Mobile solar pumps provide relief for farmers in Central Luzon

MANILA, Philippines – Mobile solar pumps are helping farmers in Central Luzon provinces weather the fuel price hikes that are upsetting the country’s agriculture and fisheries sector amid the Middle East crisis.

Aladin Vendiola, a farmer from Cuyapo town in Nueva Ecija, said the mobile solar pump that the local government helped them get slashed costs considerably. Solar energy powers the engine to pump up water instead of costly diesel.

“Sa isang araw na kumukonsumo kami ng anim na litro ng krudo, e ‘di ka nakakagamit dahil sa solar na proyekto na ibinigay po ng DOST (Department of Science and Technology) sa amin,” Vendiola told Rappler in a phone interview.

(In one day, we consume six liters of crude oil, but we don’t use that anymore because of the solar project that the DOST gave us.)

Vendiola said they typically need six liters a day to irrigate one hectare of land. One hectare of land would need to be irrigated for three days. That comes down to 18 liters for one hectare.

Alternatively, there are no costs to make the mobile solar pump work. What the farmers have to spend on is the tractor that would move the solar pump. Vendiola said he would spend P150 — almost the price of only one liter of diesel — to rent the tractor and move the solar pump.

“Malaking tipid po sa amin ‘yun (That’s a huge saving for us),” said Vendiola.

Vendiola is a member of the Calancuasan Sur Agriculture Cooperative. He said they began using the mobile solar pump in February to grow onions, corn, and squash.

Product of science

The mobile solar pump was developed by the DOST, in partnership with the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology.

In total, 14 units have been manufactured. These units were distributed to five provinces in Central Luzon, namely Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac. Each unit can irrigate four hectares of farm land.

It was designed to be mobile so farmers can maximize its use and borrow when the need arises, according to Julius Caesar Sicat, the regional director of DOST Central Luzon.

“If we would be able to eliminate the cost of pumping water, which would run probably around 15%-20% of the cost of production, that would have a huge effect in bringing down farm gate prices,” Sicat said.

Filipino farmers are grappling with high fuel and fertilizer costs. Some crops are left unsold. Government fuel subsidies are targeted and will not cover the millions who farm for a living.

Sicat said mobile solar pumps are more supplemental for irrigated areas, where the supply of water is intermittent. He clarified that the DOST’s job is to develop the technology that communities need, but other agencies would have to step in if this were to be deployed on a larger scale.

“Ours is a proof of concept,” said Sicat. – Rappler.com