YEREVAN. - Armenia PM Hovik Abrahamyan today held a consultation on irrigation issues.

Aram Harutyunyan, Chairman of the State Committee of Water Economy of Armenia’s Ministry of Agriculture said that 800 million AMD were allocated to the overhaul of the irrigation systems in 2015. And around 5,2 billion AMD (approx. $10,9 million) were allocated in 2015 to the irrigator communities, which supply irrigation water to the the republic’s farmers and irrigation system workers.     

Since early 2015, attempts to prevent the increase of water level have comprised nearly 121,3 million cubic meters, in comparison to 216,1 cubic meters over the same period in 2014. Modern counters have been installed on 80 points of the irrigation systems, which will allow reducing the unaccounted losses. Work on introducing SCADA system of electronic control over infrastructure is underway. 

Due to the increase of cultivated lands, higher-than-normal demand for irrigation water has emerged in 70 villages.

According to Abrahamyan, the duly supply of irrigation water is currently one of the key objectives. “No farmer should raise an issue that his crops ran dry because of the lack of water. August is the toughest month for the irrigation systems, and I urge to do everything to allow the farmers to normally gather the crop. Work long, work for 24 hours, stay on night duty so that no dissatisfaction arises,” Abrahamyan said.