Israeli water sector giant Netafim has been selected to partake in a $60 million micro-irrigation project in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka, the company announced on Tuesday. The project, which will span 12,000 hectares of land and help 6,700 farmers with small plots in 22 villages, aims to increase their crop production capacity and improve their standard of living, according to Netafim. In doing so, the farmers will also be able to save about 50 percent of their water consumption, the company added.
The project, said Netafim CEO Ran Maidan, will "set a new standard in micro-irrigation by improving and optimizing water use for farmers with small plots. In Netafim's 50 years of working in drip irrigation, Maidan stressed that participation in such "breakthrough projects" has helped the company take its place as a catalyst for change.
Working with Netafim is the company Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd. The project is organized by Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Ltd., a branch of Karnataka's department of water resources.