From 2013 to 2015, ten centralized irrigation systems located on the banks of the Nistru and Prut rivers were renewed with money donated by the U.S. Government. The villages of Coșnița and Pârâta benefited from almost 14 million dollars in aid assigned for the rehabilitation of a 50 years old system. Farmers in the area say that the renovation of the irrigation system opened up new possibilities for advanced agricultural practices, but on the other hand, the deficient cooperation with local authorities is causing problems, such as equipment purchased without consulting the beneficiaries. 

At the beginning of 2010, Moldova’s government and the Corporation Millennium Challenge Account Moldova, acting on behalf of the American government, signed the Compact Program, which allowed for the rehabilitation of ten centralized irrigation systems. 

The Millennium Challenge Account Moldova implemented a 262 million dollar program, which the American Government financed in the form of non-reimbursable aid. The money was intended for both road rehabilitation (along the Sărăteni-Soroca route) and the transition to high-performance agriculture. The rehabilitation of ten centralized systems of irrigation cost 80 million dollars. 

Apele Moldovei agency was managing the centralized systems of irrigation up until their rehabilitation. Then, a newly-created Water Users Associations for Irrigation took the systems under their management. All farmers who have land in the area covered by the irrigation system, can become members of the newly-created Water Users Associations for Irrigation, in exchange for a membership fee.   

Few paid attention to what farmers truly need

Since 2015, the Coșnița Water Users Association for Irrigation provides pumping services for water irrigation for farmers from the villages of Coșnița and Pârâta. Some farmers have set up drip irrigation systems, others have their own equipment. The farmers who don’t have the necessary equipment connect to hydrants provided by the Coșnița Water Users Associations for irrigation services, equipment from the endowment of the association. 

Besides the undeniable benefits offered by the new irrigation system for farmers in Coșnița and Pârâta, some farmers say the efficiency is partially diminished since the authorities did not coordinate the purchases with the beneficiaries.

“There is a centralized irrigation system, old pumping stations, with an underground network, just as old, built at the end of the 60s, with an operating period of over 50 years. 

When we used that system, we often experienced ruptures, we had losses of water, but there were also huge losses of electricity, because of using old machines. Now, there are practically no water leaks or breaks and the possibilities for farmers to irrigate are much better. However, unfortunately, the money was not used accordingly, from our point of view, because the representatives of the Fund did not consult with us, few were paying attention to farmers’ demands. They did everything as they wished, without consulting with us to find out our needs” says Ghenadie Leagul, who held the position of executive director of the Coșnița Water Users Association for Irrigation up until September 6.

The tractor, only partially useful

According to Leagul, the Coșnița Water Users Association for Irrigation received a tractor in 2015, when the irrigation system was put into operation. That tractor is not suitable for the works of most of the members of the association. 

• “They could have bought a cheaper tractor that would’ve met our requirements better. We use tractors to carry and exploit the irrigation system. Unfortunately, we can’t use the tractor all the time, because it’s a special tractor for orchards and vineyards rather than for field crops. If such a tractor would be used for the field crop, it would destroy half of the crops, provoking damages to the farmer. This is why we use it only to bring irrigation equipment, and the farmer uses his own tractor to install the irrigation equipment in the field,” the former director of the Coșnița Water Users Association for Irrigation, Ghenadie Leagul, told ZdG.  

“In 2018 we’ve got two [pieces of] Irrimec irrigation equipment. And although they are of good quality we can’t use them because they have bigger gauges and the tractor can’t service them. No one asked us anything while buying it.” 

Two portable water pumps and one ATV gather dust in the warehouse

In 2015, along with the tractor and the irrigation technologies, the Coșnița Water Users Association for Irrigation has got an all-terrain vehicle, amounting to around 9,318 euros (181,900 lei).  

“It has a big value price, but in terms of utility it equals zero. We said that a car would be useful, but we expected to be a normal car or a truck. We don’t go only in the field we also go in town. Now I am forced to use my own car while going in field or in town, but the all-terrain vehicle is gathering dust in the warehouse,” Ghenadie explained.  

In another warehouse, two portable motorized water pumps amounting to around 12,038 euros (235,000 lei) lay covered in dust. 

“The two portable water pumps have been bought in 2018, without us asking for them or needing them. Simply the car came and delivered them, we received them and that’s all. That money could be used elsewhere, invested as to gain profit, not to stay in the warehouse and gather dust,” said Ghenadie Leagul, who administered the Coșnița Water Users Association for Irrigation in the past two years.  

Andrei Meleca, farmer and member of the Coșnița Water Users Association for Irrigation also mentions that the money could be used for other needs, such as rubber hoses. 

Machinery given to an association that never used them 

In 2018, the representatives of the Sustainable Development Fund, a public institution and a successor of the Millennium Challenge Account Moldova, offered two pieces of irrigation equipment to the Criuleni Water Users Association for Irrigation. However, the association hasn’t been using the equipment it got in 2015 to its full capacity. 

The farmers, members of the Coșnița Water Users Association for Irrigation borrow the 2018 irrigation equipment from the Criuleni Water Users Association for Irrigation for a fee, as the farmers in Criuleni use their own equipment and they do not need it.  

Valeriu Boșcănean, the executive director of the Criuleni Water Users Association for Irrigation, confirms that the irrigation equipment that the association owns has not been used by its members this year, but still they plan to use it in the coming years. 

“Some farmers have their irrigation lines, and most of them do drip irrigation. Hence, this year there were no requests from farmers, we rented it out. The renters fixed the equipment, used it, returned it. We’ll see the orders for next year. If there will be requests, we will work for sure. From our perspective is we expect someone to integrate more land, to buy, to lease, because such a machine you cannot use it for 40-50 ares,” Valeriu Boșcănean told ZdG.

ZdG made a request to discuss the criteria of purchasing the equipment with Valentina Badrajan, former executive director of the Millennium Challenge Account Moldova, and currently the executive director of the management unit of the Sustainable Development Fund Moldova – institutions that managed the process of rehabilitating centralized irrigation systems, as well as ensuring the sustainability of investments made under the Compact Agreement. Representatives of Sustainable Development Fund Moldova informed us that Valentina Badrajan is on leave abroad. Thus, the Sustainable Development Fund Moldova’s viewpoint was submitted in written form.

Sustainable Development Fund Moldova response to ZdG

“One of the main goals of the Compact Program was the rehabilitation of ten centralized irrigation systems, the implementation of the irrigation sector reform and the sustainability of the activity of the Water Users Associations for Irrigation. 

In this context, in 2015, at the end of the Compact Program, in coordination with the Donor (The U.S.A. Millennium Challenge Corporation) decided to grant the Irrigation Water Users Associations additional support for their first stage of activity. The additional aid was limited to the acquisition of equipment, supplies, and tools for daily requirements, to ensure the efficient operation and exploitation of the centralized irrigation systems. 

In September 2015, the associations, created within the Compact Program, were offered for free use: one tractor, one trailer, one all-terrain vehicle and irrigation equipment in relation to the area of service. For instance, the Coșnița Association that manages one of the largest centralized irrigation systems has received (conveniently) three [pieces of] irrigation equipment. Back in that day, the focus was on the purchase of equipment that would guarantee the management and operation of the renovated centralized irrigation systems, meaning additional support unforeseen by the initial project. 

It is important to note that the Coșnița Association was in its first year of activity, and its financial and operational competence was limited. Moreover, this was an action for small and medium-sized farmers, members of the association, who did not have the financial possibility to purchase their own irrigation equipment. 

Thus, the tractor and trailer were planned for the transport of goods and the towing of Coșnița Association’s equipment. The all-terrain vehicle was intended, similar to other associations, to access irrigation infrastructure in the field, in places not easily accessible from the service area, for current or seasonal maintenance work (mounting/dismantling/ repairing hydrants/hydrant heads, etc.). This function could not be replaced by the purchase of an ordinary vehicle. 

We cannot agree with the farmers’ claim that the all-terrain vehicle was not used, because it has a total track of over 1,500 km. In addition, we emphasize that the equipment was sent to the Water Users Associations for Irrigation in the commodity (free use). So far, the Coșnița Association Administration has not informed the Sustainable and Development Fund Moldova (officially or during the Board meetings) that the equipment received in the commodity is not useful and that it intends to dispose of it. 

Therefore, according to Sustainable and Development Fund Moldova, these statements can be appreciated as separate opinions of some farmers in the Coșnița centralized irrigation system service area, which does not reflect the official position of Coșnița Water Users Association for Irrigation. 

We cannot agree with the statement that Sustainable and Development Fund Moldova did not consult Water Users Associations and their members. Prior consultation and consideration of beneficiaries’ wishes are one of the key principles that guides the Fund’s activity. Thus, the purchase of irrigation equipment in 2018 was preceded by a comprehensive analysis of the first years of activity of the Association.

Both the Association’s Administration and its members completed a survey, aimed to determine the necessary equipment and machinery that would contribute to the efficiency of the centralized irrigation system operation.

In the context of Association limited financial capabilities, Sustainable and Development Fund Moldova has focused on procuring equipment that is more expensive. This equipment must serve a large circle of farmers (small, medium and large), not necessarily some farmers. Accessories and consumables like rubber hoses, connections with hydrants, etc. are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased by the association or its members based on their particular needs.

We reiterate that all procurement procedures have been carried out in accordance with the Donor Procurement Guide, in compliance with which was mandatory in the post-Compact period. According to these rules, the requirements must be equal and cannot indicate certain model equipment or devices. The competition was public, widely publicized, and the technical requirements and parameters formulated offered the possibility to participate in a wide circle of irrigation equipment producers, without giving priority to certain producers.

The equipment purchased in 2018, based on the Sustainable and Development Fund Moldova Observers Council’s decision, starting from the needs declared by the Association members in the above mentioned survey, as well as according to the performance indicators achieved by each association (volume of pumped water, irrigated surfaces, collection of contributions, formation of the reserve fund, etc.).

Regarding the Criuleni Water Users Association for Irrigation, the association widely used the irrigation equipment provided by Sustainable and Development Fund Moldova during the period 2015-2017.

In the years 2018-2019, some farmers, who practiced value-added crops, left the area, and others switched to other methods of irrigation, such as drip irrigation. The situation may change in the irrigation season 2020 or later when the farmers in the Criuleni centralized irrigation system service area will need this irrigation equipment.

The Fund’s vision is that the transfer of equipment for the exploitation by other farmers is a pragmatic solution, which ensures the financial benefits of Criuleni Association and contributes to the sustainability of the association.”

Anatolie Eșanu