Iran developing smart irrigation systems

Iran’s Deputy Agriculture Minister Safdar Niazi said some
2,700 hectares of agricultural lands across the country have been equipped with
smart irrigation systems.

“So far, some 2,700 hectares of lands have been equipped
with smart irrigation technologies,” Niazi said on Thursday.

He added that Iranian knowledge-based firms have developed
high tech monitoring systems and smart technologies and Internet of Things to help
save water in irrigation and manage the water crisis.

“Currently, the [agricultural] ministry in collaboration
with Iranian knowledge-based corporations in Isfahan and Fars have launched 16
smart farming projects, all in the pilot phase,” Niazi said.

The smart projects will go operational in other provinces as
well if the findings from the pilot study support the decision to move forward
with the confirmatory study.

Considering the importance of water consumption management
in the agricultural sector, the Iranian Agriculture Ministry has been
implementing a plan for installing modern irrigation systems in the country’s
farmlands over the past few years and the new program for smartening these
systems will increase their efficiency to a great extent.

Over the past three years, each year, an average of 150,000
hectares of farmlands have been equipped with modern irrigation systems,
according to the ministry data.