Luis Planas: Digitalization and new technologies are necessary for sustainable irrigation in the face of water scarcity
Description
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, stressed today that digitalization and the application of new technologies are necessary instruments to achieve sustainable and efficient irrigation systems in a climate change scenario characterized by water scarcity.
The minister participated today in Fraga (Huesca) in a conference on the digitalization of the Aragon and Catalonia canal, organized by the irrigation community, where he reiterated that in this panorama of increasingly frequent and prolonged periods of drought, Irrigation is essential to ensure sufficient food production . “The future of the agri-food sector and food autonomy depends on efficient and sustainable irrigation, which provides greater stability and guarantee to food production,” he stated.
"When talking about drought, there are those who believe that water dedicated to agriculture has no meaning, and it is the opposite, if water has a meaning, it is that of sustainable and efficient irrigation," said the minister, who recalled that Irrigated crops provide two thirds of agricultural production in Spain.
In a coherent response to this challenge, Planas has reiterated that the Government has embarked on a determined commitment to the modernization of irrigation, with an ambitious investment program of 2,130 million euros until 2027, of which 1,255 million correspond to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
This modernization process aims to achieve greater efficiency in irrigation systems, with savings of at least 10% in the water used, and, above all, the commitment to using non-conventional sources (recycled and desalinated water). Energy savings are also intended, with the incorporation of renewable energies, and a decrease in the use of phytosanitary products and fertilizers.
Luis Planas has also pointed out that companies in the irrigation sector, due to their knowledge and experience, can play an important role as catalysts for new businesses in rural areas, and take advantage of the opportunities provided by the new startup law, approved last December. .
Coinciding with this day in Fraga, the minister has announced that in the coming weeks work will begin on the digitalization project and remote telecommand system of the Aragon and Catalonia canal, which covers an area of 105,000 hectares in the provinces of Huesca and Lleida, and they have a budget of 5.4 million euros and an execution period of two years.
The minister has valued the management of the general community of the Aragon and Catalonia canal, which brings together 130 irrigation communities and more than 12,000 farmers, the vast majority of whom are owners of small family farms, whom he has given as an example of good use. of the water.
Aragón is the second autonomous community with the most investments planned in the PRTR irrigation modernization plan, with a total of 214.37 million euros distributed among nine actions, which represents 17.1% of the national total.