When it comes to drip irrigation, Uzbekistan is a developing market with little established irrigation expertise. In addition, all irrigation projects are closely monitored by the Government.
In 2018 its Ministries of Innovative Development and Water Resources signed a cooperation agreement with Rivulis, recognising it as a trusted authority for irrigation, and a world leader in irrigation products, systems and services. In addition to the agreement and given its reputation amongst farmers in Uzbekistan for quality products, Rivulis was contracted by cotton growers Bukhoro Zarhal Tex LLC for a 50ha trial turnkey drip irrigation system.
With a hydraulic design developed by Rivulis’ team of expert agronomists and engineers in Israel and Turkey, and installed by its own technicians on the ground in Bukhara, the entire project was managed by Rivulis from start to finish. This included all main and secondary line excavation works, assembling of filters, pipes, laterals and tape laying, testing, plus comprehensive handover and training.
But it wasn’t without its challenges. With little knowledge of drip irrigation in Uzbekistan, Rivulis was required to provide significant education and support to the customer to get the project off the ground. Plus, with logistics around the transportation of the system products, coping with sandy soil, a lack of labor to support the technical team and very high temperatures during installation (up to 60oC), careful planning and management was needed to ensure delivery of the system within the agreed budget and timeframe. Also, as installation was occurring during the growing season, close consultation was required prior and during installation to ensure as little disruption as possible to day-to-day operations.
As a result, Rivulis expects to proceed with installing an additional 1,000ha of drip irrigation after the harvest season. “I am proud to be onboard with such a reputable and outstanding grower as Bukhoro Zarhal Tex LLC”, say Rivulis Sales Manager Bakhtiyor Yuldashev. “Together we can Grow Beyond and be partners in a better outcome.”
