See how foreign countries promote water saving in agriculture

Globally, the price of water for irrigation is much lower than that for life, urban and industrial use. Even in countries where irrigation systems such as the United States and Israel can achieve self-sustaining development, the price of irrigation water is still much lower than the price of other water. However, in order to encourage agriculture to save water, countries have formulated corresponding water price policies.

United States

The allocation of water resources in the United States is achieved through the water rights system managed by the state government. Water rights are the right to use and dispose of water that is recognized or granted by law and is a property right. Water rights can be inherited, can be sold for sale at a fee, and some places can also be deposited in the “water bank”, which has great economic incentive for water users. To protect agricultural irrigation water, Arizona has enacted laws that require cities to pay “groundwater economic development funds” if they want to use or purchase rural underground water.

U.S. farmers use treated wastewater (which can meet the three standards for surface water) to develop sprinkler irrigation and irrigating pasture. The price of water is only about 1/3 of the normal surface water supply price, and it is also cheaper than the extraction of groundwater.

Japan

With the development of economy and society, the demand for water in various areas in Japan has increased, and the conflict between water and water has become more prominent. The law provides for the efficient use of water resources and the protection of water resources. It can be used to control and adjust water consumption through consultation with users who own water rights. . In recent years, Japan has emerged to provide some of the irrigation facilities to transform the city's irrigation costs, improve the efficiency of irrigation water, and the water saved is used by the urban sectors that provide investment. This is a way to incentivize farmers to upgrade their equipment. The change of use of water rights to a certain extent promoted the development of water-saving agriculture and protected the interests of farmers.

The Central Government of Japan is responsible for the construction of irrigation facilities such as reservoirs, diversion dams and trunk canals. The local government is responsible for the construction of the branch channels for supplying water to farms. The Water Users Association is responsible for the construction of the furrows. Governments at all levels give considerable financial support to irrigation facilities and farmers cannot afford them. Usually the government pays them first. After the project is built, it will be returned in years. In the irrigation projects established by the county, half of the total investment is borne by the central government.

Israel

All investments in Israel's national water supply projects are borne by the country. The cost of operation and maintenance of the water supply system is mainly for the water users (70%), and the government burden is a small part (30%). The state is responsible for the construction and management of backbone water sources and water supply networks, and the irrigation water is sent to the edge of Kibbutz (a type of collective farm) or Moshav (a cooperative consisting of individual farmers). The construction of water-saving irrigation facilities within the farm is entirely the responsibility of the farmer himself. When the funds are difficult, they can apply to the government for a subsidy of no more than 30% of the total investment. The bank can also provide long-term low-interest loans, which are guaranteed by the government.

Israel encourages agricultural water conservation and strengthens agricultural water management. The first 50% of the quota water is charged at normal prices (0.1 US$/m3), and the remaining 50% will increase the water tariff (about 0.14 US$/m3). For the first 10% of the quota water, the price is 0.26 USD/m3, and the excess water is 0.5 USD/m3. In addition, in order to save water, farmers are encouraged to use the treated urban wastewater for irrigation. The quality water price provided by the water supply pipe network is about 20% lower, and its losses are subsidized by the government.

Israel goes from the Golan Heights in the north to the Negev Desert in the south. There are millions of local water collection facilities throughout the country, collecting about 1-2 billion cubic meters of water each year and directly using or injecting them into local reservoirs or underground aquifers.

Israel has forced agriculture to save water effectively, making it one of the most advanced countries in the world for agricultural water-saving technologies.

Australia

Some parts of the irrigation canals above the irrigation projects in Australia were invested and built by the government and set up special agencies to manage them. The farm’s internal facilities are the responsibility of the farmer himself. The water fee charged by the management unit is only 70% of the operation and maintenance cost of the canal water conveyance project, and the rest is subsidized by the government.

Farmers constructing water-saving irrigation projects may apply to government agencies for preferential loans that are 7 percentage points lower than the average commercial loan interest rate. In addition, the state government also adopted various measures to encourage agricultural water-refreshing technologies and equipment, such as the government’s tariff subsidies for other economic sectors to shift more to farmers in order to increase the ability of agriculture to invest in water-saving irrigation equipment. Irrigation technology has advanced to the international advanced level.