51 kilometers of irrigation networks will be built in two villages in Ștefan Vodă under the World Bank-funded AGGRI project
In the context of ongoing droughts and high temperatures that are significantly impacting farmers, residents of the villages of Căplani and Crocmaz in the Ștefan Vodă district will soon benefit from a modern irrigation system. Rehabilitation of the existing system is set to begin in a few weeks and is being funded by the World Bank.
The project to repair the irrigation systems in the villages of Crocmaz and Căplani involves the construction of 51 kilometres of new pipelines and the installation of 119 aluminium hydrants to connect to the network. Farmers in the region believe that this project will help them better manage the challenges posed by climatic conditions.
“We have been trying for 15 to 20 years, and now it has finally been approved. I think it will be beneficial. The area will benefit, as we are still facing significant drought. We need water,” shared a local farmer.
Authorities state that this initiative will expand irrigated areas, enabling farmers to produce more competitive agricultural products.
“The rehabilitation and reconstruction of these centralized irrigation stations represent a long-term investment that is urgently needed for agriculture in the Republic of Moldova. This project will certainly allow us to increase the irrigated areas and enhance agricultural productivity while also improving access to safe water sources for irrigation,” said Ludmila Catlabuga, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry.
“The next step will be to advance to the rehabilitation of the next centralized irrigation system, located in Tețcani, Briceni district in the north of the Republic of Moldova. Work is just beginning, and if funds from the AGGRI project become available, we will also initiate the rehabilitation of a system in the south, in Etulia,” added Liviu Gumovschi, the director of the AGGRI project.
The project "Rehabilitation of irrigation systems in the villages of Crocmaz and Căplani, Ștefan Vodă district" is part of the Investments for Governance, Growth, and Resilience in Agriculture (AGGRI) Project, which is financed by the World Bank. The total value of the project is approximately 25 million dollars.
