An inventory and geodetic survey of the former irrigation areas is pending
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is implementing an ambitious plan to expand irrigated areas from the current 400 thousand decares to 1.5 million decares. This was announced by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Georgi Tahov at a meeting with representatives of branch organizations at the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food informed that the development of hydromeliorations should continue in subsequent stages and the irrigated areas should be expanded to 8.5 million decares. He stressed the urgent need to act on the results of climate change. “The high cost of agricultural production is also a result of the lack of irrigation. This should be a national policy and commitment,” said Minister Takhov.
The first step towards the development of hydromeliorations is complete inventory of the current state of the irrigated areas managed by “Irrigation Systems”, which has not been done since 1992, and the unification of the data in a single digital model, announced Minister Takhov. It is planned that the inventory will be carried out including through geodetic surveying of the facilities and aerial surveying. A working group will develop the complete documentation and procedure for starting the process of awarding an activity to update the balance of irrigated areas in Bulgaria.
In connection with the started reception of irrigation projects under sub-measure 4.1 “Investments in agricultural holdings” of the Program for the Development of Rural Areas 2014-2020, Minister Takhov indicated that all areas with existing irrigation installations will be eligible, as well as those that are not irrigated if an irrigation system was operating there as of January 1, 2007.
#MAZ #increases #irrigated #areas #million #decaresAgro #Plovdiv
