Netafim, an irrigation solutions provider for sustainable agriculture, has announced a deal valued at $85 million for advanced irrigation solutions that has the scope to improve the lives and livelihood of 35,000 farmers in India.
As per the company’s official website, the deal includes three large projects involving the construction of irrigation systems that follow the Community Irrigation model. “They are a testament to the successful collaboration between local farmers, the Karnataka government and Netafim to improve the livelihood and quality of life of local communities, by employing advanced precision irrigation technologies and digital farming solutions,”' the company said.
The three projects cover 66 villages and 35,000 farmers on 50,000 hectares (123,500 acres) in Nandwadgi and Shingatalur regions of Karnataka. Projects will be deployed over a period of two years and will include technical and agronomic support for a further five years, as per the website post.
To execute the entire project, Netafim will train farmers to operate advanced irrigation systems. A wide range of crops are planned for the area including onion, chilli, pepper, corn, peanuts, beans, and sunflower. Netafim has roped in the infrastructure company MEIL (Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited) to be part of these projects.
“These projects are an extension of the successful Ramthal community irrigation project which was completed in 2017, and additional four projects in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh which were secured by Netafim in 2018 and which are now under implementation,” said the company.
“The collaboration between Netafim and government agencies binds farmers into irrigation communities. Farmers benefit from an irrigation system that is technologically advanced, economically feasible and also suitable to their individual irrigation requirements,”' the company further said.
