İzmir Metropolitan Municipality raised 83 animals with a drinking water pond, which was put into practice in the countryside, to the aid of the producer, who earned a living from livestock and whose water need increased during the summer months. Farmers in Menemen Telekler Village, who had to move their herds hundreds of kilometers away due to lack of water in previous years, have now embraced animal husbandry, which they almost had to give up.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, President Tunç SoyerIt continues to support the producer in line with the vision of "Another agriculture is possible". The Metropolitan, which donates sheep and buffalo and provides feed support in order to increase milk production capacity and livestock activities in rural areas, also extended a hand to farmers who had to move their herds many kilometers away because they could not meet their water needs. While new drinking water ponds were opened in order to increase meat and milk production and reduce feeding costs in the pastures where sheep and cattle breeding are common, the ponds in the countryside were cleaned, expanded and activated. The farmers, who make a living by farming, started to look to the future with hope. Within the scope of the works carried out by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Department of Science Affairs, 2019 animal drinking water ponds were put into service in the countryside in 2020 and 83.
New ponds are coming
Eser Atak, Deputy Secretary General of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, gave the good news that they will open 2021 new animal drinking water ponds in 15, “We will continue to support agriculture and animal husbandry, which are among the sectors most affected by drought, in line with the work we have done with our Agricultural Services Department. "The construction equipment and our crews will continue to maintain, clean and expand existing ponds in rural areas, while on the other hand, they will continue to open new animal drinking water ponds in appropriate topographic and geological conditions.
We were going to Bandırma
Producers, who have had a hard time due to the rapid increase in basic inputs such as feed and diesel, are very pleased to be able to meet the water needs of their animals from ponds. Thanking Izmir Metropolitan Municipality for this work, Head of Telekler Yüksel Güleç said, “The ponds in our village were insufficient. We were running out of water in the middle of the summer because of the large number of our animals. We were carrying our version to Bandırma, which is 280 kilometers away and spending the summer there. Our people were unable to raise livestock due to lack of water. Our youth had to find other jobs. Now we have water. Water means life. For us, water is the investment made in this village ”.
Thanks to the Metropolitan
Ahmet Ayhan, who has been living with animal husbandry in Telekler since his early ages, summed up his feelings as follows: “May Allah be pleased with our mayor and Metropolitan Municipality staff a thousand times. Due to the thirst, I was transporting the version by truck to Bandırma Plain, 280 kilometers away, and spending the summer there. Then I reduced this job because it was difficult. At other times, I met the water needs of the plowing with transport water. There will be no water shortage this year. When this pond is full, it is enough for us ”.
Bozalan Village Headman Ahmet Akarsu stated that the ponds started to hold water with the efforts of the Metropolitan Municipality and that this water would be sufficient for them for 2-3 years during the summer, “We were meeting the water needs of our animals with transport water. There is no better contribution to us than this. We thank our Department of Science, ”he said.
Yield increased
Mehmet Erkal, a farmer in Telekler Village, said: “We were going 10 kilometers away to Gediz River at night due to lack of water. The version was full and hungry, productivity was falling. Thanks to Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, we came to this situation. "Now our animals can find water at a distance of 200-300 meters."
Stating that they are planning on demand from farmers, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Agricultural Services Department Irrigation Branch Manager Hanifi Koçak said, “Our efforts to keep more water in the ponds within the scope of efforts to combat drought contribute significantly to the villagers who earn their living with livestock. Our efforts to make more efficient and productive use of water resources will continue uninterrupted ”.
Where were the ponds built?
By the Department of Science Affairs, in 2019 and 2020, Bergama (Alibeyli and Gaylan), Dikili (Denizköy, Kocaoba, Demirtaş), Kınık (Arapdere) and Menemen (2 in Telekler, 2 in Bozalan), Bornova (Kayadibi, Çamiçi) ), 12 new drinking water ponds were built. By completing periodic maintenance, cleaning and expansion works of a total of 71 animal drinking water ponds in rural areas of Aliağa, Bergama, Bornova, Dikili, Kınık and Menemen, the water holding capacity of the existing ponds was increased before the winter season. An investment of 3 million lira has been made for animal drinking water ponds with storage capacity ranging from 5 thousand to 1.2 thousand cubic meters. The Department of Science Affairs will carry out maintenance, repair and renovation work in 32 animal drinking water ponds in Bergama, Kınık and Aliağa in the coming days. It is planned to start the construction of 2021 new animal drinking water ponds in 15.
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