyao, the newly elected president of the association, expressed his gratitude to the government agencies and local government units for their continued support to Taloy Sur IA.
“We hope that you will take care of this project, and the new set of officers will lead the usual good performance of the association, or better especially with the devolution of CISs to LGUs,” Engr. Godofredo Velaque, NIA-Benguet Satellite Office said to the Taloy Sur IA.
The Taloy Sur IA, which maintains and operates the Taloy Sur Communal Irrigation System, was adjudged Regional Most Outstanding Irrigators’ Association under Communal Irrigation System Category, and was also conferred one of the ten Outstanding IA nationwide for three consecutive years for calendar years 2014-2016.
Tuba Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan congratulated the Taloy Sur IA for its good performance as it is the longest-running farmer-association in Tuba (the IA was established in 1987). She urged that the Taloy Sur IA continue to protect the irrigation water sources as water is life.
The model farm project is a nationwide program of NIA to increase farmers’ income exemplifying crop diversity through the production of high-value crops and off-season crops as well as the application of new farming technologies including irrigation methods using less water.
By Mylene Malecdan
