The area of irrigated land in the Samara region over the past period of 2021 increased to 2,4 thousand hectares, which is 27% higher than the plan for this year, Acting Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Samara Region Yevgeny Afanasyev told TASS. Moreover, on a larger area, agricultural enterprises built new irrigation systems, on 1 hectares they carried out measures for the technical re-equipment of existing systems.
“The agreement of December 28, 2020, concluded between the government of the Samara region and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, provides for the implementation of irrigation and drainage measures in 2021 on an area of 1 hectares. To date, state support has been provided to nine agricultural enterprises that have implemented irrigation and drainage activities on an area of 848,6 hectares. Of these, 2 hectares are newly built irrigation systems and 355 hectares are measures for the technical re-equipment of existing irrigation systems. The planned value of ensuring the commissioning of the reclaimed lands this year has been fulfilled by 1%, ”Afanasyev said.
According to the regional Ministry of Agriculture, about 25,5 thousand hectares of land were irrigated in the region during the irrigation season this year.
Now the region is working on the construction and technical re-equipment of irrigation systems on an area of 2 hectares, Afanasyev said. Most of it is planned to be completed by the end of this year, subject to the allocation of additional funds from the federal budget.
According to the regional Ministry of Agriculture, the use of irrigation increases the yield of crops by at least 1,5-2 times, and even more for individual crops.