The channel of the MK of the Kiliya RAF (photo - izmail.rayon)

A project to reconstruct two irrigation systems in Odesa region is being launched in Ukraine with the support of the Italian government. This was reported by, the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Vitaliy Koval.

The agreement was signed on July 10 on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference-2025 in Rome.

Disable ads
Disable ads

"Together with Oleksiy Kuleba, Vice Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine, Minister of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, and with the support of the Italian government, we launched a new project to reconstruct the Tatarbunary and Kiliya irrigation systems. Its budget is 6 million euros," Koval said.

The goal of the project is to use water resources more efficiently, increase yields, and adapt the agricultural sector to climate change. The Ministry of Agrarian Policy will be the implementer of this project.

The Tatarbunary and Kiliya irrigation systems were built in Soviet times (mostly in the 1960s and 1980s). Since then, many of the facilities – canals, pumping stations, pipelines – have been physically worn out, with water losses reaching 30-50%.

Part of the Kilia Irrigation System is the Kilia Rice System, a specialized engineering network designed for rice cultivation. It includes rice checks – specially equipped fields with dams for flooding; water supply and discharge channels; pumping stations to ensure water circulation; gates, locks and other hydraulic equipment.

Disable ads

This system is unique to Ukraine, as rice requires a special water regime (flooding for 60-90 days). Without proper technical condition, such fields are simply unsuitable for growing the crop.

The total area of rice irrigation systems (RIS) in Kiliya district is 10,868 hectares, of which Kiliya RIS is 4,832 hectares.

Odesa region is a risky farming area. Without irrigation, harvests fall sharply, and in the face of climate change (droughts, high temperatures), the situation worsens.