Irrigation Programme for the Southern Vardar Region Phase II - Grant Component

completed

The aim of the FC measure is to permanently improve water use efficiency in rural irrigation and - this will enable - a sustainable increase in agricultural production and productivity in the Valandovo region in the southern Vardar Valley. This is intended to contribute to improving the living conditions of the agricultural population in the program area through the sustainable use and efficient management of natural resources, particularly water resources (development policy objective of the FC measure). As part of an accompanying measure, the program executing agency was supported in implementing the project and the future users were supported in setting up and organizing user communities (now Agricultural Cooperatives/AC, previously Water Communities/WC) and in drawing up the operation and maintenance concept. The total costs of the main measure including accompanying measures for the planned four-year implementation period of Phase II are estimated at a maximum of EUR 24.4 million, of which EUR 10.25 million will be financed by IVF loans (integrated joint financing), EUR 1 million from an FC grant for the accompanying measure, EUR 4 million in grants (promised due to cost increases in 2017) and EUR 9.1 million from the Macedonian side (government and farmers).