On July 1, Director General Tsai of the Irrigation Agency, Ministry of Agriculture, attended the completion ceremony for the new pipeline system of the Hongye Canal and the enhancement of the Ruixi Canal in Hualien County. Director General Tsai noted that Hongye Village in Wanrong Township had long faced challenges due to terrain constraints and insufficient irrigation infrastructure, leading to a situation where water was visible but inaccessible. This severely limited local agricultural development. Meanwhile, the Ruixi Canal in Ruixiang Village, Ruisui Township, had deteriorated over time, resulting in poor water delivery efficiency. In response, the Hualien Management Office of the Irrigation Agency began planning and designing improvements two years ago. The first phase was contracted in March 2024 and completed in April 2025. Many local farmers attended the ceremony and expressed strong appreciation and affirmation. 

Integrating Local Input and Overcoming Terrain Challenges to Solve a Century Old Irrigation Problem

According to the Irrigation Agency, Hongye Village is located upstream of the Ruixi Canal's water source. For many years, the village lacked irrigation infrastructure. Although the Hongye Canal was built as a transmission system during the early development of the Ruisui sprinkler irrigation zone, the system failed to function effectively due to the inability to implement a water rental system within the indigenous community. As a result, the canal fell into disrepair and local farmers struggled with water shortages for decades. To address this, the Hualien Management Office held field visits and local briefings, integrating feedback from residents and the actual needs of the community into the project design. Land acquisition was successfully completed, and instead of using traditional open channel methods, a dedicated pipeline system was installed for Hongye Village. This overcame the area's terrain limitations and delivered irrigation water to approximately 57.22 hectares of farmland. The new system also significantly reduced water loss and maintenance frequency, improving the overall stability of irrigation services.

Fifty-Year Infrastructure Renewal: Major Boost in Ruixi Canal Water Delivery Efficiency

The Irrigation Agency stated that the Ruixi Canal mainly supplies water to the Ruisui sprinkler irrigation zone. The zone’s infrastructure dates back to April 1973, with completion in December 1974. After more than 50 years of use, the pipelines had exceeded their service life, and some sections suffered from severe leakage. In recent years, the area experienced frequent pipeline ruptures and leaking joints. Through this improvement project, a total of 1,051 meters of water pipelines were renewed, significantly reducing water loss. The project is expected to increase available water volume by up to 9.4 million tonnes annually. This not only improves water use efficiency but also reduces the burden of downstream water allocation. Upon completion, the irrigated area of the Ruisui sprinkler irrigation zone is projected to expand from 356 hectares to 505 hectares, an increase of about 42 percent. This will further enhance local agricultural productivity and support regional development.

Reliable Water Brings New Hope for Bountiful Harvests as Director General Encourages Staff to Meet Climate Challenges Head On

Director General Tsai emphasized that through short, mid, and long term irrigation improvement strategies, combined with systematic water storage and distribution planning, farmers can be assured of receiving stable and sufficient irrigation water throughout all crop growth stages. This will reduce the impact of extreme weather events on agricultural production, strengthen irrigation security, and enhance overall agricultural resilience. He encouraged frontline staff to recognize the increasing importance of agricultural water management infrastructure and services in the face of climate change. He called on them to uphold a strong sense of responsibility and mission in improving the resilience of agricultural water management systems and continuing to provide farmers with reliable and high quality irrigation services.