This year, it is planned to introduce 2,5 thousand hectares for irrigation in the region, including 1,9 thousand hectares during the implementation of the regional component of the federal project "Export of agricultural products" of the national project "International cooperation and export", initiated by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. More than 1 thousand hectares for irrigation will be introduced by the agricultural enterprise "Novoye Zavolzhye" in the Volga region.
Watering is the key to the crop
Governor Dmitry Azarov has repeatedly stressed the importance of developing regional irrigation systems: “We will pay special attention to projects in the field of land reclamation. Only such lands give a guaranteed yield, and hence the greatest economic effect. " According to the Ministry of Agriculture of the region, now about 24,5 thousand hectares of land are under irrigation. On irrigated farmland, 98% of the total volume of potatoes produced at agricultural enterprises and in peasant farms (PFH) of the province is grown (about 125 thousand tons), 86% of vegetables (94 thousand tons), 55% of soybeans (15 thousand tons) , 24% of fruit and berry crops (more than 3 thousand tons). The state encourages farmers to introduce as much land for irrigation as possible.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food of the region Nikolay Abashin noted that due to the implementation of the national project, farmers are subsidized up to 70% of the capital costs for the construction and reconstruction of irrigation systems. The federal program for the development of land reclamation makes it possible to offset up to 50% of investments. Also, according to the regional program, farms can receive subsidies for the reimbursement of 20% of water costs (if the organization is constructing or reconstructing reclamation facilities).
Last year, the region developed new measures to stimulate the introduction of land for irrigation - this is the provision of grants for the development of design estimates for the repair, reconstruction and expansion of such systems. In late December, organizations were identified that will receive funds for the preparation of projects for land reclamation on agricultural lands with a total area of more than 7,5 thousand hectares.
“Today we are introducing land for irrigation that has not been under irrigation for decades,” the minister said. - Our task is to maintain the pace of development of land reclamation and improve the mechanisms of state support for agricultural producers. The length of the existing reclamation systems makes it possible to cover 45 thousand hectares with irrigation ”.
New areas
In the Samara region, not only large companies, but also small farms are implementing projects to restore and create reclamation systems. So, in the Volga region, 18 thousand hectares are under irrigation. In 2019, the agricultural enterprise "Sev-07" LLC carried out technical re-equipment of the irrigation system on an area of 572 hectares; - on an area of 151 hectares. The agricultural production cooperative Novoye Zavolzhye has built a new section of an irrigation canal on an area of 1,14 thousand hectares as part of the regional component of the federal project "Export of agricultural products". This is a third of the 3,5 thousand hectares of land in the region introduced for irrigation last year. Thus, the company was among the leaders in irrigated fields.
According to Nikolai Savenkov, head of the Novoye Zavolzhye SEC, in 2018 they developed a land reclamation project for a 2,2 thousand hectares site, and the total area of farmland of the enterprise is 5,1 thousand hectares.
“In July we launched the first stage of the on-farm irrigation system on an area of 570 hectares, and in November we commissioned the second stage on the same area,” Nikolai Savenkov specified. - The reclamation facility of the cooperative was included in the action plan of the regional component of the federal project "Export of agricultural products" of the national project "International cooperation and export", thanks to which we received subsidies for the implementation of the project in the amount of 76 million rubles. " According to him, this allowed not only to launch a closed irrigation system, which is an extensive network of pipelines laid in the ground, with permanent hydrants through which water enters the sprinkler and irrigation machines, but also to purchase 12 sprinklers. This year, in May and June, it is planned to introduce another 1,16 thousand hectares for irrigation. The cooperative prepares documents to receive another subsidy. “This will allow us to purchase 12 sprinkler machines. In September, we plan to cover another 361 hectares with the irrigation system, ”said Nikolai Savenkov.
The farm grows soybeans, crops - barley and wheat. They plan to develop corn. Nikolai Savenkov emphasized that land reclamation has a great effect and is a certain guarantee of obtaining a crop even in drought conditions.
Vasily Vasin, Head of the Department of Plant Growing and Agriculture, Professor of the Samara State Agrarian University:
- Land reclamation needs to be developed to give stability to agricultural production and crop production, especially taking into account climate change. It is important to continue the restoration of the Spassky irrigation system built in the Volga region in the late 1960s. Then in the risky farming zone, this irrigation system became an indispensable source of moisture. Today, thanks to state support and investment projects of agricultural enterprises, a systematic reconstruction of its facilities is underway. As in previous years, its development plays an important role for the economy of the region, because irrigation is a guaranteed crop every year.