Turkey: Finalization of water pipeline to Northern Cyprus to boost agriculture, economy
As the completion of the water pipeline from Turkey's southern coast to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) in the Mediterranean Sea nears, the government has heightened its studies concerning the improvement of the agriculture sector which will highly benefit from the pipeline and contribute to increasing the country's economic revenues.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held last October for the 107-kilometer (67-mile) pipeline that will run from Alaköprü Dam in the Anamur district of Turkey's Mersin province on the Mediterranean to a dam that is being built in Geçitköy in Northern Cyprus. Although the pipeline is expected to be operational by March 2014, its current progress indicates it will be completed earlier, by October 2013.
Speaking to Today's Zaman in an exclusive interview, KKTC Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister Ali Çetin Amcaoğlu provided information regarding the project that carries vital importance for the country as a source for potable water and irrigation. The increased water supply will thus play a key role in the development of agriculture and animal husbandry while granting Turkish Cypriots greater access to quality water.
Amcaoğlu recounted that the KKTC has for one-and-a-half years been working on plans for more effective vegetable farming in conjunction with the completion of the pipeline, conducting soil analyses to determine which crops will bring the highest yields in which region of the country. Noting that one-third of the country is settled land and the remaining two-thirds made up of forests and arable land, the minister said that even after exempting forest lands, the area available for agricultural production will still represent half the island.
According to the soil analyses, the Güzelyurt region in western KKTC is appropriate for irrigated farming while the central Mesarya region is more suitable for farming and animal husbandry. Additionally, the studies suggest that the eastern Mağusa region would be ideal for greenhouse cultivation and growing artichokes while the northern tip of the island, Karpaz, would be suitable for livestock.
With the water pumped in from southern Turkey, it will be possible to irrigate 60 square kilometers out of the 800 designated for farming by the project. The increase in irrigation of farming land will boost the island's harvests and enable surplus production to be exported, said Amcaoğlu. The minister also explained that potable water will, after its use by residents, be treated and then used towards growing feed crop for animal raising. We have also modernized the irrigation system, which will lead us to have greater harvests with the use of less water, he added.
Meanwhile, Amcaoğlu expressed the government is also researching where opportunities exist in foreign markets in order to export excess production. We have excelled at producing fine potatoes, artichokes, olives, olive oil and citrus, all of which can be produced in greater amounts for export with the increase in farmland. Also, most of the land has never been used, so it represents a great opportunity for organic farming, something around which we have begun a few projects with Turkey's Ege University. Research into the cultivation of aromatic and medicinal herbs is also being conducted with the partnership of universities in the country to take a share in the future of an already huge existing market, the minister concluded.
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