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Agriculture Minister Petre Daea in Bechet, Dolj County, on Saturday, launched the pilot programme for drip irrigation with energy independence for one-hectare crops of vegetables and potatoes, for which 40 million euros have been allocated and which will benefit around 5,000 young farmers.
According to the data presented by Daea, the objective of this programme is to balance the trade balance with vegetables and stabilise the domestic production of vegetables and potatoes, and the location conditions are near a source of water, near the main irrigation channels or own source of water.
Through this programme a modular, energy independent drip irrigation kit is purchased, consisting of a set of solar panels, a pumping unit, a drip irrigation installation, electronic control for automatic management, with small amounts of water evenly distributed.
In addition to the modular energy-independent drip irrigation kit for one hectare cultivated with vegetables or potatoes, worth about 10,000 euro, a constant temperature container is also purchased for temporary storage of the resulting production, which will be further valorised through contracts with the Unirea SA Romanian Agri-food Trading House.
"This module consists of the irrigation part, and in the second stage we will also have the module for pre-cooling the products. Basically, after harvesting, the products will go to a place where the temperature will be brought to a level where they will maintain their quality. (...) We aim to take all the money from the European Union, to invest it correctly, to take it where we can have a success in production and a gain in the farmer's pocket and, last but not least, to ensure the consumption of vegetables and to balance the trade balance, being a state objective put in the governance programme that we have authorised by political decision. These things are very clear and must be followed carefully and put into practice day by day and hour by hour," said Petre Daea.
Minister Daea presented in Bechet the practical implementation of the project, with the support of an entrepreneur and a farmer who has a low water consumption and energy independence irrigation module.
He also said that he launched this programme in Bechet because it is the pole of drought in Romania, and without water it is impossible to grow crops.
The president of Dolj County Council, Cosmin Vasile, said that the programme is welcome for young farmers in Dolj County. AGERPRES
