Addis Ababa, 02 January, 2016(WIC) – The Tigray Agriculture and Natural resource development Bureau said it has attained only 55.7 percent of its plan for irrigation development due to the drought the region is faced with since the last farming season.
Irrigation development and agro-economic testing manager with the bureau, Solomon Gebresillasie, told Walta the severe drought the region is faced with has posed serious challenges up on the effort to develop irrigation.
Via utilization of the ground and underground water resource in the region there was a plan to develop about 232 thousand hectares of but the region has so far developed only about 129 thousand hectares covered with vegetables, crops and cereals.
As compared to last year’s performance during the same period, it has diminished by half, he noted.
The decrease in this year’s performance was mainly caused by the severe drought that dried up water wells, streams and water harvesting ponds, he explained.
To fill the gap the region is working in close collaboration with experts for identification and production of crops that can be produced with low water demand, he added.
Farmers who are engaged in irrigation have managed to stave off effect of the drought as compared to those who are not engaged.