- The provincial government Negros Occidental – the western province of the island of Negros in the Philippines– has provided farmers with a solar-powered irrigation system that can also produce farmed fish.
The PHP 6.9 million ($124,000) system will also irrigate vegetables and high-value crops for two farmers’ groups.
An aquaculture and aquaponic aspect of the system sees water for irrigation pumped to a reservoir which can produce an estimated 75 kg to 80kg of fish such as tilapia after four months.
With a farm gate price of PHP 110 per kilogram for tilapia, that would mean PHP 8,250 of extra income based on a 75 kg return and the news agency said the use of solar would remove previous pump fuel costs of PHP 19,000 per year.
The project has been installed at a 600 m2 farm at Hacienda Myrianne in the municipality of Manapla and will benefit members of the Myrianne Farmers Development Association and the Myrianne Youth Farmers Organization.
Author: Max Hall
This article was originally published in pv magazine and is republished with permission.
