National Project to Convert to Modern Irrigation

DAMASCUS, (ST) -The national project of modern irrigation aims to convert 2.1 million hectares of agricultural land irrigated by traditional methods to modern irrigation methods in order to preserve water resources and to raise the efficiency of irrigation in terms of water consumption by 35-50 percent as well as to reduce costs and increase productivity.

 The Fund Manager of Modern Irrigation at the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Samir Odeh,said that the total area approved for the year 2014 is 57 246 hectares of which 37209 hectares of sprinkle irrigation and 20036 hectares of drip irrigation , pointing out that the number of beneficiaries of the Fund’s irrigation  services since the launch of the project in 2007, reached to 9588, an amount of4,383 billion Syrian Pounds until 26 last December.

“Modern irrigation techniques lead to save large amounts of water that will help to expand the horizontal expansion in the  irrigated area and reduce the amount of lost water and its uses in agricultural activities in order to preserve the irrigated area and reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture in order to increase the yield and ensure the stability of the rural population and improve their standard of living,” Mr. Odeh said .

 The Fund assumes the task of financing equipment and expenses of the transition to modern irrigation in the framework of the national project to convert the land , referring to the provision of facilities to farmers by giving loans long-term loan interest rate of 4 percent for a period of twenty years, that will be paid annual installments.

The Fund Manager stresses the importance to rationalize consumption of water resources and work to develop and maintain sources of water and spread the culture of the modern trend for modern irrigation by agricultural guidance units and the media because of its benefits to farmers.

 The project is of a national importance the fact that the agricultural sector is one of the most important elements of the national economy, which started work in modern irrigation fund in 2007.

 Sh. Kh.