Farmers in Negros Occidental vowed to support President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s agricultural flagship program, Masagana 150 and Masagana 200, to achieve rice sufficiency in the country.

The pledge of commitment was signed by leaders of the Negros Occidental Federation of Irrigators’ Associations (NOFIA), in the presence of National Irrigation Administration (NIA) officials led by Administrator Benny Antiporda during the Provincial IA Congress held at Sugarland Hotel here on Monday.

“We hereby affirm our commitment and unwavering support for the agricultural development program of the President. We will bind ourselves to be at the forefront in the implementation of the program thrust and all undertakings of the Department of Agriculture, in strong partnership with the NIA,” the IAs said.

The federation is composed of 160 IAs with 16,154 farmer-members across the province, tilling 19,661 hectares of irrigated agricultural land.

The signatories were led by Pedro Limpangog and Raul Fasiolan, president and vice president, respectively, of the Federation of Irrigators’ Association of Central Negros-Bago River Irrigation System (BRIS) Inc.; Herminigildo Ebardolaza and Raul Rallos, president and vice president of Farmers Irrigators Association-Pangiplan RIS Inc.; and Romeo Arguelles and Myrna Clada, president and vice president of NOFIA Inc.

The signed commitment was accepted by Antiporda together with NIA-Western Visayas Regional Manager Rory Avance and Negros Occidental Irrigation Management Office Division Manager Isaias Melendez.

Through Masagana 150, farmers are expected to yield 7.5 tons of inbred rice per hectare at a production cost of PHP8.38 per kilogram, while with Masagana 200, the yield could reach 10 tons of hybrid rice per hectare at a production cost of PHP7.82 per kilogram.

In his message, Antiporda urged the IAs to protect the irrigation systems so that future generations can still benefit from these facilities.

“The government cannot do it alone. We can only succeed with the help of the IAs,” the NIA chief said.

“It’s about time for NIA to seek the help of our IA brothers and sisters. Bantayan ninyo ang ating mga irigasyon. Kapag may sira i-report ninyo para hindi lumaki. (Watch over our irrigation systems. Report the damage immediately so that it will not get worse),” he added. (PNA)