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150 farmers will be able to cultivate 30 hectares of land thanks to USAID project
17.08.2021 | 13:29
Recently, USAID’s ASPIRED project and partners marked the completion of the irrigation efficiency improvement project in the Mrgashat community.
True to its name, which translates as “full of fruit,” Mrgashat is one of the largest villages of the Armavir region with a population of 5,500 people, the majority of whom are engaged in growing tomatoes, watermelons, plums, apples, and other fruits and vegetables.
The village receives irrigation water from two sources but only had enough water to irrigate part of the village. About 30 hectares were not properly irrigated due to the inefficiency of the old decaying irrigation network. More than 80% of the water did not reach the fields and was lost on the way. Farmers complained about losing their crops and investments.
USAID’s ASPIRED project improved the efficiency of the system by building a new distribution network to prevent water losses and installed a new pump control system for better surge protection. The project will return to 30 hectares of land to cultivation, and will directly benefit 150 farmers. 228,000 cubic meters of water–the equivalent of more than 90 Olympic size swimming pools–will be saved annually, reducing the stress on the Ararat Valley’s groundwater aquifer.
The project will also reduce energy consumption for farmers by the equivalent of $4,700 USD per season.
