The destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station by the Russian invaders dealt a significant blow to the agriculture of southern Ukraine. However, after the region’s liberation, everything can be restored through irrigation, and those farmers who grow vegetables and fruits can do this much faster, writes SEEDS.
This opinion was expressed by Andriy Yarmak, an economist at the Investment Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), on Ukrainian radio.
“According to the amount of precipitation in the south of Ukraine, this region can be attributed to deserts. The south of Ukraine heavily depends on irrigation as the area is arid, and without irrigation, agricultural production would be very limited. And it will be limited to crops that are drought-resistant and non-intensive.
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Relatively speaking: one year, there is a harvest, and the next, there is no harvest. I don’t think this is suitable (for farmers – ed.). There is also a second aspect. Of course, river water is the best, cheapest alternative for irrigation. But there is also underground water, which is also largely dependent on rivers,” says Andriy Yarmak.
According to him, the dam’s presence also positively impacted the availability and quality of groundwater in the region. At the same time, the destruction of the HPP dealt a significant blow to the agriculture of southern Ukraine.
“I think that the production of vegetables and fruits after the liberation from the invaders can be restored faster than the production of grain, oilseeds, etc. Because vegetables and fruits still bring much more revenue per hectare. Accordingly, even if irrigation is carried out at the expense of wells, investments pay off very quickly. If we talk about the return on investment of irrigation from wells for grain crops, they are, in principle, not obvious. Because you need a lot of water. In addition, a big environmental aspect can make this type of irrigation of crops grown in huge areas impractical,” concludes the expert.
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