Author : Delos Reyes, Mona Liza F.

Summary : This study would like to identify key modernization needs for the national irrigation systems (NIS) so they can provide irrigation for diversified cropping and contribute to transforming agriculture from low productivity to a climate-resilient, productive, and profitable enterprise.

This paper discusses the results of the study that the operational objectives, existing system design, and irrigation practice in the three NIS are mainly for lowland rice cultivation and are not compatible with HVC cultivation. It also discusses the receptiveness to HVC production mostly in downstream areas where farmers have been diversifying into vegetable and other crops that require less water to cope with water scarcity. Central to the proposed changes to support HVC production are the flow control structures for the main system and on-farm irrigation technology for target tertiary areas.