IRRIGATION VII

closed

The main objectives of the Bucsani Buzau Siret Prut Irrigation Project will be to increase and stabilize crop production and to raise productivity in a gross area of 158,485 ha (154,350 ha net) consisting of four separate subprojects in the areas of Bucsani, Buzau, Siret, and Prut located in the southeastern part of Romania. This will be accomplished through construction of irrigation and drainage systems and related facilities. The project works will include construction of 184 km of open canals and 187 km of pipe conduits, nine repumping, two fixed and 97 pressure pumping stations, surface and tile drainage systems, soil erosion control, valley training and saline soil reclamation works. Equipment for operation and maintenance and farm machinery will be provided under the project. Concrete silos for a total capacity of 0.18 million tons will also be constructed to meet the additional cereal storage requirement. Benefits from crop production in the project areas will increase from a fluctuating annual average of about $106.1 million to a relatively stable annual average of about $242.8 million. Yield increases in various crops will range from 25 percent to over 200 percent and the cropping intensity will increase by about 16 percent. The project will more than double labor productivity.