Lateral canal opened in eastern Croatia

A 12.3 kilometre long lateral canal between Knezevi Vinogradi and Zmajevac in eastern Croatia was formally opened on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic.

The purpose of the canal, in whose construction the national water management company Hrvatske Vode invested 102 million kuna, is to provide protection against harmful effects of water and to ensure sufficient quantities of water to irrigate 5,000 hectares of farmland. The canal includes a reversible pumping station, six drainage sluices, six siphons, and four bridges. The construction began in 2013.

Milanovic said that during the term of the present government irrigation would be ensured for an additional 12,000 hectares of farmland, and that the aim was to finance future projects of this kind as much as possible with EU funding.

Agriculture Minister Tihomir Jakovina said that the construction of the lateral canal was an excellent project showing how added value and added revenue could be ensured for agricultural production. He said that about 778 million kuna had been invested in water management projects in Osijek-Baranja County in the last four years.

Jakovina said that modern irrigation systems were not designed for traditional crops such as wheat and that the aim was to change the structure of agricultural production in Croatia to ensure greater production of fruit and vegetables.

Jakovina said that irrigation projects had so far been financed mostly with funds from the state budget or Hrvatske Vode, but that a measure under the Rural Development Programme would enable construction of large irrigation systems worth up to 15 million euros, in each Croatian county. He called on the county authorities to prepare irrigation projects because they were necessary to increase yield, improve production technology and compensate for bad climate conditions.

(Hina) vm

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