The main objectives of the project were to assess water depletion in the process of agricultural production, examine its impacts and propose improved water management practices. The analysis of the water footprints for milk and crop production showed that current groundwater use is unsustainable and that water stress is becoming a limiting factor for sustaining agricultural growth.
To reduce water use in Moga, IWMI recommends intensifying milk production by increasing the fodder area, the number of lactating cows and increasing each cow’s productivity. It also suggests improving the cultivation and irrigation practices of rice – a very water-intensive crop ¬– to reduce its water footprint. To do so, technologies developed in other regions of the world could be adapted for rice and wheat farmers in Moga. For example:
- Delaying the transplanting of paddy fields reduces evaporation losses by 9%, 140 million m3 of groundwater and 11.2 million kWh of energy to pump the water.
- Laser-assisted land levelling can reduce groundwater pumping by one-third and improve rice and wheat yields.
- Raising the height of retaining “bunds” by 22 cm helps to capture more than 95% of the monsoon rain that falls on rice fields.
Through this project, small farmers could be encouraged to take up dairy intensive agriculture patterns, by doubling the number of dairy animals and increasing fodder production area by 10%.
