DA plans P10B for solar irrigation, soil rejuvenation to boost sugar production

The Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to invest nearly P10 billion to construct solar-powered irrigation systems and rejuvenate soils, aiming to boost sugar production by 180,000 metric tons.

Pablo Luis Azcona, Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) administrator and CEO, announced that the DA will spend P8 billion over three years to install 16,000 small-scale solar irrigation systems covering around 160,000 hectares of sugarcane farms.

The DA also proposes a P1.65-billion soil rejuvenation program in key producing areas like Batangas and Tarlac, which will distribute five metric tons of lime per hectare to combat highly acidic soils.

Proposed during a recent meeting at Malacañang, the projects were well-received by President Marcos and are expected to increase annual sugar production by 180,000 MT, resulting in an estimated yield increase of P7.7 billion.

Azcona noted that these initiatives will significantly reduce the country's reliance on imported sugar, addressing the current low raw sugar production level due to El Niño, which is forecasted to be the lowest in over 25 years at around 1.8 million MT.