EXPERT OPINION

22.07.2009

For the intensive development of agriculture in Uzbekistan, a special attention is paid to improvement of land and water resources, which yields stronger results.

Abdurahmat Mubarakov, deputy head of the Agricultural Technology Complex at the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan

Today, for the successful implementation of the reclamation and improvement of efficient use of irrigated land in the country, there is a number of ordinances and decrees of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as documents of the Government regulating this activity.

In particular, the decree of the President “On measures to comprehensively update the land reclamation system” is an important guide for action in this direction, improvement of irrigated lands.

In accordance with the decree, the Fund for Ameliorative Improvement of Irrigated Land, established under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan, focuses on the construction and restructuring of reclamation facilities, repair and rehabilitation of existing facilities, updating technologies and machinery in order to improve soil fertility.

As part of the designed for 2008-2012 State Program of Ameliorative Improvement of Irrigated Land, it is intended in 2009 to enhance the ameliorative status of 243.3 thousand ha of land.

In the first quarter of the year, 12.9 bln soums were drawn under the program, compared to the same period last year 4.1 bln soums were saved in the water sector through careful use of available resources.

Also in the first quarter this year, 30.3 km of collector-drainage system were built and reconstructed. 170 interregional and inter-farm drainage systems of 3048.1 km long were repaired and reconstructed.

According to the regional hydro-meliorative expedition, field activities decreased the groundwater level and salinity degree.

Along with these ones, there are projects directed at construction and reconstruction of reclamation facilities in Bukhara, Kashkadarya and Syrdarya regions. In particular, the reconstruction of Sichankul interregional trunk collector is aimed to improve the ameliorative status of lands in Kashakadarya and Bukhara regions.

This facility is of 62-km long and capacity of 45 cu.m. is designed for the withdrawal of groundwater from 176 thousand ha of irrigated areas and floods in Kashkadarya River. It will help prevent the swamping of soils in Bukhara Region.

The development and improvement of the countryside, high yields of crop are largely dependent on soil fertility. There is no doubt that the special attention paid to the improvement of the ameliorative status of lands provides tangible results.