Nueva Vizcaya Promotes Water-Saving Irrigation to Improve Rice Production

Technology | Innovation Posted on 2026-03-10 09:47:36

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – The provincial government of Nueva Vizcaya is promoting a water-saving technology aimed at improving rice production while minimizing environmental impact through a partnership with a private firm.

Governor Jose Gambito recently signed a memorandum of agreement with Verde Carbon Capture Inc., represented by project developer and manager Hamsha Saz, to expand the implementation of the Alternate Wetting and Drying Technology (AWDT) project in irrigated rice farms across the province.

The AWDT system is a climate-smart irrigation method that allows rice fields to dry for a certain period before being irrigated again, rather than keeping paddies continuously flooded. Under this approach, irrigation water is withheld until the water table drops to around 15 centimeters below the soil surface before fields are irrigated again.

This process helps reduce water use and methane emissions that are commonly produced in constantly flooded rice paddies. The technology is also expected to help farmers increase crop yields while conserving water and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the partnership, Verde Carbon Capture Inc., a company under Green Carbon Inc., will lead the project implementation. Meanwhile, Nueva Vizcaya State University will serve as the academic partner responsible for providing technical assistance and field monitoring in targeted farming communities.

According to Dr. Elbert Sana, a project staff member at the university, the expansion is expected to include 24 irrigators’ associations representing 6,316 farmers in the province.

Initial pilot tests showed encouraging results, with rice fields using AWDT producing higher yields compared to the traditional continuous flooding method.

The technology was first introduced in 2025 in the municipalities of Villaverde, Solano, Bayombong, and Dupax del Norte, covering 23.6 hectares and involving 18 farmers.

The project expansion now targets more than 1,000 hectares initially and is expected to cover over 5,000 hectares of rice production areas during the current cropping season. Additional areas identified for expansion include Bambang, Bagabag, and Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya.

The agreement outlines a 10-year plan to gradually expand the climate-resilient technology across irrigated lowland rice farms in Nueva Vizcaya.

Governor Gambito welcomed the partnership, highlighting the provincial government’s commitment to programs that improve farm productivity and farmers’ income. He also noted that the initiative complements the proposed Rice Processing Center being pursued by the provincial government in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority.

The AWDT practice is widely recommended by the International Rice Research Institute and the Department of Agriculture as a sustainable and climate-smart approach to rice farming. 

NPO News Team l PNA - PR

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