The rehabilitation of the Lopatna irrigation system with the U.S. Government’s Compact funds will allow farmers from the villages of Lopatna, Jora de Jos, Jora de Sus and Jora de Mijloc to irrigate more than 500 hectares of farmland. The reconstruction and modernization of this system cost about US$3.6 million, IPN reports.

The rehabilitation works included reconstruction of the pump station and installation of three modern and energy efficient pumps and electronic control equipment and installation of about 25 km of steel and polyethylene pipes expected to serve more than 50 years.

Additionally, the Lopatna irrigation system’s water basin with a capacity of about 1 000 cubic meters was renovated to avoid water leakage and enable the use of the system at minimal maintenance costs and for a very long term. The new system allows for expanding the irrigated area with private investments by 300 hectares, additionally to the 500 hectares covered by the project.

While still owned by the State Agency “Apele Moldovei”, the rehabilitated system will be managed by about 500 agricultural producers – members of Water Users’ Association. About 700 people own land in the area of the irrigation system today. Before rehabilitation, the irrigation system that was built in the 70s of the last century was old and outdated and was working at limited capacity or not working at all.

The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Moldova signed contracts for the rehabilitation of 10 irrigation systems amounting to about US$80 million, the rehabilitation of four of which on the Nistru River (Jora de Jos, Puhaceni, Roscani and Cosnita) and four on the Prut River (Blindesti, Grozesti, Leova and Chircani-Zirnesti) is underway. These systems will be put into operation in the first half of 2015.

The US$262 million Compact is implemented by the MCA Moldova and is a generous gift of the American people for poverty reduction and economic growth in Moldova.