ALMATY, Kazakhstan, June 28. The Eurasian region should begin manufacturing its own irrigation equipment, Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Vice Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Economist Evgeny Vinokurov told Trend during a press conference on the sidelines of the bank's Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
"It's high time our region rolled up its sleeves and started producing irrigation equipment in-house," he said.
Vinokurov noted that the region is currently experiencing "water stress," which becomes particularly severe during low-water years, occurring roughly 2 out of every 6 years.
"According to our estimates, around 2028–2029, the region will enter a period of chronic water deficit, meaning water will be scarce not just in low-water years but consistently. This is perhaps the most serious challenge facing the region here and now," he added.
He emphasized that to reduce water losses, it is necessary to implement digital water accounting throughout the entire cycle in all countries in the region.
"Digital water accounting must be applied everywhere, from transboundary rivers to the fields, covering the entire chain in all countries. Efficient irrigation is crucial. For example, Israeli technologies like advanced drip irrigation cost $3,000–$4,000 per hectare. A Kazakh, Uzbek, or Kyrgyz farmer cannot afford to spend that much. Therefore, we need to focus on simpler, more affordable measures," the EDB official said.
The EDB believes the region should produce its own irrigation equipment, he added.
"The region spends $150-300 million annually on purchasing irrigation equipment. We need to attract small and medium-sized enterprises, leveraging global technologies to establish a regional cluster of irrigation equipment production," he said.
Note that the Annual Meeting and Business Forum of the EDB was held on June 27–28 in Almaty.
Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel