BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 24
By Elnur Baghishov – Trend:
About 46,000 hectares of land in Sistan steppe of Sistan and Baluchestan province (southeastern Iran) will be provided with irrigation systems for autumn sowing, Iranian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Jihad Alimorad Akbari said, Trend reports citing the ministry.
According to Akbari, the provision of 46,000 hectares of land in the Sistan steppe with irrigation systems began in 2014 and so far its 32,000 hectares have been provided with irrigation systems.
Akbari added that the National Development Fund of Iran has allocated $400 million in the first phase and $350 million in the second phase.
The deputy minister said that the project envisages providing 203,000 hectares with infrastructure. About 150,000 hectares of these areas are suitable for cultivation. The areas provided with irrigation systems are 46,000 hectares.
Akbari said that according to the project, Zabol, Hirmand, Zahak, Nimruz and Hamun will be supplied with water and it is planned to provide 8,800 cubic meters of water per hectare.
"By providing the Sistan steppe with irrigation systems, the harvest from this area will increase from 400,000 tons to 960,000 tons and 70,000 jobs will be created," he said.
According to the deputy minister, so far, 2.5 million hectares of land in Iran have been equipped with pressure irrigation systems. Its 1.1 million hectares were provided with irrigation systems under the current government (the current government of Iran has been in power since August 2013).