Kyrgyzstan is provided with irrigation water only by 78%

Bishkek, May 21, 2018. / Kabar /. To date, Kyrgyzstan can provide irrigation water 75-78% of the acreage, Director of the Department of Water Resources and Land Reclamation of the Ministry of Agriculture of Kyrgyzstan Kokumbek Tashtanaliev told.

During a press conference at Kabar News Agency he pointed out that the provision of farmers with irrigation water depends on the sources of water supply. Thus, if crop areas are irrigated from reservoirs - regulated sources, farmers can expect to receive irrigation in the amount they need.

"At the beginning of the growing season, the volume of water in natural sources is two times less than the required volume. These sources collect the required volume of water only by May. In sources where the volume of water can be regulated, it is possible to count on 100% of water provision," Tashtanaliev explained.

To solve this problem it is necessary to create regulatory sources, which is very costly. In this regard, within the framework of the government program for the development of irrigation systems for 2017-2026, measures are envisaged to optimize the irrigation system and increase the irrigated areas to 50,000 hectares.