USAID AGRI allots 18.35 mln hryvni for renovation of Ukrainian irrigation systems

MOSCOW. Nov 9 (Interfax) - The U.S. Agency for International Development's Agriculture Resilience Initiative (USAID AGRI) will allot over 18.35 million hryvni for a project to renovate irrigation systems of Ukrainian water users, Ukrainian media said with the reference to the program press service.

"This is the fourth sub-grant from USAID AGRI, aimed to resume irrigation in Ukraine, while the entire co-funding totals 73.2 million hryvni," the press service said.

The donor organization said that the funds would be spent on the restoration or renovation of the existent irrigation infrastructure, rather than the construction of a new one.

Water users servicing at least 200 hectares of land the plots of whose members are registered in the State Land Cadaster and the land titles are registered in the State Real Estate Title Register qualify for co-funding by USAID AGRI.

What is more, information about water user members should be available in the State Agrarian Register. A water user organization should have no debts to the state water management authority for irrigation water intake services of the previous years.

The funds received can be invested in renovation of a pumping station, which will be transferred to the ownership of a water user organization from state or municipal property, the purchase or replacement of sprinklers, drip irrigation infrastructure, the introduction of alternative energy sources for the pumping station and sprinklers, as well as for other purposes.