Ukrainian farmers lose up to 1.5 million hectares of land due to the sabotage of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Station
Restoration of irrigation will take 3-7 years
According to estimates from Ukraine's Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Mykola Solskyi, farmers will not be able to fully utilise 1-1.5 million hectares of agricultural land as a result of the sabotage of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant.
The minister made this comment during the national TV marathon, Ukrinform reports citing the press service of the ministry.
"The consequences of stopping irrigation are much greater. Not half a million hectares, but one to one and a half million hectares will not be fully utilised. To restore irrigation, it will take from 3 to 7 years. And this should become a priority. Because it's not just a question of agribusiness, ecology, but also social. Farmers maintain social life in the surrounding villages, pay taxes, pay landlords, and this is mostly the elderly, for the shares," said Solskyi.
He noted that the Kakhovka canal alone supplied water to over half a million hectares of land. Therefore, the irrigation problem will become the largest in agriculture.
The minister also explained that the Kakhovka reservoir had been a source for two irrigation and water supply systems – the Kakhovka system and the North Crimean canal. These systems were built taking into account water levels to minimise the use of electricity for pumps. Now the water level has dropped, so water is simply not reaching the irrigation systems. To raise it, the dam must be restored. Therefore, this is a problem for many years.
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