A large majority of small holders and farmers of Calasparra have voted in favour of the financial arrangements with a new contractor to fund the installation of a drop irrigation system to replace the antiquated network of irrigation canals which dates back to the Arab occupation.
At a meeting on Monday night the agricultural community of Calasparra voted to pay 13.50 euros per “tahúlla” (118 square metres of irrigated land) in accordance with the financial proposals of the new contractor which has secured funding for drop irrigation projects from Europe under the Feder Fund.
The meeting was told that the new contractor had secured the funds from Europe for a project in Lorca which had been cancelled. This money was available now for the Calasparra project but if funds had not been allocated by January 2012 they would have to be returned to Europe.
The Mayor of Calasparra, Jesus Navarro said this was a unique opportunity to modernize irrigation in Calasparra which was currently using a system dating back to the Arabs occupation and was in constant disrepair. There would be no grants for maintaining the current irrigation network, he warned.
The 13.50 euros includes 8.50 euros of general expenses and payment for the electricity to transport the water from the reservoir, the rest will pay off a loan over 25 years to finance the first installment for the project for which members are liable: approximately three million euros. A further loan had been arranged commencing in 1926 payable over 25 years.
“This will be paid by our grand children,” said the Mayor.
Irrigation water has always been free of charge although property owners have been charged a “canon” by the reservoir which has varied between 12 and 36 euros a “Tahúlla.” The meeting was assured that any payments on the loan taken out by the Society of Smallholders and Farmers using irrigation water would not be payable until the drop irrigation was full installed to avoid “double billing.”
Pipelines will be laid to the perimeter of the individual properties. Property owners will be responsible for the irrigation systems they install on their land and will be allocated water according to the size of their property. Therefore, the water will not be metered but will represent the amount of water calculated to be sufficient to irrigate multiples of 118 square metres. The water itself remains free of charge.
