NIA, AMORE to construct solar-powered irrigation facility for high-value crop production in Mindanao

A program to demonstrate the use of solar energy to enhance agricultural production in remote, conflict-affected communities in Mindanao will soon be launched with the signing today of a Memorandum of Agreement between the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Alliance for Mindanao Off-grid Renewable Energy (AMORE) program of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Winrock International, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and Mirant Philippines.

Under the program, called the NIA-Winrock Solar PV Irrigation for High-value Crop Production Demonstration Program, NIA will provide solar pumping systems to AMORE for irrigating the high-value vegetable farms that the latter is establishing in a number of the villages in Mindanao that it is energizing with renewable energy. The solar-powered irrigation systems will serve to demonstrate the productive use of stand-alone, sustainable and clean solar photovoltaic energy, or energy from sunlight, to pump irrigation water for enhanced agricultural production.

WorldWater Philippines will provide technical support to the program.

The AMORE program aims to promote the government's peace and development initiatives in Mindanao by energizing remote, off-grid, conflict-affected communities thereat with stand-alone and clean renewable energy, such as solar and microhydro, to power long-term socio-economic development. Aside from energizing households and communities of former rebel combatants, it is also demonstrating to them the productive use of renewable energy for livelihood and social projects. Other than the high-value vegetable demonstration farms that it will put up in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat, it has also established a microhydro-powered integrated grain and bean mill in Barangay Saloy, Calinan, Davao City and is replicating it using solar power in a few other villages. It is further using solar energy for fish drying and seaweeds enhancement in Tawi-Tawi and for grouper (lapu-lapu) culture in Basilan and Zamboanga City, as well as to power SMART public calling offices in Maguindanao, and microhydro power for a community computer center and cable TV facilities also in Barangay Saloy, Calinan, Davao City.

The AMORE program is funded by USAID, which has been providing economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years. It is being implemented by Winrock International, a global non-profit organization specializing in clean energy promotion, rural development and agricultural enhancement. Mirant Philippines, the country's largest energy producer, provides most of the solar photovoltaic systems that it installs in its supported communities, while the DOE and the ARMM provide policy and political support, respectively.