Rice shortage seen to hit Soccsksargen Region in Mindanao | Sun.Star.

By Bong S. Sarmiento, SunStar.com.ph
January 12, 2012

 KORONADAL CITY – A rice supply shortfall is feared to hit parts of Mindanao with the rehabilitation of a major irrigation system in South Cotabato that would affect some 9,000 hectares of farmlands.

The multimillion-peso rehabilitation of the Allah River Irrigation System is expected to affect the Soccsksargen Region, which covers South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City.

Ramon Bugacia, National Irrigation Administration manager for South Cotabato, said the rehabilitation works will start in May and two dams will be shutdown.

The closure of the dams would affect an estimated 7,000 hectares of rice farms in South Cotabato and another 2,000 hectares in neighboring Sultan Kudarat, said South Cotabato chief agriculture officer Reynaldo Legaste.

Major repair works are expected to last for three months, from May until August. Legaste said the rice production period that will be affected would be from May until December 2012.

The estimated 7,000 hectares of rice farms in South Cotabato that would be affected by the irrigation repair works yield an equivalent to 28,000 tons of rice.

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