Solar Plant Yields Better Income for Morong Agri Farmers

The construction and operation of the 5.02 megawatts solar plant in the 6.5 hectares agriculture land in Sabang, Morong, Bataan is yielding better income for farmers than the traditional land cultivation and crops growing.

As the solar plant industry continues to boom in many places all over the country, this alternative power production also continues to prosper in Bataan. Morong plant is the third renewable energy plant to operate in the province; the other two are in Mariveles and Hermosa.

According to Mr. Alfredo Dacula, Chairman of Morong Farmers Cooperative, this venture will generate a fixed income amounting to Php 150,000 yearly for 20 years, which is substantially higher than the approximately Php 60,000 to Php 80,000 income per year from the usual farming activities from land generally suitable for farming during the rainy season. Incomes are relatively low due to absence of irrigation and expensive farm inputs.

This project of SC-Sparc is a joint venture between Filipino investors and Sunconnect Capital BV, a part of Sunconnex group of companies based in the Netherlands.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) serves as facilitator between SC-Sparc and the farmers. Under the MOA signed between SC-Sparc and DAR, the company will enter into a long-term lease contract for the use of the land over a period of 20 years, with rentals to be paid directly to the farmers who own the land. In cases there are farmers’ cooperatives involved, a certain percentage of the lease cost will be paid to them.

Presently, the solar farm is already operational and supplies its collected energy to the national grid for distribution to approximately more than 3,000 households.