The problem of provision of farmers with high-quality and sufficient water resources for irrigation was discussed in a working meeting called by Prime Minister Pavel Filip. In the discussions, the Premier requested the officials in charge to identify viable solutions to facilitate farmers’ access to water for irrigation, IPN reports.

According to the Government’s press office, in Moldova there are about 50,000 hectares of orchards, vineyards, vegetable fields and greenhouses that need to be irrigated. If possibilities of using underground water in irrigation in a controlled and measured way are created, the farmers will be able to develop their businesses and to have constant production, including in periods of drought.

The representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Academy of Sciences pleaded for more intensely exploiting the water from rivers and lakes and the pluvial water. Studies show the underground water includes a high level of minerals and can be used in irrigation after being filtered out, but the special filtering equipment is expensive. The unfiltered underground water destroys the quality of soil.