Irrigation water will be free of charge when the new system of drop irrigation has been installed in Calasparra, according to a statement by the Association of Regantes.
The statement notes the following points:
All rights to water will be as they are now.
The project has been approved by central government and declared “in the public interest.”
The new system will not be prejudicial but will benefit a type of agriculture which is currently impossible.
The project is 70% funded by Europe and the farmers will pay the remaining 30% in installments of 9 euros a year per tahulla.
Bills will be issued annually as they are now.
The benefits of the project are listed as:
Bring an end to a system which means some farmers can only water during the night.
Bring an end of variable water supplies and the current rota system.
Resolve the loss of water during the night.
Enable farmers to plan their agricultural production.
The aims of the project are:
To optimize water resources by using water efficiently.
Improve water management and automate irrigation.
Improve the quality of production.
The Farmers’ Association states it will continue to defend the project despite some opposition because it is “the only way to save agriculture in Calasparra” and will provide much needed unemployment. Moreover, farmers will have much more flexibility in the manner they grow and the variety of crops they are able to produce.
This modernization project has been approved by two majority votes by members of the Association.
