TEHRAN - The project manager of Iranian Agriculture Ministry’s modern irrigation systems development program said 35,000 hectares of the country’s farmlands have been equipped with modern irrigation systems in the current Iranian calendar year (began on March 21, 2022).

Fariborz Abbasi stated that the total irrigated lands that have been equipped with modern irrigation systems since the beginning of the implementation of this project are 2.6 million hectares.

Stating that the development of irrigation systems with high efficiency is the main priority of the Agriculture Ministry’s Water and Soil Department, he said: “In the next stage, irrigation machines that have higher efficiency and uniformity of water distribution are among our development priorities.”

“According to the existing development capacities in the field of technical and engineering services, manufacturing of equipment and instruments, competent contractors and consultants, if the credits are provided on time, we can establish modern irrigation systems in up to 400,000 hectares of the lands in the country”, the official added.

He considered technological development in the field of modern irrigation systems as one of the other priorities of his department and said: “We are trying to have the latest technologies in the field of modern irrigation systems in terms of equipment and supplies with the help of domestic knowledge-based companies and manufacturers.”

He mentioned increasing yield, rising irrigation efficiency and reducing irrigation water consumption among the benefits of developing new irrigation systems.

Abbasi, who is the head of the Agriculture Ministry’s Water and Soil Department, has previously announced that his ministry is planning to establish modern irrigation systems for 50,000 hectares of farmlands in the current year.

He pointed to the supply and production of equipment for modern irrigation systems inside the country and said: "With the cooperation and help of domestic knowledge-based companies, we have reached self-sufficiency in the production of equipment and supplies for these systems."

The purpose of implementing the plan of modern irrigation systems is to increase the productivity and sustainability of water and soil resources in the country to ensure the sustainable production of agricultural products.

The Agriculture Ministry is also taking the necessary measures for supporting the domestic manufacturing of equipment used in these systems.

Back in September 2021, Abbasi had said that 95 percent of the equipment used in such systems is manufactured inside the country.

The official said the ministry has comprehensive plans for indigenizing the knowledge for the production of the other five percent as well.

MA/MA